Lot Essay
Rarely does such a complete and well-preserved panelled room survive to offer a testimony of the refinement of early 18th-century Parisian interiors. Furbishing one of the great htels particuliers of the fashionable Faubourg Saint-Germain or Faubourg Saint-Honor, it was probably commissioned by a member of the aristocracy close to the circles of the Regent Philippe d'Orlans or later Louis XV. Upon the death of Louis XIV and with the emergence of new fortunes amassed through financial speculation and remunarated functions at Court, the accent on the tasteful display of personal success had become increasingly important, and several such private residences were been erected by leading architects in a novel style translating their patrons' aspirations and amibitions.
The relatively small size and bucolic iconography of this room indicates that it was designed for an appartement de socit rather than a formal appartement de parade. This new type of private apartments presented an innovation in architectural distribution and planning recently introduced by architects led by J.-F. Blondel. Less formal and grand than the appartement de parade and yet still not quite as personal as the appartement de commodit, they constituted a transitional setting where a small gathering of friends and family could be received and entertained in a comfortable and pleasant environment. The leisurely nature of this room was echoed in the carved elements (panelling, ceiling, moldings, doors, pier-glasses, consoles) of the architectural shell traditionally carried out in oak by a menuisier en boiserie with musical and pastoral trophies, shells, scrolls, trellis, plumes and alternating with pier-mirrors and paintings. According to Blondel's architectural treatise of 1738, white and gold schemes were deemed suitable for reception areas, with gilding employed sparingly. He also recommended clear varnish which he preferred over colored schemes.
Although the origin of the present room remains unknown, its structure and motifs are closely related to several documented rooms, some of which are still standing in their original building. Its scale and proportion as well as the fret designs are indeed similar to those of the Grand Salon on the first floor of the Htel de Bourvallais, which now houses the Ministry of Justice. It is also quite close in inspiration to the white and gold-painted panelling from the former bedroom of the Htel de Cressart, dated 1725, now installed in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu (illustrated in Bruno Pons, French Period Rooms, 1650-1800, Dijon, 1995, p. 210-20). Finally, the mirror frames with their prominent fronds and intertwined foliage are also to be found in the salle de companie in the Htel de Soyecourt.
The relatively small size and bucolic iconography of this room indicates that it was designed for an appartement de socit rather than a formal appartement de parade. This new type of private apartments presented an innovation in architectural distribution and planning recently introduced by architects led by J.-F. Blondel. Less formal and grand than the appartement de parade and yet still not quite as personal as the appartement de commodit, they constituted a transitional setting where a small gathering of friends and family could be received and entertained in a comfortable and pleasant environment. The leisurely nature of this room was echoed in the carved elements (panelling, ceiling, moldings, doors, pier-glasses, consoles) of the architectural shell traditionally carried out in oak by a menuisier en boiserie with musical and pastoral trophies, shells, scrolls, trellis, plumes and alternating with pier-mirrors and paintings. According to Blondel's architectural treatise of 1738, white and gold schemes were deemed suitable for reception areas, with gilding employed sparingly. He also recommended clear varnish which he preferred over colored schemes.
Although the origin of the present room remains unknown, its structure and motifs are closely related to several documented rooms, some of which are still standing in their original building. Its scale and proportion as well as the fret designs are indeed similar to those of the Grand Salon on the first floor of the Htel de Bourvallais, which now houses the Ministry of Justice. It is also quite close in inspiration to the white and gold-painted panelling from the former bedroom of the Htel de Cressart, dated 1725, now installed in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu (illustrated in Bruno Pons, French Period Rooms, 1650-1800, Dijon, 1995, p. 210-20). Finally, the mirror frames with their prominent fronds and intertwined foliage are also to be found in the salle de companie in the Htel de Soyecourt.