tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43904854717789590882024-03-15T20:10:00.599-05:00The Devoted ClassicistThe Devoted Classicist . . . . . . . . . . . John J Tackett . . . . . . . . . . Classic Residential DesignJohn J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-66084926466917195042018-01-20T14:07:00.000-06:002018-01-21T21:27:22.079-06:00Thomas Jayne: Classical Principles for Modern Design<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiam9VHdx7Kpf37-6OJv4P6s69FbXuhYhTLABTB-IffU8msnHOvs823fIUNmya2u7AX5xJm5MOiDU6B6ks6240N3ba20UXLFooVc0w4SYK-cihEYL_-URg12seFNYXBYqqu0kObELAUujk/s1600/jayne_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiam9VHdx7Kpf37-6OJv4P6s69FbXuhYhTLABTB-IffU8msnHOvs823fIUNmya2u7AX5xJm5MOiDU6B6ks6240N3ba20UXLFooVc0w4SYK-cihEYL_-URg12seFNYXBYqqu0kObELAUujk/s320/jayne_cover.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
The Devoted Classicist has not retired, merely busy with a major <strong>John Tackett Design </strong>project that requires his undivided attention. But here is a brief break to recognize the terrific new book just released by long-time friend and colleague <strong>Thomas Jayne</strong>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxBaiqvWOpQi2HJPiYdE41u8uFbhZO-fK8WQT43oHsZQtwG17fMS3wEaF20dlGEX5q-tC_l8H8M-gI6z3k7L9KruAM2_nB7ryAgUVV273pIkg8_xlIE07YE8gjPSuVkDVlM2flkYyKEc/s1600/jayne_england.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="768" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxBaiqvWOpQi2HJPiYdE41u8uFbhZO-fK8WQT43oHsZQtwG17fMS3wEaF20dlGEX5q-tC_l8H8M-gI6z3k7L9KruAM2_nB7ryAgUVV273pIkg8_xlIE07YE8gjPSuVkDVlM2flkYyKEc/s400/jayne_england.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dining Room of Crichel House, Dorset,</em><br />
<em>by architect James Wyatt, restored to its 1770s scheme by</em><br />
<em>Jayne Design Studio,</em><br />
<em>Photo: Paul Highnam, via The Monacelli Press</em></td></tr>
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CLASSICAL PRINCIPLES FOR MODERN DESIGN is Thomas' answer to the game-changing 1897 book by Edith Wharton and Ogden Codman, Jr., THE DECORATION OF HOUSES, that is arguably the basis for our current concepts for interior design. This new book follows the same chapter organization as the original, giving guidelines for walls, doors, windows and curtains, etc., plus new chapters that address kitchen design and color.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZETdCLE7sY2KyH0Yj3QMz-6GlUJLg4gUjb9ofXYE0zbQw-ObVKK-8Oq8_lEBgsVbQqtwuALoUb5K8cbHhpto8uieO8g47IfeTV3OYkxW-OME2jypNUfEgj_vRtEpJ00k33yQO9APehs/s1600/jayne_hanginglights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="800" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZETdCLE7sY2KyH0Yj3QMz-6GlUJLg4gUjb9ofXYE0zbQw-ObVKK-8Oq8_lEBgsVbQqtwuALoUb5K8cbHhpto8uieO8g47IfeTV3OYkxW-OME2jypNUfEgj_vRtEpJ00k33yQO9APehs/s400/jayne_hanginglights.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Great Room in a house at Oyster Bay, Long Island.</em><br />
<em>Photo via Jayne Design Studio.</em></td></tr>
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CLASSICAL PRINCIPLES FOR MODERN DESIGN uses new photographs, most taken expressly for this book, of projects by Jayne Design Studio New York to illustrate the points.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSqutNuoueyQnzksv4-iINxhe5GtO6eftbLPzumVDcY0mjP4qIzsslwAQ39JxxYWjmqEkuYL1dR2WI6YiTdQgINPZnmKQZkkQeK99_AKXUd8M4uSH1Ucz_rJdyUjvOa-UbXf96n3ZKxU/s1600/jayne_portraitatdesk2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="384" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtSqutNuoueyQnzksv4-iINxhe5GtO6eftbLPzumVDcY0mjP4qIzsslwAQ39JxxYWjmqEkuYL1dR2WI6YiTdQgINPZnmKQZkkQeK99_AKXUd8M4uSH1Ucz_rJdyUjvOa-UbXf96n3ZKxU/s400/jayne_portraitatdesk2018.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Thomas Jayne</em></td></tr>
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There are some scheduled lectures and book signings that should not be missed if the opportunity arises at a location near you. See the news at the office site <a href="http://jaynedesignstudio.com/category/news/">Jayne Design Studio New York news.</a><br />
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Readers' support of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist</a> blog is greatly appreciated. It is a non-monetized site and under constant attack by pirates who would like to change that with ugly advertisements, so please stay alert to this original site as linked in the previous sentence. But, for short notes between blog posts, feel free to follow me on Instagram as @thedevotedclassicist.<br />
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<br />John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-84968519544037162772017-04-17T18:16:00.001-05:002017-04-17T18:16:49.593-05:00How They Decorated<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtgIFZrgNZWOYvsfU6f_F11TjYsEDEe6-68pcD7vxZadEaalC4FYbut68hiR4GIIdcZGk3Q7r_-o-XAMJeeNgt0yKChC5rUUi6JTSihv8eIuaAN9rxiFkBAHgQZgkfG5sLBubYi_4jq4/s1600/PGT_HowTheyDecorated_TheDevotedClassicist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtgIFZrgNZWOYvsfU6f_F11TjYsEDEe6-68pcD7vxZadEaalC4FYbut68hiR4GIIdcZGk3Q7r_-o-XAMJeeNgt0yKChC5rUUi6JTSihv8eIuaAN9rxiFkBAHgQZgkfG5sLBubYi_4jq4/s640/PGT_HowTheyDecorated_TheDevotedClassicist.jpg" width="513" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The cover of P.Gaye Tapp's new book</em><br />
<em>features a delightful 1937 watercolor by Cecil Beaton</em><br />
<em>depicting Harrison and Mona Williams in their</em><br />
<em>Palm Beach, Florida, living room</em><br />
<em>decorated by Syrie Maugham.</em></td></tr>
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<strong>P. Gaye Tapp</strong>, author of the blog <a href="http://littleaugury.blogspot.com/">Little Augury,</a> has just released a wonderful new book HOW THEY DECORATED, INSPIRATION FROM GREAT WOMEN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. It is not a book about Lady Decorators, but about the women whose personal style influenced interior design, sometimes working with a design legend, but other times working on their own.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPF9ceBYTpElg41DSMmxq9_v6yNzXWhLhyaWgXVUJigNKtstgC1XREDrL3JDKjbeI5kgvCChvNFgtHCBEGuEF6Oi1A-ee5IA0j1cx7MUboGErds0Oz2UZSYo45KaVyKW3ee7KxaGLN8w/s1600/PGT_Bruce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPF9ceBYTpElg41DSMmxq9_v6yNzXWhLhyaWgXVUJigNKtstgC1XREDrL3JDKjbeI5kgvCChvNFgtHCBEGuEF6Oi1A-ee5IA0j1cx7MUboGErds0Oz2UZSYo45KaVyKW3ee7KxaGLN8w/s400/PGT_Bruce.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Evangeline Bruce's Georgetown townhouse is one of three</em><br />
<em>residences discussed. Here, the Drawing Room features a</em><br />
<em>pair of Gothick chairs that had belonged to decorating</em><br />
<em>legend Nancy Lancaster.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Horst P. Horst, Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
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The book is organized into four sections. "Legacy Styles" features a chapter each on Lady Diana Cooper, Evangeline Bruce, Louise de Vilmovin, and Sybil Connoly. "In the Grand Manner" presents the interior of the homes of Helene Rochas, Gabrielle van Zuylen, Mona Harrison von Bismark, and Pauline de Rothschild. "Fashionably Chic" shows the residences of the fashion plates Babe Paley, Elsa Schiaperelli, Fleur Cowles, and Pauline Trigere. And the final section, "Unconventional Eye" discusses Bunny Mellon, Dominique de Menil, Georgia O'Keffe, and Lesley Blanch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvthY-sOu3Z6LnFDgilRjcmnfDJ3vq37fDY2zF6cM3ydTTxS6LqWPgkabb9P0tfRu4FZeiBtp_JpGw33Fwh0bSt92J8ohrx0NKqmxeR6UkY3A0sdhQfjgmbf9G0EgpBMQwki2xhDRbH3g/s1600/PGT_Rochas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvthY-sOu3Z6LnFDgilRjcmnfDJ3vq37fDY2zF6cM3ydTTxS6LqWPgkabb9P0tfRu4FZeiBtp_JpGw33Fwh0bSt92J8ohrx0NKqmxeR6UkY3A0sdhQfjgmbf9G0EgpBMQwki2xhDRbH3g/s640/PGT_Rochas.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dining Room in the Paris home of Helene Rochas</em><br />
