Les Mains de Michel-Ange

This article focuses on a drawing, regarded by 18(th)-century amateurs as a masterpiece by Michelangelo, and serves as a point of departure to illuminate the amateur's fascination with the artist's hand. This self-referential representation of the artistic process attracted much comment among connoisseurs. As virtually all amateurs had their say on the meaning of ? les mains de Michel-Ange ? the drawing sheds further light on the objects of desire which informed the amateur's discourse and the mediality such discourse needed in order to join word and image.     

Les techniques dans l'espace public

In this article, we intend to study the cultural transformations fostered by the commercialisation of inventions, a major process in the growth of markets and consumption in the XVIII^th century. Inventors' commercial strategies were based on intense mediatisation, combining visual languages (public shows, experiments, exhibitions) and print resources: advertisements, posters, tracts, how-to leaflets and users' books. Technical information and useful knowledge played a major part in the building of markets for inventions. This demension has seldom been stressed neither by historians of consumption nor by historians of technology. Yet, this literature that aimed to emancipate consumers and to develop their participative talents as m means to convince them to buy, expressed the success of knowledge in action, of operative sciences, based on gestures and verbs, on purposive action and projects. Whereas technological science (technologie) in the Enlightenment developed in treatises and dictionaries, it was also stemming from useful literature and commercial ephemeras that allowed appropriations.     

La Jicarilla

La Jicarilla was a distinct sub-region of eastern Apacheria, that seemingly limitless area northeast of early 18th century New Mexico in which various, usually friendly, Apaches lived. It was probably named after one or more of the igneous landforms found in northeastern New Mexico and was situated on the western Great Plains, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains. It was also situated astride the "Taos Trail" the most important transmountain road in northeastern New Mexico, and was of substantial strategic importance to the Spaniards of New Mexico. As Comanche, Ute and French pressure mounted in northeastern New Mexico, both the Spaniards of New Mexico and the Apaches of La Jicarilla saw advantages in the annexation of La Jicarilla by New Mexico and the placement of a presidio, mission and pueblo(s) there. Plans for these settlements were made, but before they could be implemented attitudes and priorities changed and they were never established. Instead, with decreased New Mexican concern for northeastern frontier defenses, the Apaches of eastern Apacheria were displaced by the Comanches, and La Jicarilla as an Apache settlement region ceased to exist. The use of "La Jicarilla" as a place name continued until the late 18th century.     

Les Moyens Techniques de la Science

Scientific publishing, as far as the Revue de synthèse is concerned, experienced some deep reshaping during the past fifteen years. This article analyses the formula obtained for this journal, made of a paper periodical, an electronic journal, a historical collection and an experimental website for supplements. First elements of evaluation are provided on production and diffusion. An account is given about an experimentation of multimedia publishing made with the last two issues.     

Les divisions dans les textes sanskrits

Sans résumé     

La revolution aujourd'hui

Paolo Viola, Il crollo dell ‘antico regime. Politica e antipolitica nella Francia della Rivoluzione, Rome, Donzelli, 1993, 221 p., ISBN 88–7989–008–5.

Paolo Viola, E’ legale perché lo voglio io. Attualità della Rivoluzione francese, Rome‐Bari, Laterza, 1994, 162 pages, ISBN 88–420–4388–5