Queen Marie Antoinette's French Bedroom

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Here is a close up of one of the original chairs in the Queens bedroom.  Bonnefoy du Plan oversaw the creation of the furniture pieces which featured carved and painted trellises, basketwork, floral forms and rustic garlands. The furniture is called “wheat-ear” furniture, so named for lily-of-the-valley, pine cones, and ears of wheat found in the design The third floor is known as the Mezzanine and was for the Queen’s staff. The room reminds me of classic Swedish Style. The Louis XVI furniture is known as the basis to much of the Gustavian style.

The comparison between the relatively modest room of the queen at the Petit  Trianon and the royal apartments of the Palace of Versailles is striking. The  small dimensions of the bed of the queen in her room at the Petit Trianon show  well that here she lived as a single woman away off her royal husband.

It is  known that Marie-Antoinette in her married life had known a humiliating  experience. Louis XVI had been unable during 7 years to consummate the marriage.  This was known in France as well from the royal courts of Europe.

The  room is entirely authentic, the furniture of origin was found, repurchased and  restored. It is refined furniture signed Georges Jacob. The clock of the Queen  decorated with the two eagles of the house of Austria is back on its  site.

Contiguous to this room is the cabinet “of the moving mirrors” who by  means of a system of sliding slopes allowed the queen to shut her windows when  she wanted to isolate herself

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette From PingulnaMA On Flicker

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

French Style- The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

In the fifteenth century, the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea were discovered in Rome. The first explorers to enter the interior of this spectacular palace complex had the sensation of finding themselves in a series of grottoes, and this is why the fanciful frescoes and floor mosaics discovered there were called "grotesques." A fashionable form of ornamentation in ancient Rome, grotesques consist of loosely connected motifs, often incorporating human figures, birds, animals, and arranged around medallions filled with painted scenes. Fifteenth-century artists such as Perugino, Signorelli, Filippino Lippi, Mantegna copied the ancient Roman examples; the most famous use of the style was Raphael's Loggie in the Vatican Palace, which became immensely famous and influential all over Europe. This magnificently illustrated book covers the entire history of the grotesque in European art, from its Roman origins through the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century. It illuminates how grotesque decoration was transformed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries into arabesque, chinoiserie, and singeries, and how it continued in the nineteenth century, leading eventually to Art Nouveau. 250 color illustrations.

French Interiors:The Belvedere In The Park of the Petit Trianon

French Style The Petit Trianon

The Petit Trianon was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel by the order of Louis XV for his long-term mistress, Madame de Pompadour, and was constructed between 1762 and 1768. But Madame de Pompadour died four years before its completion.  Upon his accession to the throne in 1774, the 20-year-old Louis XVI gave the château and its surrounding park to his 19-year-old Queen Marie Antoinette for her exclusive use and enjoyment. Marie longed to escape Louis and his court, and he gave her just the place.
This simple building located just a hundred meters of the palace of the Petit Trianon contains an oval room which was the private theatre of the Queen. It was  built in 1780 by the architect Richard Mique.   The little  theatre features decorative pasteboard sculptures, with blue hangings and a gold-embroidered curtain. The stage is larger than the auditorium.  The machinery is original from the period and the decoration is original although has been restored.  Marie-Antoinette was always in search of entertainments and who liked to perform on  scene.

Marie Antoinette would come to the Petit Trianon not only to escape the formality of court life, but also to shake off the burden of her royal responsibilities. At Versailles, she was under considerable pressure and judgement from both her family and the court, and the Petit Trianon was her place of ease and leisure where she could rest from those trials.

Since the  Petit Trianon was by invitation only, none was permitted to enter the property without the Queen's express permission.  It was said, not even Louis XVI, so you can imagine how many people felt left out, or perhaps excluded if they were not invited.  This invitation only alienated the court nobility, and only the queen's "inner circle" were invited.

A house was designed to require as little interaction between guests and servants as possible. To that end, the table in was designed to be mechanically lowered and raised through the floorboards so that the servants below were left sight unseen.

French Style The Petit Trianon

Marie-Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles

Marie-Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles by Christain Duvernois, with photographs by François Halard.

Here is the publisher’s presentation:

Marie-Antoinette has been idolized as the height of eighteenth-century French style and vilified as the spark that ignited the French Revolution. This book departs from such traditional interpretations of the infamous queen’s reign and chooses to reflect on the humanistic aspects of her private realm.