<em>is arranged for intimate comfort with elegant fauteuils</em><br />
<em>that formerly belonged to the style-setter Carlos de Beistegui.</em><br />
<em>The trompe-l'oeil panel over the mantel was painted by</em><br />
<em>Alexandre Serebriakoff.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Pascal Hinous, Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
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<strong>Charlotte Moss</strong>, a successful interior designer in her own right, provides an insightful Introduction. The text is generously supplemented with an invaluable cache of drawings and reference photographs, plus delightful watercolor illustrations by <strong>Jimmie Henslee</strong> created especially for the book.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuxT3GaPhiH10pA8btk_beUGuqqUdizbJ0PYZ-O8jD4VP_nUIYEujgo08iViGWT7m-Vf-5g25Vjh7Mq80A9nZWHLIQ43dQp6AUxsHHmtp6VDbSiVBiPrRTyGXMVBMZDXR6oarYH3Hn38/s1600/PGT_Schiaparelli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuxT3GaPhiH10pA8btk_beUGuqqUdizbJ0PYZ-O8jD4VP_nUIYEujgo08iViGWT7m-Vf-5g25Vjh7Mq80A9nZWHLIQ43dQp6AUxsHHmtp6VDbSiVBiPrRTyGXMVBMZDXR6oarYH3Hn38/s640/PGT_Schiaparelli.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Grand Salon of Elsa Schiaparelli's </em><br />
<em>eighteen-room </em><em>apartment on rue de Berri, </em><br />
<em>Paris, exhibits a </em><em>folding screen </em><br />
<em>commissioned </em><em>from </em><em>Christian Berard.</em><br />
<em>Photo:Hans Wild, The Life Picture Collectiion/Getty Images</em></td></tr>
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<a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist</a> has read the book cover-to-cover and throroughly enjoyed it. All interested in the history of decorative arts are sure to appreciate HOW THEY DECORATED published by Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., the source of all images used here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9Ws5bxBU6LKQoQtidB3mMh58ho5NjNBj2PpFOf128KYIiPKbO34s8hylTcRJshPrdi4M-uxjMYI1yDHABaOcLOL6Agn7nkMiKWdlyIvoKkVAPrBPxGQMVhm0Mi_5eOiqtV2WkRy6YPk/s1600/PGT_Mellon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9Ws5bxBU6LKQoQtidB3mMh58ho5NjNBj2PpFOf128KYIiPKbO34s8hylTcRJshPrdi4M-uxjMYI1yDHABaOcLOL6Agn7nkMiKWdlyIvoKkVAPrBPxGQMVhm0Mi_5eOiqtV2WkRy6YPk/s400/PGT_Mellon.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Anteroom between the Living Room and Dining Room</em><br />
<em>of Bunny Mellon's New York City townhouse provided</em><br />
<em>a transition space between the two decorating schemes.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Michael Dunne, The Oak Spring Garden Foundation.</em><br />
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John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-31581233136183469502017-03-25T15:04:00.002-05:002017-03-25T15:04:52.392-05:00The Devoted Classicist Speaks<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NbAOxzF_SYtCwNvgnaVUlDpfLcbGrSks_04dQFHSGBTT_E2UvNgCMW6msta7gymUjkyHk2RMU-LghLXWHvJ8cJLf7NC_EOOQXIFLlSadrlPcLwmT0I6Ier3nHlATJYzl22VGmqcQeGw/s1600/JohnTackettDesign_Hoak_GardenRoom_Settee_Watercolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NbAOxzF_SYtCwNvgnaVUlDpfLcbGrSks_04dQFHSGBTT_E2UvNgCMW6msta7gymUjkyHk2RMU-LghLXWHvJ8cJLf7NC_EOOQXIFLlSadrlPcLwmT0I6Ier3nHlATJYzl22VGmqcQeGw/s640/JohnTackettDesign_Hoak_GardenRoom_Settee_Watercolor.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A Garden Room created by John Tackett Design</em><br />
<em>during a renovation in University Park, Dallas</em></td></tr>
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It is hoped that all in the Baltimore area can join me on the evening of April 12, 2017, at Evergreen Museum & Library, 6:30 pm. John J. Tackett will speak on the topic of the legendary firm Parish-Hadley and how it served as a training ground for me and dozens of other interior designers and architects. I will also discuss current trends in residential architecture and design and take audience questions on the subject -- with cocktails and a light supper -- all in the beautiful Bakst Theatre in historic Evergreen Mansion, 4545 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21210. The event is part of The House Beautiful Lecture Series of Johns Hopkins University. Advance registration is required. For more information and tickets, click <a href="http://hub.jhu.edu/events/2017/04/12/hb-tackett/">here.</a>John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-68125039375641512272016-12-19T17:32:00.002-06:002016-12-19T17:32:45.005-06:00Best Wishes for Happy Holidays 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUPYCvmklGOcmhGl6lAAw653-oorJGhz5L2yLyyWXzEelv0LwkuK9_zh0RTT-Ka-4KreFOVccPl3uc3h4ptdz-0rfqVZQos8AUSefuM9kJnyFEcX4oVVUzS6YYhnMQsJCGPSV8W4rNQQ/s640/Christmas_2016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="414" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Christmas card by John J. Tackett</em><br />
<em>for The Devoted Classicist blog.</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUPYCvmklGOcmhGl6lAAw653-oorJGhz5L2yLyyWXzEelv0LwkuK9_zh0RTT-Ka-4KreFOVccPl3uc3h4ptdz-0rfqVZQos8AUSefuM9kJnyFEcX4oVVUzS6YYhnMQsJCGPSV8W4rNQQ/s1600/Christmas_2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em></em></a><br /></div>
The Devoted Classist has been happily occupied by a large <strong>John Tackett Design</strong> architectural project and has not found the time to post here as often as he would like. But there are still many topics in the cobwebs that will be realized here in the future. In the meantime, you can also follow @thedevotedclassicist on Instagram. Many thanks, Devoted Readers, for your loyal following, and best wishes for the holidays.<br />
John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-85255210451220309612016-09-12T20:35:00.000-05:002016-09-12T20:35:15.046-05:00The Travellers: Billy Baldwin's Finials for the Lawrences<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ySv8UH9VEoXnIu8L8ICG1iM0yHN17mU6zR40VW_uj4QuT_EysDswDfcABhY-pn-DARdOiC8DrpAANgyRTw6gTR-Q2lL6HqhKOatPR7Je9wqG3PnNah6137Y7_BjpLgiCvolzf33-l-k/s1600/Baldwin_Lawrence_NYC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ySv8UH9VEoXnIu8L8ICG1iM0yHN17mU6zR40VW_uj4QuT_EysDswDfcABhY-pn-DARdOiC8DrpAANgyRTw6gTR-Q2lL6HqhKOatPR7Je9wqG3PnNah6137Y7_BjpLgiCvolzf33-l-k/s400/Baldwin_Lawrence_NYC.png" width="328" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The apartment of Harding and Mary Wells Lawrence</em><br />
<em>decorated by Billy Baldwin.</em></td></tr>
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1970s interior design is more influential in today's work that many of you readers of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist</a> might realize. The concept of a mix of antiques with sleek custom furniture, contemporary art, geometric carpets, and architectural artifacts is universally championed today as the Latest Big Thing in interior design. The formula, however, is a classic that was perfected over forty years ago by legendary decorator <strong>Billy Baldwin</strong>.<br />
