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  • Cultural Exchange in Seventeenth-Century France and England by Gesa Stedman
  • Tracey Wedge
Stedman, Gesa, Cultural Exchange in Seventeenth-Century France and England, Farnham, Ashgate, 2013; hardback; pp. 306; 22 b/w illustrations; R.R.P. £70.00; ISBN 9780754669388.

Gesa Stedman’s most recent monograph does not attempt to discuss the influence of English culture on the French population; rather it focuses predominantly on the impact of French culture in England.

The introductory chapter considers ideas of cultural exchange with reference to existing academic theories. This provides useful definitions that clearly set out where Stedman’s theories sit within current scholarship. Through the examination of a broad range of factors that constitute cultural exchange, Stedman offers examples of actual exchanges to underscore his thinking. These exchanges are discussed using well-documented instances, the first of which was the arrival of Henrietta Maria in England. The impact on English mores of French cultural practices prior to the Restoration is considered at length in the second chapter, which centres on the French queen consort.

The following chapter discusses aspects of cultural exchange that were visible in the fashionable garden and park design, music and dance, food and drink, shopping, and the book trade. Here we see French culture in England highlighted through the engagement of elite society in wider French cultural practices. Also addressed is the impact of Charles II’s relationship with his French mistresses on the perception of French culture by the English. Fashion provides the exemplar for the demonstration of exchange in Chapter 4, supported by the transmission of French cultural practices through drama. Certainly, the examples cited illustrate Stedman’s points well, as do the images included within the book. The many sources Stedman uses demonstrate the rich material available when considering cultural exchange and the vast nature of the topic. The final chapter re-examines Stedman’s arguments.

Those with an interest in material culture and transmission of design will draw something from this book. The ongoing debate of the cultural exchange between France and England certainly has plenty to offer. While Stedman’s examination of the impact of royalty and the elite on the transmission and [End Page 234] adoption of French cultural practices by the English is thorough and engaging it is only part of the picture of an exchange that happened on many other levels.

Tracey Wedge
Invercargill, New Zealand
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