Monday, August 31, 2015

The Theatre at Fontainebleau

The Imperial Theatre at Fontainebleau
Chateau as restored, May 2014.
Photo via Daily Mail.
Sometimes it is hard to believe that this is the fortieth anniversary of my summer spent as an architecture student at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts at Fontainebleau.  In addition to studying history and design, I had my first formal classes in historic preservation/adaptive use and garden design, two areas that would later figure prominently in my career.  With direct exposure to exemplary buildings, memorable landscape sites, and exquisite decorative arts, the whole Fontainebleau experience provided a formidable boost to my education.

The Courtyard of Honor, Fontainebleau.
Photo via Wikipedia.
Except for notable field trips, classes were held in a wing of the chateau that was historic but not part of the museum.  My class also benefited from other behind-the-scenes access, one of the best being able to see the preserved theatre, off-limits to the public at the time as it was considered a fire hazard.

A circa 1910 view of the Imperial Theatre, Fontainebleau.
Photo via Wikipedia.
The Imperial Theatre was designed by architect Hector Lefuel and built for Napoleon III from 1853 to 56.  It replaced the smaller Comédie Theatre and was built with a capacity for 400 within the existing shell of a wing.

The chateau during the era of Napoleon III, 1862.
The theatre is noted by the "T" towards the lower right.
Image from Private Collection.
The design was inspired by Marie Antoinette's theatre at Versailles which was admired by Empress Eugénie.  It was inaugurated in May 1857 and only saw fifteen performances during the reign of Napoleon III.
Exterior elevation drawings showing the courtyard and
garden sides of the wing, indicating the position of the theatre.
Image from musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
At the time of my visit in 1975, the theatre was a dusty jewel box, a time capsule cracked open to reveal a Louis XVI Revival interior that had been essentially untouched for 120 years.  There was not even electricity; with the windows shuttered, the only illumination that day came from a backstage skylight and a flashlight.

The lower level, or parterre prior to
restoration.
Photo via musee-chateau-ontainebleau.fr


The unrestored first dress circle of the theatre.
Photo via musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
As the class gathered on the lower flat area in front of the stage, our eyes got accustomed to the dim light.  The furnishings were still in place, I noticed as I lifted the corner of a dust sheet covering the particularly long canapés that provided seating for the parterre.  The next level up was the first dress circle that included the imperial box with the second dress circle above that; these had individual fauteuils under the sheeting as did the boxes on the fourth level. 

A pre-restoration view of the Imperial Theatre,
Fontainebleau, showing one of the stage sets.
Photo via musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
But the most interesting artifacts were the painted stage flats, the scenery that could be raised and lowered by a wench in the attic.  It was all preserved as the theatre had not been used since the Nazi occupation.

The machinery in the attic to raise and lower
the scenery.
Photo via musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr
The restoration was achieved through a campaign led by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Abu Dhabi.  The sheikh, the supporter behind the Louvre Abu Dhabi, runs the world's second-largest sovereign wealth fund (following that of the King of Thailand) with Forbes reporting assets of $773 billion. 

The patron of the theatre's restoration,
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right.
Photo from Getty Images via Daily Mail.
The Imperial Theatre is accessible by guided tour only, available every afternoon except Tuesdays.  What a treat to know that this architectural treasure may now be visited by the public.

The Imperial Theatre, Fontainebleau.
Photo via Daily Mail.

14 comments:

  1. Chantilly...now Fontainebleu, historic heights of Royal Architecture, and Elegance apart from Versailles, strangely now restored by those who represent an Ideology that wishes to destroy the very same...confusing at best. Beautiful memories you've conveyed, memories I believe are sometimes best as they are, left in our Golden Light that dims with Age though never dusty nor covered with sheets. Bernd and Andrew love your blog. I thought of you as I sat on the steps at The Belvedere looking up at the clouds floating within a Wedgewood Blue sky - a sunny, warm beautiful day! Wonder if THAT chair...once upon a time, sat outside as well overlooking the same sky, so long ago...sad for those that did sit upon those chairs, their beauty destroyed by those of another ideology.

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    Replies
    1. T.S., who knows all the layers of complexity that are sometime veiled behind some acts of philanthropy? One just hopes that good does at least come from it. In this case, it certainly seems a winning situation for all involved.

      As for the Belvedere chair in the prior post, I think it is highly likely that the chair and others in the suite were brought outdoors as needed on occasion. I have seen period images of such use for similar situations, but I have also seen furniture such as folding chairs that were brought forth for outdoor use. I appreciate your comments.

      And thank you for the kind words from Bernd and Andrew; I am a huge fan of Architectural Watercolors.

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  2. This theater seems gracefully haunted with gala performances and audiences of old. I am glad that so much original remains, and they are doing a beautiful restoration job. I am reminded of singer Adelina Patti's private theater at her castle Craig Y Nos in Wales, which also has original equipment and scenery, include a backdrop of Patti herself!
    --Jim

    Here is a link to the Patti theater: http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/344-adelina-patti-theatre-craig-y-nos

    and here is an article I wrote on a portrait of Patti: http://roadtoparnassus.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-tribute-in-tin-to-adelina-patti-queen.html

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    Replies
    1. P., thank you for your comments. For security reasons, the Blogger template does not allow links in the comments, but I knew that you were a reliable source. I have no control over editing a comment; it is either published or not. But I wanted to offer this explanation of what appears as a glitch in the format.

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  3. Do you think that the Louis XVI revival interior, seen so long ago, has been sympathetically and accurately renovated in the Imperial Theatre at Fontainebleau? Hope so! I have never seen it (in either incarnation) but if the design was truly inspired by Marie Antoinette's theatre at Versailles, Napoleon III could not go too far wrong.

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    Replies
    1. H., yes, I think it was a good restoration in terms of an interpretational presentation. Everything appears to be in the style of the period, the mid-nineteenth century revival and not a true recreation of the late 18th century. The tufting on the backs of the chairs and the floral fitted carpet are, of course, more Eugenie than Marie Antoinette. Thank you for commenting.

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  4. This is one of the most astonishing things I have ever read! How blindingly astonishing! How is it that this Sheik took interest?

    How wonderful that you had this experience; and learned so much from it! My admiration for you; which was already immense....SOARS!!!!

    Yowzers!

    Penelope

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    Replies
    1. P.B., although it has not been implicitly reported, one might wonder if a further financial obligation comes with the opening of the Louvre in Abu Dhabi that extends to other projects in France. That is just a theory and not a reporting of fact, however. In any case, this philanthropy is gift that will be enjoyed by all interested in the decorative arts. (The Sheik's other interests are horse and camel racing). I appreciate your commenting.

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  5. It looks wonderful in its pre-restored state. Besides a good dusting, what needed to be done?

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    Replies
    1. C.L., part of me wishes that it could have been/would have been left as it was and opened to the public. From my experience with house museums, I know there is a pride that often works against historic preservation; some curators and patrons cannot bear to present a tattered or dingy interior and insist that more educational value lies in an interpretation that portrays it as 'fresh' as originally seen. Thank you for commenting.

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  6. Absolutely stunning, the details so discerning, and the mechanisms of the theater fascinate me as well! Thank you John!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena
    Featuring Sharon Santoni

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    Replies
    1. I always enjoy behind-the-scenes. Thank you for commenting, K.A.

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  7. John Thank you for your comment on my feature of the newly published Parish-Hadley Tree of Life, I have added you to list of designers mentioned and am proud to do so!!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Karena! I'll have a post here on the release date October 6. Brian McCarthy with the help of Bunny Williams put a lot of effort into the book and it shows.

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