MID-18TH CENTURY AND LATER

Pierre Delbée (1900-1974), alongside Stéphane Boudin (1888-1967), was one of the great tastemaker-directors of the illustrious Parisian design firm, Maison Jansen. Founded in the late 19th century by Dutch émigré Jean-Henri Jansen (1854-1928), the design house was known for producing period interiors that matched the ambitions and tastes of their mainly conservative clientele such as the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts and King Leopold of Belgium. Under the leadership of Stéphane Boudin (1888-1967) from 1936, Maison Jansen broke out from the constraints of traditional decorating into the most prestigious and in-demand décorateur du jour. Boudin developed the historicist style that Jansen is known for and examples are seen in the influential interiors he created for clients such as Sir Henry and Lady Honor Channon at Belgrave Square, Lady Baillie at Leeds Castle, Mrs. Ronald Tree [Nancy Lancaster] at Ditchley Park and The White House under the stewardship of the Kennedys. After Boudin's retirement in the 1960s the talented Pierre Delbeé (1900-1974) assumed the role of senior decorator. It was he who established what is known now as the Jansen look: a union of 18th century French hôtel particulier historicism, 1920s timeless Hollywood theatricality and English country house subtlety. Perhaps his most famous project was on the pavilions for the celebration staged by the Shah of Iran in 1971 to mark the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian dynasty. The collection in his apartment on the Avenue Foch was preserved after his death until the sale of its contents at Christie's Monaco in 1999.