The Cane of the Incroyable
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Incroyable is the name given, during
the French revolutionary times, to these stylish men and women who were dressed
in an extraordinary studied manner and use to talk in an unusual way. When
talking, they removed the "r" and used studied expressions. They were given the
name Incroyable due to the affectedness with which they repeated at any
time"c'est incôyable". (Larousse Paris, 1931)
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Incroyable, Cabinet des Estampes. |
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Incroyable and Merveilleuse. Source:
B.Latouche, a well documented website on the revolutionary
times. |
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The bludgeon Stick
 The use of the bludgeon Stick is related
with the fashion said of the "Incroyables", that begins around the year 1788 to
end in 1799 and wich main epoch was between 1795 to 1797, at the subdued of the
Directoire.
The twisted Cane of the Iincroyable was also named "executive power", meaning that holding the Cane might
constraint to apply the revolutionary law.
Another name was "Freedom tree", in
relation with its natural appearance of gnarled branch, recalled the freedom
trees put in everywhere, in France during the revolution. This fashion was
intended to take the opposite course to the old regime; it corresponds to the
idea of going back to the nature, lauded by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a well known
French writer.
It isn't the idea of beauty that motivated the Incroyable. No;
all the contrary, they did their best, deliberately, to give themselves the
appearance of an ill-favoured person.
From the ashes of the Jeunesse Dorée (gilded youth) of
Fréron, a French deputy at the Convention, were born the Incroyables.
They were more numerous, though their dresses were more expensive; but they
came in a time where more resources were available.
The Incroyables were nothing else than the fashionables at the
time of the Directoire. Among all the men's generation that dedicated
themselves to cult of fashion, is different from any other one due to the
oddness of its taste and habits. |
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Each one likes to describe the Incroyable's Cane as an awful
stick:
"The French Revolution, that had broken the feudal and regal
stick, didn't wait long before choping the canes and, under the Directoire,
appeared the "incredibles" , ugly gnarled sticks that
the lofty people whirled while walking" (Real, p. 280)
Or as well: "In the times of the Directoire we see the outbreak
of the Incroyable's Cane, dreadful twisted bludgeon,
gnarled, rough, as unattractive to see than to wear, but that the dandies
couldn't avoid to elegantly twirl in their hand, while walking."
Nevertheless, we will see in the next rooms that some of this
canes were beautiful. |
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 Daughter of the revolutionary period, the boxing stick will later on
be associated to the "Boxe française".
Born a quarter of century later, around 1820, in the Paris
suburbs of La Courtille, the "Boxe Française" will then be named La
Savate or Le Chausson. Source: The art of the "Boxe française "
and of the stick, new theorical and practical treaty, by Charlemont,Paris
1899.
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