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Mary Wells and Harding Lawrence were terrific clients of Baldwin. Mary Wells was an advertising genius who was introduced some of the most memorable ad campaigns of the twentieth century and her husband was the CEO of Braniff Airlines which experienced phenomenal expansion with a chic make-over in the late 1970s. Between the two of them, both workaholics who combined business with pleasure in entertaining their contacts, they associated with the elite movers and shakers of the day. Billy Baldwin decorated beautiful homes for them. Their Dallas mansion was a landmark and their Riviera villa was among the most stylish ever. (See The Devoted Classicist's series of posts on the villa, La Fiorentina).<br />
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A room in their large New York City apartment is shown in the lead image, and like the other residences, it has provided design inspiration to this day. A bold striped dhurrie provides a base for arrangements of comfortable upholstered seating and a scattering of Warren Platner side tables. Contemporary paintings and a Moroccan mirror over a mirrored interpretation of a Louis Seize chimneypiece blend with masterfully with Baldwin's expertise. But perhaps the most memorable element in this room -- to my eye anyway -- was a pair of intricately detailed architectural finials on simple, white hexagonal stands.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheO6KuwGXxKGRd02uBgVnO_vxGYjLVeh-hxLMTjGZoJWd6eFP8xuO3XrxQ9EAozQ1j97gL-TxkswUUYJNG7Y9hzH4xaJgumUJXY9w9kCiJWd-X2WqSQZ3TfgBAKb-MhbYMKzY277LW0wY/s1600/Handegan_Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheO6KuwGXxKGRd02uBgVnO_vxGYjLVeh-hxLMTjGZoJWd6eFP8xuO3XrxQ9EAozQ1j97gL-TxkswUUYJNG7Y9hzH4xaJgumUJXY9w9kCiJWd-X2WqSQZ3TfgBAKb-MhbYMKzY277LW0wY/s320/Handegan_Cover.png" width="242" /></a></div>
It was a delightful surprise to see these finials, with their stands, show up again. They again flank a fireplace and provide the primary architectural detailing in a room decorated by Charleston designer Amelia Handegan. This undeniably fresh and up-to-date room appears on the dust jacket of the new book <a href="http://amzn.to/2cgHGDd">AMELIA HANDEGAN ROOMS.</a> The book will be released October 16, 2016, but can be ordered now at a discount by clicking on the title.<br />
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Remember that an appreciation of the iconic rooms of the past can be a valuable lesson in architecture and interior design today. Search this blog to see other examples in The Travellers series.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-91454770065516211792016-05-13T19:14:00.000-05:002016-05-13T19:14:49.461-05:00Arabella Worsham's Gilded Age Dressing Room<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99UqfjhamQ7rW4v20O-6IIepdX85LSsLwI5NgG2Ja6ONnQq3Syv_HWRF6p4PTXxLmSd1i_u4CJ0b6PWEpjCCJ51UajpSEjUz7nVXdkGHfMYt1TdsMA26AH0sqsEqK7DY1ZeGFI3jkg-Y/s1600/Worsham_AA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99UqfjhamQ7rW4v20O-6IIepdX85LSsLwI5NgG2Ja6ONnQq3Syv_HWRF6p4PTXxLmSd1i_u4CJ0b6PWEpjCCJ51UajpSEjUz7nVXdkGHfMYt1TdsMA26AH0sqsEqK7DY1ZeGFI3jkg-Y/s640/Worsham_AA.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A detail of the vanity cabinet door</em><br />
<em>by George Alfred Schastey</em><br />
<em>for Arabella Worsham's Dressing Room.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2010/12/bit-more-about-me.html?m=1">The Devoted Classicist</a> is a long-time fan of museum period rooms. For a time, these installations had fallen out of favor due to their cost and space required for a successful display. But it is heartening to a Traditionalist to see a major institution step forward with a new installation with artifacts that have languished in storage for years: The Worsham-Rockefeller Dressing Room at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLcDzUVzGhSSKg4tJTL3x2jSjo0NDrTit3knABJpOwUgcFaTbi6dwfCCBnAyUr-CKrWQqB-eeHWXTHCSAeM0NfQFvozYsagGOpT501dz4n4ioRsBvSbXiqKrZsIb-l1E_XVXLCRnyHTA/s1600/Worsham_A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixLcDzUVzGhSSKg4tJTL3x2jSjo0NDrTit3knABJpOwUgcFaTbi6dwfCCBnAyUr-CKrWQqB-eeHWXTHCSAeM0NfQFvozYsagGOpT501dz4n4ioRsBvSbXiqKrZsIb-l1E_XVXLCRnyHTA/s400/Worsham_A.jpg" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A model of the Worsham residence</em><br />
<em>4 West 54th Street, New York City.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for </em><br />
<em>The Devoted Classicist blog.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Commissioned by <strong>Arabella Worsham</strong> (later Huntington) as part of a comprehensive interior renovation of an existing brownstone townhouse, the room is a rare surviving Gilded Age commission from now-little known cabinetmaker/decorator <strong>George A. Shastey </strong>in 1881. The room comes from Worsham's house at 4 West 54th Street, a property that also included the two flanking lots; the site is now the garden of the Museum of Modern Art.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYxuTYLxT3Mql-vv2VSuol0jdE63L6QTYnbptd0QOWIjejO8t6e9ybUjr1Z0s5FglM0aKk2YZ8yWgKkNaD1srFVhwXMEKGfRqJN3UHmT3pvU0jho4ZsGZGtt60m_bb-tfH1saQYO4m7M/s1600/Worsham_B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYxuTYLxT3Mql-vv2VSuol0jdE63L6QTYnbptd0QOWIjejO8t6e9ybUjr1Z0s5FglM0aKk2YZ8yWgKkNaD1srFVhwXMEKGfRqJN3UHmT3pvU0jho4ZsGZGtt60m_bb-tfH1saQYO4m7M/s400/Worsham_B.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Alexandre Cabanel's 1882 portrait of</em><br />
<em>Arabella Worsham, collection of</em><br />
<em>Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for</em><br />
<em>The Devoted Classicist.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Arabella "Belle" Worsham's background is a bit sketchy and possibly 'sanitized' to say the least. Born Arabella Duvall Yarrington in Union Springs, Alabama, around 1850, she grew up in Richmond, Virginia, a tough but bustling town during the Civil War years. Her widowed mother owned a boarding house and Arabella was said to have married John Archer Worsham when she was 18 or 19 and soon widowed before having a son. But married or not, J.A.Worsham was already married and very much alive, owning a gambling card parlor in Richmond frequented by <strong>Collis B. Huntington</strong> leading up to his 1869 purchase of the eastern leg of his railroad empire which stretched coast to coast. Although not a drinker or smoker, Huntington loved to gamble and he had an eye for young women although he was married with a wife living on Park Avenue at 38th Street, New York. Soon Arabella, her son, several siblings and her mother were installed in Manhattan where they bought several properties financed by Huntington but always in Arabella's name, leading up to the purchase of this house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPXrDyNFabt4yiTUGWhMMykjWvlqZowwciWw6DEpQBnQTCCbPy9dtfkBUWA962n7aHtHvOenIVlPSUfacXdVnWbIbAlWjSzqdA_ZSKwiGNWEaMH5tUIUwgrJ6d1blTiOIEYZSMdxj-GU/s1600/Worsham_C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPXrDyNFabt4yiTUGWhMMykjWvlqZowwciWw6DEpQBnQTCCbPy9dtfkBUWA962n7aHtHvOenIVlPSUfacXdVnWbIbAlWjSzqdA_ZSKwiGNWEaMH5tUIUwgrJ6d1blTiOIEYZSMdxj-GU/s400/Worsham_C.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Worsham-Rockefeller Dressing Room.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art.</em></td></tr>