To escape the formalities and royal obligations of Louis XVI’s court, Marie-Antoinette created a private realm of pleasure for herself at the Petit Trianon and Hameau, where she planted the first Anglo-Chinese garden; created a trysting grotto; a working farm; and revolutionized architecture and gardening trends for the century to come.

Marie-Antoinette’s entire private domain and its story are told in beautiful photographic detail by François Halard for the first time since its recent restoration and accompanied by well-researched texts by garden expert Christian Duvernois

The Belvedere In The Park of the Petit Trianon

Habitually Chic featured stunning photos of Belvedere in the park of the Petit Trianon, and shows the transition from the dominant Rococo style of the earlier part of the 18th century, to the more sober and refined, Neoclassical style of the 1760s and onward.

The Belvedere In The Park of the Petit Trianon From Curt Dude on Flicker

The Belvedere In The Park of the Petit Trianon

Consider stenciling your home with the classic stylings of a white background with Neoclassical motifs seen at the Petit Trianon. One very easy way of getting these pictures on the wall is by using an overhead projector. Books such as French Architectural Ornament details many of the motifs from Versailles, Fontainebleau and other Palaces which you can get transferred onto overhead projector paper at your local copy center.

French Interiors:The Belvedere In The Park of the Petit Trianon

French Interiors The Belvedere In The Park of the Petit Trianon

French Styled Commodes

French Styled Interiors Architectural Digest Russia Aug 2011

Architectural Digest Russia from Plum Siena's blog.

Architectural Digest Russia had some outstanding French styled pictures in their Aug 2011 issue.  You can see this interior features very fine antiques and neoclassical chandeliers, and in later pictures they feature a stunning Louis XV styled Bombe chest.  Bombe chests gained popularity in the French Regency period. After Louis XIV died in 1715, his five year old great grandson was crowned the king of France.   At the time, Louis XV was too young to rule, so Phillipe d'Orleans, the nephew of the late Louis XIV, was named regent and ruled in his place.  During this time, French furniture-makers created newer styles distinctfully different from the Louis XIV classical forms.  Shapes became more bowed and round.  The signature style through this time was the bombe commode.  This chest had curves, and reminded them of the voluptuous curves of an elegant lady.

Often times these bombe chests were lacquered with chinoiserie decoration, or inlaid with exquisite woods.  Chinese art was very popular through this time as trade with the orient became something new and fresh.  Chinoiserie painted designs were very ornate and detailed which fit right in with the french style of that day.  Bombe chests became crucial to the decor of every upscale home.  When Louis XV ascended the throne, the curvaceous and opulent bombe chest was quite popular. Highly favored by Louis XV and his famous mistress, Madame de Pompadour, the bombe chest became all the rage in 1750's Paris.

A Louis XVI-style chest From Charles-Emile Moinat

A single distinctive piece,  like this Louis XVI-style chest From Charles-Emile Moinat  with ornate hardware, can add just a touch of drama to  a neutral room.

A French Styled Commode Picture From A perfect Gray Blog

18th C. French Cabinet with Wonderful Detailing From Antiquarian Traders

18th C. French Cabinet with Wonderful Detailing From Antiquarian Traders

French Styled Furniture - Architectural Digest Russia Aug 2011 French Commode

French Louis XV Style Inlaid Rosewood Marble Top Ormolu Commode Dresser Chest

French Louis XV Style Inlaid Rosewood Marble Top Ormolu Commode Dresser Chest From Antique Furniture on Ebay

French Louis XV Style Inlaid Rosewood Marble Top Ormolu Commode Dresser Chest

French Louis XV Style Inlaid Rosewood Marble Top Ormolu Commode Dresser Chest From Antique Furniture on Ebay

ANTIQUE FRENCH MINIATURE COMMODE SALESMAN SAMPLER BOX

Antique French Miniature Commode Salesman Sampler Box From Bee And Rooster on Ebay

 

French Commodes

Mantua Court Gowns

Ivory Silk Brocaded Gown

This richly brocaded ensemble illustrates the style of dress worn by women at court.  Known as a mantua, the gown consists of a bodice with a train at the back.  A very wide petticoat of matching silk completes the ensemble along with a triangle of silk known as a stomacher, in the centre front.

Although considered stylish daywear in the early 18th century,  the mantua had become very old-fashioned by the 1750s and was worn only for court dress.  Wide hoops were beginning to go out of style, but kept their extreme width at court.  To make up for its conservative cut, court dress was always made from the most fashionable as well as expensive fabrics and trimmings.   This gown was made from an ivory silk brocaded pattern of stylised flowers and leaves.  The motifs are accentuated by colours of the precious metal thread.  Such a design is typical of French silk weavers and the fabric was probably imported as this gown was one worn in the English courts.  English weavers copied French designs very closely.

