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Lot Essay
Georges Jacob, matre in 1765.
Bagatelle
The estate at Bagatelle, which could serve as resting point for the Comte d'Artois during his journeys between Saint-Germain and his house in Paris by the Temple, were bought by the Prince, youngest brother of Louis XVI, from Prince d'Henin in 1775.
The pavilion at Bagatelle began as a bet over 100,000 livres between the Comte d'Artois and Queen Marie-Antoinette. The design of Bagatelle was conceived by the architect Belanger in only one night, and it was built in nine weeks. In the Autumn of 1777 nine hundred craftsmen were working on the grounds, planting the trees and constructing the pavillion. Although the bet was won, the interior decoration was only completed in 1781.
The square pavilion was set at the end of a forecourt, on a slightly raised ground behind a type of arc de triomphe flanked by the house's offices. The hall, decorated with two stucco columns, opened up to the dining-room and the billiard-room through two doors. Through a passage the visitor entered the salon en rotonde with three window bays overlooking the garden. The glazed cupola suspended a superb matt-gilt bronze lantern. On the ormolu-mounted chimneypiece by Franois Rmond stood a pair of candlesticks by van Clve as well as a pendule sphinx made by Lepaute and designed by Belanger.
Seat furniture at Bagatelle
The seat funiture for Bagatelle was supplied by Jean-Baptiste Boulard and Georges Jacob (the Prince's menuisier), who shared the commission. Boulard made the eight causeuses and a fire-screen while Georges Jacob supplied the eight fauteuils, sixteen side chairs and a screen. The sculptor Rode and the gilder Aubert unified the commission by carving and gilding the entire suite. The merchant Nau supplied the Italian vert anglais silk velvet upholstery which was embellished with lilac, green and white tassels. Placed under the lantern in the centre of the room stood a very large circular games table with a diameter of 98 in. (250cm.), which was delivered by the bniste Denizot.
The commission of the Royal chair
In anticipation of a visit by Louis XVI to Bagatelle during the summer of 1784 and observing the royal etiquette, the Prince's Garde-meuble commissioned a parade fauteuil to be used as throne for the King, on 12 July 1784. The frame was ordered from Georges Jacob who billed his work at 120 livres only three weeks later. The carver Rode asked for 300 livres, but this figure was revised and reduced by the administration of the Garde-meuble to 274 livres. He described the chair in a detailed document:
The fauteuil was finally gilt by Ramier, who justified his work as being 'trs riche de sculpture, orns de cornet d'abondance au dossier'. The absence of the Bagatelle brand on the chair indicates that it was probably placed in the Garde-meuble of the Prince after the party given in honour of the King.
During the Revolution the carved fleurs de lys were certainly removed from the panels above the legs and the fauteuil was later sold. Unlike the fates of the other throne chairs which were burnt, this chair miraculously escaped the revolutionary destructions.
Bagatelle
The estate at Bagatelle, which could serve as resting point for the Comte d'Artois during his journeys between Saint-Germain and his house in Paris by the Temple, were bought by the Prince, youngest brother of Louis XVI, from Prince d'Henin in 1775.
The pavilion at Bagatelle began as a bet over 100,000 livres between the Comte d'Artois and Queen Marie-Antoinette. The design of Bagatelle was conceived by the architect Belanger in only one night, and it was built in nine weeks. In the Autumn of 1777 nine hundred craftsmen were working on the grounds, planting the trees and constructing the pavillion. Although the bet was won, the interior decoration was only completed in 1781.
The square pavilion was set at the end of a forecourt, on a slightly raised ground behind a type of arc de triomphe flanked by the house's offices. The hall, decorated with two stucco columns, opened up to the dining-room and the billiard-room through two doors. Through a passage the visitor entered the salon en rotonde with three window bays overlooking the garden. The glazed cupola suspended a superb matt-gilt bronze lantern. On the ormolu-mounted chimneypiece by Franois Rmond stood a pair of candlesticks by van Clve as well as a pendule sphinx made by Lepaute and designed by Belanger.
Seat furniture at Bagatelle
The seat funiture for Bagatelle was supplied by Jean-Baptiste Boulard and Georges Jacob (the Prince's menuisier), who shared the commission. Boulard made the eight causeuses and a fire-screen while Georges Jacob supplied the eight fauteuils, sixteen side chairs and a screen. The sculptor Rode and the gilder Aubert unified the commission by carving and gilding the entire suite. The merchant Nau supplied the Italian vert anglais silk velvet upholstery which was embellished with lilac, green and white tassels. Placed under the lantern in the centre of the room stood a very large circular games table with a diameter of 98 in. (250cm.), which was delivered by the bniste Denizot.
The commission of the Royal chair
In anticipation of a visit by Louis XVI to Bagatelle during the summer of 1784 and observing the royal etiquette, the Prince's Garde-meuble commissioned a parade fauteuil to be used as throne for the King, on 12 July 1784. The frame was ordered from Georges Jacob who billed his work at 120 livres only three weeks later. The carver Rode asked for 300 livres, but this figure was revised and reduced by the administration of the Garde-meuble to 274 livres. He described the chair in a detailed document:
The fauteuil was finally gilt by Ramier, who justified his work as being 'trs riche de sculpture, orns de cornet d'abondance au dossier'. The absence of the Bagatelle brand on the chair indicates that it was probably placed in the Garde-meuble of the Prince after the party given in honour of the King.
During the Revolution the carved fleurs de lys were certainly removed from the panels above the legs and the fauteuil was later sold. Unlike the fates of the other throne chairs which were burnt, this chair miraculously escaped the revolutionary destructions.