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Arabella had the house gutted to the exterior shell and set about having luxurious interiors installed in the latest taste, with expense not being an issue. The house was one of the first private residences to have a passenger elevator, just one of many innovations for the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFrwGBox1Fi9Fhxr8AjatrlgeJHUb6ZH_R90fuUZNdGuu5F30-heTVi1pNWcZQ2vNoltCyHgJR0_Lo_AX3eMKM4aSM9IKZGJeCcdisPrLfVhKQZzy6TvurQyJ4DXaz9pvofYdseTg5PU/s1600/worsham_window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFrwGBox1Fi9Fhxr8AjatrlgeJHUb6ZH_R90fuUZNdGuu5F30-heTVi1pNWcZQ2vNoltCyHgJR0_Lo_AX3eMKM4aSM9IKZGJeCcdisPrLfVhKQZzy6TvurQyJ4DXaz9pvofYdseTg5PU/s400/worsham_window.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Worsham-Rockefeller Dressing Room.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Dressing Room is a high-style example of Aestheticism, a combination of European Renaissance, Islamic, Japanese and Modern styles mixed to create a luxurious private environment for the lady of the house. Satinwood and amaranth (or dark purpleheart) are used to create intricate marquetry in geometric patterns and motifs such as sewing implements and hairdressing tools as well as jewelry plus carved detailing with cherub heads, swags and garlands.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm4eh3UsfNbwyiILJcu0wIHwBHdpYG7OAsXeL3lVPFljALnFuX2JjKwzRWHt5ADeLOUR4MIVgLg2E2fufDFHhWGVEcb7lecBkw-VIbj7yZz1X608xdb5bYl2U_EEm8hG_sBv3VNhKo18/s1600/worsham_lav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnm4eh3UsfNbwyiILJcu0wIHwBHdpYG7OAsXeL3lVPFljALnFuX2JjKwzRWHt5ADeLOUR4MIVgLg2E2fufDFHhWGVEcb7lecBkw-VIbj7yZz1X608xdb5bYl2U_EEm8hG_sBv3VNhKo18/s400/worsham_lav.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Worsham-Rockefeller Dressing Room.</em><br />
<em>Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A wide, marble-topped lavatory is placed beneath a massive mirror and a secondary gaslight fixture. The upper walls are covered in teal wallpaper stenciled in gold and silver quatrefoils that shimmer in the subtle lighting.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ueAP55kohkLqdlnpZlG6TBa2VfA3i0WmqnwnySJFYUcAnnhvCLtqdFdilA3y6xPqzIQ2seusrXDjmQvMIYTvvdb_RE6L2ERR1n6W0IbACyMB3aOXUJKWCeTgH3XVZGW2sME-qnMddCE/s1600/Worsham_F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ueAP55kohkLqdlnpZlG6TBa2VfA3i0WmqnwnySJFYUcAnnhvCLtqdFdilA3y6xPqzIQ2seusrXDjmQvMIYTvvdb_RE6L2ERR1n6W0IbACyMB3aOXUJKWCeTgH3XVZGW2sME-qnMddCE/s400/Worsham_F.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Built-in fittings in the Worsham-Rockefeller</em><br />
<em>Dressing Room as installed at</em><br />
<em>The Metropolitan Museum of Art.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for</em><br />
<em>The Devoted Classicist.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No detail was left without consideration. Even the ceiling had elaborately planned decoration. The silver toiletry set includes combs, hand mirrors, scissors, a needle case and a darning egg. All the elements add up to create a single <em>Gesamtkunstwerk, </em>a total work of art.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W0PaX0Z7mwNjoJO51w-Bfg5D_948Qork1DR9GcN1lxrRwIX-gB-CgcxHP7MxEQ86xPoOvERcc4np_jGGA4fbeIQKmjftXaRTUrBWqAw2ToQpmgb0_J_xQg39hkFCgyuftMukjDU08os/s1600/Worsham_G.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W0PaX0Z7mwNjoJO51w-Bfg5D_948Qork1DR9GcN1lxrRwIX-gB-CgcxHP7MxEQ86xPoOvERcc4np_jGGA4fbeIQKmjftXaRTUrBWqAw2ToQpmgb0_J_xQg39hkFCgyuftMukjDU08os/s400/Worsham_G.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The ceiling of the Worsham-Rockefeller Dressing Room</em><br />
<em>as installed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Huntington's wife Elizabeth died in 1889 after a long bout with cancer, allowing Huntington to marry Belle and adopt her son Archer; the ceremony was performed in the home with Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, officiating. They moved into Huntington's Park Avenue house (and then building a house in 1893 at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street on the site now occupied by Tiffany & Company) and the house was sold fully furnished to John D. and Laura Spelman Rockefeller. The furnishings and decorations were kept intact until his death in 1937 when parts were distributed to museums before being demolished in 1938. A Moorish-style Smoking Room was given to the Brooklyn Museum and this Dressing Room and adjacent (Master) Bedroom were given to the Museum of the City of New York. After it became clear that the latter could no longer display the rooms, the bedroom was given to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and this dressing room was given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIerOR1bHREqU7QM8EHsj8GnmRyOVeazdt0b1JUK0ssu4G-H0vRXrt9CiRH-2X1sochbjlzBF-ANmGm-Xswiuu9fxDrWZPI_S3MahXWpc5ViZpi1KQ4771-JL6hxOVeFozOZ01xrCLCnw/s1600/Worsham_H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIerOR1bHREqU7QM8EHsj8GnmRyOVeazdt0b1JUK0ssu4G-H0vRXrt9CiRH-2X1sochbjlzBF-ANmGm-Xswiuu9fxDrWZPI_S3MahXWpc5ViZpi1KQ4771-JL6hxOVeFozOZ01xrCLCnw/s320/Worsham_H.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Anabella Worsham's toilette set</em><br />
<em>as displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After Collis Huntington's death, Belle inherited one-third of his estate, $150 million (about $3.1 billion today) making her one of the wealthiest women in the country. Never really part of New York Society, she bought a 14 bedroom house in Paris that underwent a complete renovation and became even more interesting in collecting art. Thirteen years later, she married her late husband's nephew, <strong>Henry E. Huntington</strong>, who had built a lavish estate in San Marino, California, some say to woo her. But she did not care for the area and never spent more than a month there for the rest of her life. That estate is now the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens. Arabella Worsham Huntington is buried in the San Marino garden in a classical mausoleum designed by architect <strong>John Russell Pope</strong>.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-1877675256131946992016-04-27T09:58:00.001-05:002016-04-28T21:26:10.237-05:00Susan Gutfreund Lists Apartment for $120 Million<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELVZXeJhlgA4lYkNX11KPGl-AQ5r8nvQdrRjCJE3tYK2XlSUja-W7r2J1Jj0nvhhqsFYS9cbO6glEIpogKWwGXTOGDDIdKrVI7rxRWcML1qcX3ccTpPXZhtIAHBhqYpykGBCsZXybau4/s1600/Gutfreund_NYC_SusanAtDoors_Veranda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELVZXeJhlgA4lYkNX11KPGl-AQ5r8nvQdrRjCJE3tYK2XlSUja-W7r2J1Jj0nvhhqsFYS9cbO6glEIpogKWwGXTOGDDIdKrVI7rxRWcML1qcX3ccTpPXZhtIAHBhqYpykGBCsZXybau4/s400/Gutfreund_NYC_SusanAtDoors_Veranda.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Susan Gutfreund at the doors to her</em><br />
<em>Winter Garden room at 834 Fifth Avenue.</em><br />
<em>Photo: <a href="http://www.veranda.com/food-recipes/how-to/g1163/art-of-gracious-entertaining/?">Veranda</a></em></td></tr>
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Considered by many to be Manhattan's most luxurious co-op apartment, Susan Gutfreund's duplex at 834 Fifth Avenue has hit the market with a listing price of $120 million.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOytII2F50ZSuIrIFydS3_n5iamor2YmJHzIksj3u8GYAdOmIb2fz3AkMlTh9w9OMgfoxrjSDq8YSIA3bPHHBH37EZjh_6SI9kc4-hBnkRa-kQDX0Zl_RQfTmThGEURWvMQ3rtDbl00g/s1600/Gutfreund_NYC_EntHall_ConsoleMirror_834Fifth_NYSD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOytII2F50ZSuIrIFydS3_n5iamor2YmJHzIksj3u8GYAdOmIb2fz3AkMlTh9w9OMgfoxrjSDq8YSIA3bPHHBH37EZjh_6SI9kc4-hBnkRa-kQDX0Zl_RQfTmThGEURWvMQ3rtDbl00g/s400/Gutfreund_NYC_EntHall_ConsoleMirror_834Fifth_NYSD.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Entrance Hall of the Gutfreund apartment</em><br />