Ivory Silk Brocaded Gown

Ivory Silk Brocaded Gown

Court Mantua Kensington Palace 1750-1760 From ArtFund

Court Mantua Kensington Palace 1750-1760 From ArtFund

High End French Style Furniture

French Script Chest Of Drawers Commode Bombay Gorgeous Green And Gold From Ambiance Chateau On Ebay

Ebay can be a place to find one of a kind French furniture that you normally would find in specialty shops across the nation.  Never before have we had available some of the most stunning antiques without leaving our home.  For the decorator and collector alike, nothing could be more fun and convenient.

French Script Chest Of Drawers Commode Bombay Gorgeous Green And Gold From Ambiance Chateau On Ebay- Ambiance carries MOSTLY French Furniture, so do check out their store for one of a kind French pieces.

PAIR FRENCH LOUIS XVI PAINTED & GILT BERGERE CHAIRS Ebay Seller Urban Artifacts99

Louis XVI Painted Gilt Bergere Chairs Ebay Seller Urban Artifacts99

CONTINENTAL CARVED GILTWOOD AND PAINTED DAYBED Ebay Seller UrbanArtifacts99

BEST FRENCH CARVED GILDED DAYBED FULL SIZE BED EVER Ebay Seller CheBella99

French Carved Gilded Day Bed Full Size From Ebay Seller CheBella99

Urban Artifacts 99,  CheBella99 and NoreServe 2 You are all from the same company which has been in the antique business for over 25 years and has a 20,000 square foot Antique Warehouse at 2702 Roberts Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19144.  They always have wonderful French Antiques up on Ebay.

FRENCH DIRECTOIRE PAINTED UPHOLSTERED FULL SIZE BED Ebay Seller Urban Artifacts 99

LOOK at the fabric on this bed!!  You can see the bed has been especially painted to coordinate with this exquisite fabric.  This French Directoire Pained Upholstered bed is a grand example of the directoire french style.  Seller Urban Artifacts 99, CheBella99 and NoreServe 2 You

 

RARE PAIR FRENCH LOUIS XVI PAINTED BURLAP BUDOIR CHAIRS Ebay Seller chebella99

RARE PAIR FRENCH LOUIS XVI PAINTED BURLAP BUDOIR CHAIRS Ebay Seller Urban Artifacts 99, CheBella99 and NoreServe 2 You are all from the same company.

French Louis XV Verde Marble Top Inlaid Wood From Noemanyc On Ebay

French Louis XV Verde Marble Top Inlaid Wood From Noemanyc On Ebay

Antique Marble Italian Bronze French Chest Table Inlaid Ormolu Louis

Antique Marble Italian Bronze French Chest Table Inlaid Ormolu Louis IV Vintage From Welcome To Lighting Galleries

 

Louis XVI Tables

LOUIS XIV TABLE Reproduction Tortoise Shell Replica End Side Accent

Decorate With Darla is selling a stunning Louis XVI table that features a decorative replica tortoise shell faux finish. The finish isn't real tortoise shell, but simply a faux finish. The table is certainly a hard to find piece all on its own without having such an elaborate finish. This piece takes a 22 step process to look like genuine tortoise shell. Decorate With Darla is selling this exquisite piece for $847. Elle International also sells this piece at a little over 1k.

French Style Beds

A French Room in White - A French Bed Upholstered In Blue - Designer Unknown

This bed shines brightly in this white surrounding palette. An oval gilt sconce mirror hangs on the wall with matching blue tapered candles. The floors are painted an off white and a bed crown hangs from the ceiling with draped lace. This room has many antique touches, with a shining example of  classic french neoclassical bed.  For more of a century old feeling, match up the duvet cover and drapes with the upholstery on the bed for a classic look right out of the 18th century.

 

High End French Style Accessories

Antique French Louis XV Style Rosewood Cabinet Vitrine From Vintage Views Consignment And Consulting

Antique dealer Vintage Views Consignment And Consulting is one of the nation's largest online brokers of antiques, fine and decorative art, luxury goods and collectibles. You can also find their store on other online markets, including VandM, GoAntiques and Trocadero. If you are in the market for high end French Style furnishings and accessories, I would suggest to check out their inventory.