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Lot Essay
The figure of Icarus, representing Air, carries a pennant bearing the coat of arms of the family of Berthelot de Baye and de Pleneuf and this is the key to the design of the doors for they were almost certainly commissioned by the Baron and Baronne Joseph de Baye for their Hôtel particulier in Paris.
The Baronne was born an Oppenheim (originally a German banking family) and together with the Baron Joseph were certainly in a position to have commissioned what would have been a very expensive interior for a very grand hôtel particulier in the most fashionable part of Paris. The Baronne was a leading disciple of the néo-Grec Parnassus school of poetry which included Leconte de Lisle, Théophile Gauthier, Louis Ménard and Théophile de Banville among others. This school of poetry to which she belonged took its name from the Temple at Parnassus which was dedicated to Apollo and the nine Muses. It is therefore interesting to note an ormolu mask of Apollo on the single 'Boulle' door and also three of the Muses are represented. The Greek iconography of the doors must have acted as a suitable and specially commissioned backdrop to the poetry salon of the Baronne. Footnote researched and compiled by Patrick Pilkington.
The Baronne was born an Oppenheim (originally a German banking family) and together with the Baron Joseph were certainly in a position to have commissioned what would have been a very expensive interior for a very grand hôtel particulier in the most fashionable part of Paris. The Baronne was a leading disciple of the néo-Grec Parnassus school of poetry which included Leconte de Lisle, Théophile Gauthier, Louis Ménard and Théophile de Banville among others. This school of poetry to which she belonged took its name from the Temple at Parnassus which was dedicated to Apollo and the nine Muses. It is therefore interesting to note an ormolu mask of Apollo on the single 'Boulle' door and also three of the Muses are represented. The Greek iconography of the doors must have acted as a suitable and specially commissioned backdrop to the poetry salon of the Baronne. Footnote researched and compiled by Patrick Pilkington.