<em>at 834 Fifth Avenue.</em><br />
<em>Photo: NYSD.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The widow of John Gutfreund, dubbed "The King of Wall Street" and former CEO of Saloman Brothers investment bank until a trading scandal forced his resignation in 1991, is apparently looking to down-size after her husband's death last month.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVEktqDfWiLc8gLmOXdhrY2S2826JSDcR7OF9-FtynZPSlb6ra-UuSTH6GNXnVnrKfyYJz-IFOhx6PSweeQbKLCJGeqkE3UapTuCqjDn-cV4y8109WaDI02pmszFykfLukSxiYnG-Wgw/s1600/Gutfreund_NYC_Plan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVEktqDfWiLc8gLmOXdhrY2S2826JSDcR7OF9-FtynZPSlb6ra-UuSTH6GNXnVnrKfyYJz-IFOhx6PSweeQbKLCJGeqkE3UapTuCqjDn-cV4y8109WaDI02pmszFykfLukSxiYnG-Wgw/s400/Gutfreund_NYC_Plan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Floor plans of the Gutfreund apartment</em><br />
<em>from the Brown Harris Stevens listing, April, 2016.</em><br />
<em>Image: BHS</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The apartment was decorated with the guidance of the legendary designer Henri Samuel whose influence can be seen especially in the Winter Garden, a reception room at the southwest corner of the entrance level.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlbk7hdzjdnlrQFCMSjfl5ZGMqmZ9q834haXCZqdSj1eQh3zZOdUXlYrHmfC9gRlHT63XnFfUpiQ3K6uqVfxx32_JfVdkPzdXCjtmb9GamxxVn2IhZU-8LGgttdePc1m6phF80X3YMtQ/s1600/Gutfreund_NYC_WinterGarden_Fpl_NYSD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlbk7hdzjdnlrQFCMSjfl5ZGMqmZ9q834haXCZqdSj1eQh3zZOdUXlYrHmfC9gRlHT63XnFfUpiQ3K6uqVfxx32_JfVdkPzdXCjtmb9GamxxVn2IhZU-8LGgttdePc1m6phF80X3YMtQ/s400/Gutfreund_NYC_WinterGarden_Fpl_NYSD.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The room known as the Winter Garden</em><br />
<em>in the Gutfreund apartment.</em><br />
<em>Photo: NYSD</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The building is one of Manhattan's most prestigious addresses. Designed by architect Rosario Candela in 1929, it was completed in 1931.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkpVY2_ructpYzqRh_kL6Ux-Q6li9HeRXnVqtg_dPzo4TTlRkxIHcfkJNtTLcU2vnSPG8_LGyG3JAbc-HpX0yprSU6PJM6rIBaqgkI-m18-yP-mtJ_puhHl31b_g6HAOL9YGgE1uJzDg/s1600/Gutfreund_NYC_QuadView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkpVY2_ructpYzqRh_kL6Ux-Q6li9HeRXnVqtg_dPzo4TTlRkxIHcfkJNtTLcU2vnSPG8_LGyG3JAbc-HpX0yprSU6PJM6rIBaqgkI-m18-yP-mtJ_puhHl31b_g6HAOL9YGgE1uJzDg/s400/Gutfreund_NYC_QuadView.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Views of the Winter Garden, Library, Living Room,</em><br />
<em>and Gallery Entrance Hall in the Gutfreund</em><br />
<em>apartment at 834 Fifth Avenue.</em><br />
<em>Image: <a href="http://therealdeal.com/2016/04/26/john-gutfreunds-20-room-co-op-lists-for-120m/">The Real Deal</a></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are twenty four apartments on 16 floors with luxurious, well thought out, floor plans. It is thought that the building's board requires that sales are all cash; no mortgages are allowed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo7D9R1p3Smuz9SSj0aOCeFbLIMuV8j3Ty1ouhLyzaD5uglCDIxqnPt6eGou3ly9hOWWN0BtuVsOciREostHUcMazDSOQOxSTMYG9OoUShV7ViMtokXEN1cVWJOX_tVt_RzO753HUPKE/s1600/Gutfreund_NYC_DiningRmOne_NYSD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo7D9R1p3Smuz9SSj0aOCeFbLIMuV8j3Ty1ouhLyzaD5uglCDIxqnPt6eGou3ly9hOWWN0BtuVsOciREostHUcMazDSOQOxSTMYG9OoUShV7ViMtokXEN1cVWJOX_tVt_RzO753HUPKE/s400/Gutfreund_NYC_DiningRmOne_NYSD.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dining Room of the Gutfreund apartment</em><br />
<em>at 834 Fifth Avenue, NYC.</em><br />
<em>Photo: NYSD</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
More photos from the 2008 New York Social Diary post may be seen <a href="http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/decorator-series/2008/susan-gutfreund">here.</a> The listing by Brown Harris Stevens may be viewed <a href="http://mobile.bhsusa.com/manhattan/upper-east-side/fifth-avenu-coop/14731749">here.</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-69963208085840976372016-04-09T14:35:00.001-05:002016-04-13T17:38:29.790-05:00Notable Homes: Bernard Boutet de Monvel at 11 passage de la Visitation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqBXxrWUBuYJaqPpnMwko0wiU9WruofyHO-E5gZoPj6HuPSmLY8jlw4cZmOUPoSydbn6GTiS2d_jWXGLZ8LFwFhi6_EM4iCDj29DafAVULHu_Q0nviSJ7VGfWTS6P8N1v4Y-t4vFoG9M/s1600/Monvel_A_Portrait1932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqBXxrWUBuYJaqPpnMwko0wiU9WruofyHO-E5gZoPj6HuPSmLY8jlw4cZmOUPoSydbn6GTiS2d_jWXGLZ8LFwFhi6_EM4iCDj29DafAVULHu_Q0nviSJ7VGfWTS6P8N1v4Y-t4vFoG9M/s320/Monvel_A_Portrait1932.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Autoportrait Place Vendome" 1932.</em><br />
<em>Lot 25, Sale PF1639.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Those who admire small but chic homes are familiar with <strong>La Folie Monvel</strong>, the Palm Beach pavilion that was the result of the collaboration of artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel and architect Maurice Fatio. (If not, see <a href="http://halfpuddinghalfsauce.blogspot.com/2014/07/an-octagonal-house-with-four-terraces.html?m=1">here,</a> and about his Moulin de Launoy <a href="http://downeastdilettante.wordpress.com/category/boutet-de-monvel/">here.</a>). The Florida pavilion was sold in 1949, just months before Boutet de Monvel's death in a plane crash, as the artist wanted to return to his home in Paris after WWII.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ohKwMZ0NtZE5RjubbzYGWxVZw8Ydo1yoJQmKqjojh8Ok7Z-1ChuwKqAAYTdiagkbdL8AfPwQSGzMQ57gMUp6FC-2noQZ7A6ledvQ9w48-JQVubxGX7nwYE7R-knydAiKQtmJusGOcfU/s1600/Monvel_B_HouseColor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ohKwMZ0NtZE5RjubbzYGWxVZw8Ydo1yoJQmKqjojh8Ok7Z-1ChuwKqAAYTdiagkbdL8AfPwQSGzMQ57gMUp6FC-2noQZ7A6ledvQ9w48-JQVubxGX7nwYE7R-knydAiKQtmJusGOcfU/s400/Monvel_B_HouseColor.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Paris residence of Bernard Boutet de Monvel.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
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The early 19th century <em>hotel particulier </em>in the heart of the Faubourg Saint Germain was bought by Bernard Boutet de Monvel in 1924. He called on his friend <strong>Louis Süe</strong>, the artist-architect-decorator co-founder of <em>Compagnie des arts francais</em>, with whom he had participated with on the residence of Jean Patou, to collaborate on the transformation of the interior to reflect Boutet de Monvel's aesthetic, a combination of the neo-classical tradition and the modernity of <em>Art Deco</em>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNGq2bUhABZmQa8s7vfENxOelZZUgPKxWtvWjS6KvhONuUm4cKfnrKmJLI3XYcV2UPeUiMDgzKpHgBSP87raA38-LQNP4XJQmc-v2rAUmkR4IdT4m5d3zadQRFdDOpmE3nATCWmgf1No/s1600/Monvel_Stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizNGq2bUhABZmQa8s7vfENxOelZZUgPKxWtvWjS6KvhONuUm4cKfnrKmJLI3XYcV2UPeUiMDgzKpHgBSP87raA38-LQNP4XJQmc-v2rAUmkR4IdT4m5d3zadQRFdDOpmE3nATCWmgf1No/s400/Monvel_Stairs.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The staircase in the Boutet de Monvel residence</em><br />
