Lot Essay
In 1807 Jérôme, Napoleon Bonapart's youngeST brother, was made King of Westphalia, a newly established kingdom which was intended to reinforce French rule in Germany. Prior to his departure for his new kingdom, he married, on 22 April 1807, Princess Katherina of Württemburg. One of the most brilliant parties of the decade was the ball given in honour of this marriage at the Elysée Palace. The great Carême, in charge of the cold buffet, left us this description of the food offered in Le Cuisinier Parisien:
"24 grosses pièces, parmi lesquelles 14 socles ou etaient places 6 jambons, 6 galantines et 2 hures de sanglier; 6 longes de veau á la gelée, plus 76 entr/aees divers/aes dont 6 de côtes et de filets de boeuf á la gelée, 6 noix de veau, 6 de cervelles de veau dressés dans les bordures de gelées moulée, 6 de pain de fois gras, 6 de poulets á la reine en galantine, 6 d'apics garnis de cretes et de rognons, 6 de salmis de perdereau rouge chaud-froid, 6 de fricasee de poulet á la reine chaud-froid, 6 de mayonnaise de volaille, 6 de darnes de saumon au beurre de Montpellier, 6 de salade de filets de sole et 6 de galantine d'angille au beurre de Montpelier", (quoted in Anne-Marie Nisbet and Victor-Andre Massena, L'Empire á Table, 1988, p. 65).
These candelabra formed part of two extensive services commissioned from Martin-Guillaume Biennais, the Emperor's goldsmith, at the time of the wedding.
At once Jérôme set about making Westphalia a showcase for French culture. His palace at Cassel, which had belonged to the Duke of Hessen, was completely redecorated and among the additions was a private theatre. Napoleon however became irritated at his brother's vast expenditure, having hoped that his brother would have raised taxes to swell the Inperial coffers in Paris. The brief period of Jérôme's rule in Westphalia came to an abrupt end in 1813 with his defeats in Russia and at Leipzig. Jérôme fled Cassel with his wife, taking much of the royal collection and their silver with them. After much journeying around Europe, during which it is probable that they had to sell items from their collection, they settled with Katherina's father in Württemberg. In 1816, due to his mounting debts, Jérôme was forced to sell most of his silver at auction in Stuttgart. Most of the silver was bought by King Maximillian I for his Bavarian court and is now on display in the Residenz Museum in Münich. Maximillian had the Bonaparte arms removed from the silver and replaced with his own. It is interesting to note that these candelabra still have Jérôme's arms, suggesting that they were sold soon after the royal couple's departure from Westphalia.
"24 grosses pièces, parmi lesquelles 14 socles ou etaient places 6 jambons, 6 galantines et 2 hures de sanglier; 6 longes de veau á la gelée, plus 76 entr/aees divers/aes dont 6 de côtes et de filets de boeuf á la gelée, 6 noix de veau, 6 de cervelles de veau dressés dans les bordures de gelées moulée, 6 de pain de fois gras, 6 de poulets á la reine en galantine, 6 d'apics garnis de cretes et de rognons, 6 de salmis de perdereau rouge chaud-froid, 6 de fricasee de poulet á la reine chaud-froid, 6 de mayonnaise de volaille, 6 de darnes de saumon au beurre de Montpellier, 6 de salade de filets de sole et 6 de galantine d'angille au beurre de Montpelier", (quoted in Anne-Marie Nisbet and Victor-Andre Massena, L'Empire á Table, 1988, p. 65).
These candelabra formed part of two extensive services commissioned from Martin-Guillaume Biennais, the Emperor's goldsmith, at the time of the wedding.
At once Jérôme set about making Westphalia a showcase for French culture. His palace at Cassel, which had belonged to the Duke of Hessen, was completely redecorated and among the additions was a private theatre. Napoleon however became irritated at his brother's vast expenditure, having hoped that his brother would have raised taxes to swell the Inperial coffers in Paris. The brief period of Jérôme's rule in Westphalia came to an abrupt end in 1813 with his defeats in Russia and at Leipzig. Jérôme fled Cassel with his wife, taking much of the royal collection and their silver with them. After much journeying around Europe, during which it is probable that they had to sell items from their collection, they settled with Katherina's father in Württemberg. In 1816, due to his mounting debts, Jérôme was forced to sell most of his silver at auction in Stuttgart. Most of the silver was bought by King Maximillian I for his Bavarian court and is now on display in the Residenz Museum in Münich. Maximillian had the Bonaparte arms removed from the silver and replaced with his own. It is interesting to note that these candelabra still have Jérôme's arms, suggesting that they were sold soon after the royal couple's departure from Westphalia.