The French in Siam

The French in Siam

I found this mural fragment depicting 17th century Frenchmen in Siam some years ago while wandering in the antiques section of the posh Siam Paragon shopping centre in central Bangkok.  I'm sad to report that as of my last visit in February, 2016, most of the antiques shops had disappeared, including the one where I found this piece.

Though it's rendered in the manner of a Thai temple mural, I hasten to assure my readers that it is not an actual fragment plundered from the wall of some unfortunate temple, but rather a contemporary work from a studio that trains young Thai artists in the traditional technique of mural painting, which, traditionally, was only done on temple walls.  The underlying material in this case is very modern concrete.  I wish I had written down the name of the studio because I haven't come across any of its work since.

Here's a close up view:

I chose this piece out of the many on display for its depiction of 17th century French gentlemen. The Portuguese had been the first Europeans to reach Thailand, or Siam as it was known then, but the French under Louis XIV were the first European power to exchange ambassadors with a Thai king, at that time King Narai, whose capital was at Ayutthaya, upriver from modern Bangkok.  The exchange took place in the mid-1680s thanks to the influence of French Jesuit missionaries and King Narai's  favourite and chief minister, Constantine Phaulkon, a Greek adventurer looking for military support from a Christian power.  In the end, the proposed Franco-Siamese alliance and the conversion of Siam to Catholicism came to nothing and the French were banned from Siam, but to this fascinating clash of cultures we owe the earliest reliable European maps of Siam, the name Bangkok (shown on French maps of the period as Bangcoque), which was then a small river port, and numerous French travel narratives and memoirs which today provide invaluable primary sources for historical study of the period.   

I lived in Bangkok for 2 years early in the new millennium and collected a number of books about the French adventure in Siam/Thailand.  I hope to bring you more details of this East-West encounter in future posts, including, perhaps, some on my other blog: http://www.versaillescentury.com.  

Have you been to Thailand?  Did you see any relics of the French adventure?  Please share in the comments below.  

 

Posted on 21/09/2016 by David Gemeinhardt Art, Other Paintings, Thailand 0

Related articles

New Royal Concubine

Thailand's King Rama X has appointed the first royal concubine in nearly 100 years.

Spirit Houses

Do your household spirits have a home?

Saranrom Park

Saranrom Park is Old Bangkok's green lung.

The Guimet: Thai Treasures

Highlights of the small but choice Thai collection at the Guimet Museum.

Eating in Upcountry Thailand

Away from Bangkok, good meals are to be had roadside, beachside, and riverside in Thailand's provinces.

Eating in Bangkok

Find out where L&P likes to eat and drink in Thailand's capital.

Jatujak Market

In Bangkok on a weekend? Don't miss Jatujak Market. Click for L&P's highlights of the world's largest weekend market.

Eating in Chiangmai

The north of Thailand, AKA Lanna, has a cuisine all its own. Click to read about eating in in the northern capital.

Leave a CommentLeave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Recently Viewed

No products