<em>at 11 passage de la Visitation, Paris.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After Bernard Boutet de Monvel's death, his wife and daughter continued to live in the house. Almost no changes were made until just recently; the painter's grandchildren sold the art and furnishings of the mansion at an auction at Sotheby's, Paris, April 5 & 6, 2016. The catalog with sales results may be seen <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2016/collection-boutet-de-monvel-pf1639.html">here.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91c4vjOYqaEnZCjYD7Mwu0pzfjz8cVyrLhSXr9z7dThiHhwFk7I3qCq-ODqtj_JxRPqO8f4qR305LYBnhO99zDvnnZq2pP3Yztz1LrDjtewNli2lwIs53t6Csb3aKTmzvozr2y81Bjd4/s1600/Monvel_C_EntHall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91c4vjOYqaEnZCjYD7Mwu0pzfjz8cVyrLhSXr9z7dThiHhwFk7I3qCq-ODqtj_JxRPqO8f4qR305LYBnhO99zDvnnZq2pP3Yztz1LrDjtewNli2lwIs53t6Csb3aKTmzvozr2y81Bjd4/s400/Monvel_C_EntHall.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Entrance Hall of the Boutet de Monvel residence.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the Entrance Hall, a phonograph cabinet, Lot 71 in the sale, painted by Bernard Boutet de Monvel is an example of his taste in modern classicism. Above, a Charles X period barometer, Lot 68, is decorated with <em>verre églomisé </em>dates from circa 1830.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GRxbkJUvLAJIHDbhiJ2LmXBsNmMeDGobtzCybcmJc3M_vCjsN4OkgRJEkL0r2L_19pTa7XPwR-DYe-B__g4YIEO-ZOmnhZAlQdE_cU_vw0_pz9V8Tavm_UA-LgEnPJE7hw4r6SWpU1c/s1600/Monvel_D_Desk_JMFrank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GRxbkJUvLAJIHDbhiJ2LmXBsNmMeDGobtzCybcmJc3M_vCjsN4OkgRJEkL0r2L_19pTa7XPwR-DYe-B__g4YIEO-ZOmnhZAlQdE_cU_vw0_pz9V8Tavm_UA-LgEnPJE7hw4r6SWpU1c/s400/Monvel_D_Desk_JMFrank.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A writing table by Jean-Michel Frank.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
An ebonized writing table with an inset leather top, Lot 75, is branded and numbered by <strong>Jean-Michel Frank </strong>as "made in France JMFrank, Chanaux and co" 19086,<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZj5BqKrmYfZFOoUKoG6DGx9EKoViB_ofPpg5JYcXpE8WQQbJzz8e2HFOBazBfp9cnwlDj4pNuzY5QRsVqIskOm-l9CxPAKSrtM2oyCuKvZiSSeYq3g1glEzS4Qksa0e52CWI4gMrQKwM/s1600/Monvel_Ea_DiningColor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZj5BqKrmYfZFOoUKoG6DGx9EKoViB_ofPpg5JYcXpE8WQQbJzz8e2HFOBazBfp9cnwlDj4pNuzY5QRsVqIskOm-l9CxPAKSrtM2oyCuKvZiSSeYq3g1glEzS4Qksa0e52CWI4gMrQKwM/s400/Monvel_Ea_DiningColor.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dining Room of the</em><br />
<em>Boutet de Monvel residence, Paris.</em><br />
<em>Photo AD France via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The octagonal dining table, Lot 78, was made for the octagonal dining room to a design by Bernard Boutet de Monvel about 1927. Two others were made from this same design, one for Mrs. A Steward Walker of Southampton, and one for Mr. William K. Vanderbilt, II.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalqV3ignVs-L0pSZrlI9eMWWxEMEYuUkNWQlexYanWxOeRdEGvqn2m8SV34afb9G4ogd_C5VsGCggI9Akka8CU6ggXUNcFUbsdIG58IuLk-sA-g0BFvhjZCm3a91zbwyUCB7WpshDtes/s1600/Monvel_E_DiningRmDrawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjalqV3ignVs-L0pSZrlI9eMWWxEMEYuUkNWQlexYanWxOeRdEGvqn2m8SV34afb9G4ogd_C5VsGCggI9Akka8CU6ggXUNcFUbsdIG58IuLk-sA-g0BFvhjZCm3a91zbwyUCB7WpshDtes/s400/Monvel_E_DiningRmDrawing.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Bernard de Monvel's drawing of the dining room</em><br />
<em>"Salle a manger de hotel particulier de l'artiste"</em><br />
<em>for Harper's Bazaar, 1927.</em><br />
<em>Image via <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2016/collection-boutet-de-monvel-pf1639.html">Sotheby's</a></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Murano glass chandelier, circa 1920, was grouped with a Venetian wall light as Lot 82.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguz-UqJMtxrcs-WZyJxHlictdi9HgaDjml6JvZJBSeMmQOLQoFOdn5NwJ3i7kwKdI-YWnyDW_tgcGh1pIhFIDHVNu1a1VgcFAdeWboUz-SchyphenhyphenmpqxspwAJXTZFLnriVq4mqIT9PUwA-RA/s1600/Monvel_F_DiningChairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguz-UqJMtxrcs-WZyJxHlictdi9HgaDjml6JvZJBSeMmQOLQoFOdn5NwJ3i7kwKdI-YWnyDW_tgcGh1pIhFIDHVNu1a1VgcFAdeWboUz-SchyphenhyphenmpqxspwAJXTZFLnriVq4mqIT9PUwA-RA/s400/Monvel_F_DiningChairs.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Dining chairs designed by Boutet de Monvel. </em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The set of 12 dining chairs was designed circa 1920 to 1925 by Boutet de Monvel for his previous residence on Rue Monsieur. Listed as Lot 77, they are made of ebonized wood with tapestry seat covers in various fruit motifs. One of the chairs can be seen in an important portrait of the artist's wife, Delfina Boutet de Monvel (from the Edwards family of Chili).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV94e0COKMrLWcja5FldNxAu0kVZkbl9NddxPP7aZhWOWQIovpOEJqMbtkcqBvY5ZWBjkrOqMhFWqX7djknTWGonkdaGnghrJ_0FwO3mX6W7PqyC_mcpA3qfWanZDswMiFTyrrujP0-Y/s1600/Monvel_G_GrandSalon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMV94e0COKMrLWcja5FldNxAu0kVZkbl9NddxPP7aZhWOWQIovpOEJqMbtkcqBvY5ZWBjkrOqMhFWqX7djknTWGonkdaGnghrJ_0FwO3mX6W7PqyC_mcpA3qfWanZDswMiFTyrrujP0-Y/s400/Monvel_G_GrandSalon.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Grand Salon in the Boutet de Monvel</em><br />
<em>residence, Paris.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With its black lacquer <em>papier maché</em> suite of Napoleon III furniture, the Grand Salon has more of a feel for Parisian middle class comfort than some of the more high style spaces in the house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_FouLIt3k5M9OF_otNfi3nxqFcQAO7-JT-dL9C0SqayUBeDzN9w7A9jpQJVgZtA8En2FtmtYiAbp1u1zLnjRiUkR7VibHDRPWy4B3T32C9yLmDUvLuNB3nbQVuaTgw5f0bJWBtl-mHY/s1600/Monvel_H_GSalon_Sofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_FouLIt3k5M9OF_otNfi3nxqFcQAO7-JT-dL9C0SqayUBeDzN9w7A9jpQJVgZtA8En2FtmtYiAbp1u1zLnjRiUkR7VibHDRPWy4B3T32C9yLmDUvLuNB3nbQVuaTgw5f0bJWBtl-mHY/s400/Monvel_H_GSalon_Sofa.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A black silk sofa, circa 1920 to 1925.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A standout among the furnishings of the Grand Salon is a <em>grand canapé,</em> Lot 93, in black silk believed to have been made by La Compagnie des Arts Francais in the first half of the 1920s for the former residence on rue Monsieur. A similar sofa was made by Louis Süe for Jean Patou.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_DA9snid0IOYJD0C5huFJlPqYOXvx3lSgIYiwD0Ii6W8Ow4K5rHaVOcnBgJtGDD6r6O8hnvmIAH78ll6kWmlprFQo6Q42W9YbfRedF3tX7_24XEYLCI2o1ac81IAnx-52NPJR01rQVw/s1600/Monvel_I_LibraryBlkWhite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_DA9snid0IOYJD0C5huFJlPqYOXvx3lSgIYiwD0Ii6W8Ow4K5rHaVOcnBgJtGDD6r6O8hnvmIAH78ll6kWmlprFQo6Q42W9YbfRedF3tX7_24XEYLCI2o1ac81IAnx-52NPJR01rQVw/s400/Monvel_I_LibraryBlkWhite.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A view of the Library that appeared in</em><br />
Plaisir de France<em>, May 1951.</em><br />
