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Versailles Gossip- Empire Style Portrait (the Portrait of Madam Senonnes)
- A Cat Chasing a Butterfly
- The Emperor’s Barge
- Marie-Antoinette (a text of Jean Cocteau translated by Vadim Bystritski)
- Indifferent (a text of Paul Claudel translated by Vadim Bystritski)
- Napoleon II and the Cinco de Mayo
- Le Gros’ Portrait of Napoleon’s Aid-de-Camp
- Style Empire in Painting
- Falling in Style
- A Swede in the XVIII Century Paris.
Category Archives: Versailles Furniture
On the Inside of a Grand Piano
In the Renaissance Italy the insides of footlockers were often painted, and sometimes those pictures were of nude women; perhaps this is why Titian’s Venus of Urbino has an open trunk in the background? Rumor had it that the XVII … Continue reading
Another Furniture Lesson
Napoleon hated rococo furniture. He would flop his butt into one of those Louis XV-style chairs, pull out his pocket-knife and just carve away at the damned thing. What he wanted to see around was the Empire-style furniture — things … Continue reading
Posted in Chateau Versailles, Louis XV, Napoleon, Versailles, Versailles Furniture
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A Mystery to Behold at Chateau Versailles
Yesterday Chateau Versailles inaugurated the exhibition Versailles and Antiquity. A little obscure? Sure. The name accommodates both the real antiques from the royal collection, as well as some XVII and XVIII century objects inspired by antiquity. The most mysterious of them … Continue reading
You Better Sit Down…
Those of you who have already visited the Little Trianon probably remember these. For sure, they are remarkable. Carved out of one solid piece of oak, this chair could carry the weight of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette in every conceivable … Continue reading
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The Invisible Hands
We are in the kitchen of Le Petit Trianon. This is where they cook Her Majesty’s food. I don’t know if you can see the marks on the cieling above the kitchen table, but there used to be a hole … Continue reading
Looking Under the Skirt of Marie-Antoinette
In 1772 Peter Kintzing, a watch-maker, David Roentgen, a furniture maker, plus 24 other artisans, created this automaton whose features strikingly resemble those of Marie-Antoinette. The rumor has it that the hair on the doll is that of the queen, … Continue reading
No Flush XVIII Century Toilet
The thing that American servicemen miss during their deployments to the Middle East is porcelain. Eight or ten months at some Forward Opperation Base make them positively nostalgic about the indoor plumbing. It is not nearly as satisfying to sit … Continue reading
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Gambling, Voyeurism and Washing Your Butt At Four In the Morning
Господа офицеры, быть беде, Господин Полковник сел на биде! Козьма Прутков Messieurs Officers, trouble! The colonel is using bidet! Kozma Prutkov I am fascinated by the XVII century French furniture. It tells such stories! For example, look at this chair; … Continue reading
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