<em>Image via <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2016/collection-boutet-de-monvel-pf1639.html">Sotheby's.</a></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the lacquered Library, fretwork doors covered the bookshelves. A pair of allegorical panels almost four feet square painted by Boutet de Monvel provided the primary decoration. One panel represented his wife, Delfina, with fruits from South America, a guitar, a globe and books which reflect her Chilian origin.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34BG7JXZUBYD0PF0-mkeAKvTHhzFOE24MoJNi2sCJXOF4pciArh3LwXRLBwutcPsls0-GzSQpSrb8j9SftZba7YDV0UVrQSWkEuYzlQ3HhuKwACOF2uLDzEbSwLFdjMsUKHZiyVIknXE/s1600/Monvel_K_TrophyPainting.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34BG7JXZUBYD0PF0-mkeAKvTHhzFOE24MoJNi2sCJXOF4pciArh3LwXRLBwutcPsls0-GzSQpSrb8j9SftZba7YDV0UVrQSWkEuYzlQ3HhuKwACOF2uLDzEbSwLFdjMsUKHZiyVIknXE/s400/Monvel_K_TrophyPainting.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>One of a pair of painted allegorical panels, Lot 109.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other panel, shown above the fireplace in the view of the Library, represented the painter, showing his palette, ruler, T-square, and compass. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fbEpnyAVCDDKMmwxjI2EgB7CfmoKOvHoaYxp6WYGc4JRIk3Y6zg5cnLApXxr0pXr37okmG9Etuuo4kySjJRgleE1fjyPaB1eVPGNqrr9yGb3M-_nNwSVp33BOAOa9pcQvIXn4Y-bI2g/s1600/Monvel_J_Clock.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fbEpnyAVCDDKMmwxjI2EgB7CfmoKOvHoaYxp6WYGc4JRIk3Y6zg5cnLApXxr0pXr37okmG9Etuuo4kySjJRgleE1fjyPaB1eVPGNqrr9yGb3M-_nNwSVp33BOAOa9pcQvIXn4Y-bI2g/s400/Monvel_J_Clock.png" width="351" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The 19th century mantel clock in the Library, Lot 107.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This mantel clock also appears in the view of the Library. Made of gilt-bronze and black marble, the Restauration period clock, after a model by the bronzier Jean-André Reiche, was the inspiration for a painting of his daughter Sylvie and her dog Champagne.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqYG0m4b60TmpVh2zddzxLvpaGz-N5DaztX_ZM1UkjjcDQRhGMIWxCqeSGeDyglrkQHCtp_wSF-sMOXDvhM9ysT1OH0ZZhXs7GeMKLkOVzZhQ1JT33PWH8cD7Fs2aFhgRyah6axzc9ag/s1600/Monvel_L_BoudoirMadamVintageView.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqYG0m4b60TmpVh2zddzxLvpaGz-N5DaztX_ZM1UkjjcDQRhGMIWxCqeSGeDyglrkQHCtp_wSF-sMOXDvhM9ysT1OH0ZZhXs7GeMKLkOVzZhQ1JT33PWH8cD7Fs2aFhgRyah6axzc9ag/s400/Monvel_L_BoudoirMadamVintageView.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Boudoir in 1927.</em><br />
<em>Image via <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2016/collection-boutet-de-monvel-pf1639.html">Sotheby's.</a></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Boudoir of Madame Boutet de Monvel is another room with architecture that illustrated a modern interpretation of classicism with long lengths of mirror representing the shaft of pilasters lining the space.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfNJFlYhbEC1A7xogePSBNcoejWNKw4_sD-xtErd4QWs1kpesALUwUCO0OHMqqnKhBx75Ks_k42u7A5zToWIXEBrSmd4kJ3taNjzfEJ6cFAZQ0j6DjlgbBV_LUfMYjCSoIA1fH_wXCos/s1600/Monvel_K_BoudoirMadam.tablechairs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfNJFlYhbEC1A7xogePSBNcoejWNKw4_sD-xtErd4QWs1kpesALUwUCO0OHMqqnKhBx75Ks_k42u7A5zToWIXEBrSmd4kJ3taNjzfEJ6cFAZQ0j6DjlgbBV_LUfMYjCSoIA1fH_wXCos/s400/Monvel_K_BoudoirMadam.tablechairs.png" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Chairs and table in the Boudoir,</em><br />
<em>Lots 120 and 121.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The vintage view of the Boudoir shows part of the set of four black lacquered <em>fauteuils</em> from the Directoire period, late 19th century, and a birds eye maple and ebonized wood <em>guéridon</em> from the Charles X period, circa 1830.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30FEBvhyphenhyphenpQRCaEzVLJuri9SAKeV_ZjmbjL_497olf0mp-S7I6cg__bMBavjlnun8nvh6arm-vx02PbvboB6mTlzHPFWPHM29WfGo62Vzw2JWHrUHIhJMzjflOxngdpwZND7R33XVdVPY/s1600/Monvel_M_SylvieApt.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30FEBvhyphenhyphenpQRCaEzVLJuri9SAKeV_ZjmbjL_497olf0mp-S7I6cg__bMBavjlnun8nvh6arm-vx02PbvboB6mTlzHPFWPHM29WfGo62Vzw2JWHrUHIhJMzjflOxngdpwZND7R33XVdVPY/s400/Monvel_M_SylvieApt.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A view of the sitting room of daughter Sylvie</em><br />
<em>from </em>Plasir de France, May 1951.<br />
<em>Image via <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2016/collection-boutet-de-monvel-pf1639.html">Sotheby's.</a></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXCHkhzySxoR0Q4pMPneUtkOyIhWWzzbE_VfuwTZ281j9kkPCQL7IlM1ZMcik2zD9d-wy6hQ6Ig5mLdwJm3SaSzTnCwL-XfJRTyQ_jJyvVz1-pSAZ0Dny4_8u_r1I38B5IrXV6FvFM5Y/s1600/Monvel_N_Table.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXCHkhzySxoR0Q4pMPneUtkOyIhWWzzbE_VfuwTZ281j9kkPCQL7IlM1ZMcik2zD9d-wy6hQ6Ig5mLdwJm3SaSzTnCwL-XfJRTyQ_jJyvVz1-pSAZ0Dny4_8u_r1I38B5IrXV6FvFM5Y/s400/Monvel_N_Table.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The center table, Lot 145.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the most charming of the antiques is the ebonized and mahogany <em>guéridon</em> with stylized alligators emerging from cattails, Italian, circa 1830; the marble top may be a replacement.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOqDHbcjhcSXgCWIk-BLNRzKZdXTfwez2FYu7ytOPcuiwxsqj8dP-N0KxhlnH1rf03NHROGHDALPq81dPUsgoGMPq63-3RfUzxzGnz0hbyAtid0DCPcEQhT96f39RS00DfAZW4HWH0jU/s1600/Monvel_Oa_ChandelierVasesScreen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOqDHbcjhcSXgCWIk-BLNRzKZdXTfwez2FYu7ytOPcuiwxsqj8dP-N0KxhlnH1rf03NHROGHDALPq81dPUsgoGMPq63-3RfUzxzGnz0hbyAtid0DCPcEQhT96f39RS00DfAZW4HWH0jU/s400/Monvel_Oa_ChandelierVasesScreen.png" width="148" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The chandelier, Lot 146,</em><br />
<em>the oil lamps, Lot 147,</em><br />
<em>and the folding screen, Lot 148.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The chandelier in Sylvie's salon of crystal and gilt-bronze with swans as the six arms to hold candles is a classic French Empire model of the early 19th century. The porcelain oil lamps with gilt-bronze mounts date from about 1870. The <em>papier peint</em> folding screen of four panels dates from about 1850 and depicts muses of a classical temple in an exotic tropical setting.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTCjm-Xs-QKAyaLKoKHdA3dNjsTd4509oDQgweI4QsfWL41AHdNEgudlnpXeHaAB_6xwYiqKICRFxq146OZLegvLWqt5t5jLMlaNB8eYwRFciwlwfRb9topQpb_w5-uBvTO8AsuzKlNw/s1600/Monvel_P_RearGardenVintage_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTCjm-Xs-QKAyaLKoKHdA3dNjsTd4509oDQgweI4QsfWL41AHdNEgudlnpXeHaAB_6xwYiqKICRFxq146OZLegvLWqt5t5jLMlaNB8eYwRFciwlwfRb9topQpb_w5-uBvTO8AsuzKlNw/s400/Monvel_P_RearGardenVintage_edited-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The rear of the house in 1927.</em><br />
<em>Image via <a href="http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2016/collection-boutet-de-monvel-pf1639.html">Sotheby's.</a></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bernard Boutet de Monvel enjoyed great success as a portraitist of both the café-society and American millionaires in the 1920s and 30s. Combining the model with a view of their residence or a relatable landscape in a somewhat photo-realistic style, the portraits are both flattering and distinctive. Sitters included Mrs. Harrison Williams, Mr. W.K. Vanderbilt, and Mrs. Vincent Astor.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkNTj_PTfoPtNQOQtgL5nPnY92lb2v_r0ijLaQRwdZe59KdSjcM1_PJFTFll3tJ85aclWxFoAoq3SGGdAlGGc3n5FWDT5e790767k9UaPcMtj1-C90uKUSvCy2B6p0VrrqGx7FhYeTTI/s1600/Monvel_Q_Studio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkNTj_PTfoPtNQOQtgL5nPnY92lb2v_r0ijLaQRwdZe59KdSjcM1_PJFTFll3tJ85aclWxFoAoq3SGGdAlGGc3n5FWDT5e790767k9UaPcMtj1-C90uKUSvCy2B6p0VrrqGx7FhYeTTI/s400/Monvel_Q_Studio.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The studio of Bernard Boutet de Monvel</em><br />
<em>on the top floor of his Paris home.</em><br />
<em>Image via Sotheby's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Read more about Bernard Boutet de Monvel and his residence at 11 passage de la Visitation on the <a href="http://littleaugury.blogspot.com/2016/02/boutet-de-monvel-infinite-refinement.html?m=1">Little Augury</a> blog. Here, there are some additional vintage views of the interior which show some variations in the furniture arrangements.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13ZCJvPAQvLU5fX4t_KM39HTejCgZOXx_Gp3fMkuprMg_rpB6cAnSPf-B9OVJQadDU9fpE0sMuHK-LmO2zgV-maO00Vsz8ezsR50OsxDGDnj596qX20-XedjJZo9n2JPxR6wXJyk9WjE/s1600/Monvel_book.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13ZCJvPAQvLU5fX4t_KM39HTejCgZOXx_Gp3fMkuprMg_rpB6cAnSPf-B9OVJQadDU9fpE0sMuHK-LmO2zgV-maO00Vsz8ezsR50OsxDGDnj596qX20-XedjJZo9n2JPxR6wXJyk9WjE/s400/Monvel_book.png" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The cover of the new book by Stéphane-Jacques Addade</em><br />
<em>expected to be published in September, 2016.</em><br />
<em>Image: The Devoted Classicist Library</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first English language monograph of the art of Bernard Boutet de Monvel by Stéphane-Jacques Addade is scheduled for release by Flammarion in September, 2016. Read more about it and place your order at a discount from the published price <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/2080202677">here.</a><span id="goog_1806141040"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1806141041"></span>John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-24407883689787637202016-03-28T12:34:00.001-05:002016-03-28T12:34:59.951-05:00Stavros Niarchos at Chanaleilles<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH36UxmuoeauRE2C-iPImjunmSNoJMoxyH-ZQ4snhzYLGd0RSEqwhbyMpA_tzZkvXKG2zYb0l-tf57vJA23p01RLQLu_cEnJ2Iqhwi8CfCY9ZppvTx0W2GbFams2EH_tf2GR4IZkdUKd0/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_EmilioTerry_NiarchosEntranceHall_viaAD_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH36UxmuoeauRE2C-iPImjunmSNoJMoxyH-ZQ4snhzYLGd0RSEqwhbyMpA_tzZkvXKG2zYb0l-tf57vJA23p01RLQLu_cEnJ2Iqhwi8CfCY9ZppvTx0W2GbFams2EH_tf2GR4IZkdUKd0/s400/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_EmilioTerry_NiarchosEntranceHall_viaAD_edited-1.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The entrance hall of Chanaleilles</em><br />
<em>created by Emilio Terry.</em><br />
<em>Photo via Architectural Digest.</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/B00XII1U3M">AD</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Millennials think of the 30 year old, rich, celebrity-dating, international playboy, jet-setter when they hear the name Stavros Niarchos, but those of my generation and older might be familiar with his grandfather, the multi-billionaire, Greek shipping tycoon, 1909 to 1996. His rivalry with Aristotle Onassis, his marriages, and his relationships with women that included <strong>Pamela Churchill</strong> (later Harriman) and <strong>Princess Firyal of Jordan</strong> (see previous post <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2013/03/mongiardino-for-princess-firyal-london.html?m=1">here</a>) could be the subject of a melodramatic TV mini-series. But it is his incredibly chic Paris residence that is the subject of this post of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2010/12/bit-more-about-me.html?m=1">The Devoted Classicist.</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK98sl4UKhhMDazDDYAmM3VHpvnImo-SANb0XBSfCsqw4WQrcORZquITSiHrLOews0N9os5gJlNSZsHdxfIdPTZa149_XQyM5LIoGPkbJ8GhmAdioxseLAonuGGI9Kwso2FDfi56tAXVs/s1600/Niarchos_chanaleilles_streetentrance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK98sl4UKhhMDazDDYAmM3VHpvnImo-SANb0XBSfCsqw4WQrcORZquITSiHrLOews0N9os5gJlNSZsHdxfIdPTZa149_XQyM5LIoGPkbJ8GhmAdioxseLAonuGGI9Kwso2FDfi56tAXVs/s320/Niarchos_chanaleilles_streetentrance.png" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Vintage view of the entrance from the</em><br />
<em>rue de Chanaleilles by René-Jacques.</em><br />
<em>Photo: via culture.gouv.fr</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The <em>hôtel particulier, </em>not an inn but a private, free-standing townhouse with an entrance court and a garden beyond the residence, is named for the Marquis de Chanaleilles who bought it in 1840. The property can be traced back to the seventeenth-century when it was a hunting lodge, a <em>folie</em> of the Duc de Maine, Louis Auguste de Bourbon (the legitimized son of Louis XIV and his mistress Madame de Montespan). The present house dates from about 1770.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOiHTjeGrl4P8XYdxtzJyQEQyqbEgvRuEs5japg6zF5LN33fv-sZkmj6kxTryXglsJ-m1px0XqyFAH20XT3Ax75OnNy_d3smopbPi7655JsGfRO4uNKyfAemG9Sq-7m9Pzuw4-E1xgWE/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_EntranceCourt_Zerbe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The entrance to Chanaleilles.</em><br />
<em>Photo by Jerome Zerbe.</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Owned by the Marquis de Brabançon (of Belgium) at the time of the Revolution, it was confiscated and sold several times in quick succession before being given to Madame Tallien by her suitor. (She later married the Comte de Caraman, who became Prince de Chimay, and died in 1831 at Menars, the former home of Madame de Pompadour's brother, the Marquis de Marigny). Madame Tallien, also known as Thérésa Cabarrus, was one of the style setters of the Directoire period and her Paris residence was one of the centers of fashionable activity during the post-revolution time. Madame Tallien enclosed the colonnade from the street to become a handsome <em>galerie</em> with an exceptional parquet floor and installed a notable Pompeian style bathroom.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8c89r-HF_yb3V9A4TtWm_9L_QfrQkvD8N8T67WtLPZUNhwV5ZUD7bqagv2l1G7dSsHjS_me-CTLcnkBDceM61wvFCyHT8NXJHL6zAFyDp407igsMYGVarzosYJJZyPSC5e7PmTj6XvI/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_GardenWest_Zerbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8c89r-HF_yb3V9A4TtWm_9L_QfrQkvD8N8T67WtLPZUNhwV5ZUD7bqagv2l1G7dSsHjS_me-CTLcnkBDceM61wvFCyHT8NXJHL6zAFyDp407igsMYGVarzosYJJZyPSC5e7PmTj6XvI/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_GardenWest_Zerbe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A view of the west garden of Chanaleilles</em><br />
<em>with the enclosed colonnade on the right.</em><br />
<em>(Treillage covers an adjacent building)</em><br />
<em>Photo by Jerome Zerbe</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After years of being closed, Stavros Niarchos bought the house in 1956 and brought in the Cuban-born architect/decorator <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2014/02/notable-homes-emilio-terry-for-princess.html?m=1">Emilio Terry</a> for architectural improvements and modern conveniences and Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen for interior design. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC6Q9xsbuTVgB5ZGptco1Sv-U9pEXHi4i6X0a8qp9GryrE2QGWyR_tRT9-2HvjgdRrIGT1uCnsvJZdVl-pAJoGeawupKyFiYDBOcKmrph1bb_z1Ae8gzWvMTICmh-XbCzqgfr0KeYaCU/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_EastCourt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC6Q9xsbuTVgB5ZGptco1Sv-U9pEXHi4i6X0a8qp9GryrE2QGWyR_tRT9-2HvjgdRrIGT1uCnsvJZdVl-pAJoGeawupKyFiYDBOcKmrph1bb_z1Ae8gzWvMTICmh-XbCzqgfr0KeYaCU/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_EastCourt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The east garden of Chanaleilles before </em><br />
<em>restoration </em><em>by Niarchos.</em><br />
<em>Image: culture.gouv.fr</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjMXkNWztcVr1QvsFDi7WmxaqzAI994QbZavAsLwM6VUNX_lNkOFvOWOfjSeFZETF-YqqJzjNa1b90UOx4qFgD9BnPDxd1FrQPYJBzCGiLP72d_NmGuf7ddiaX4gF_6IEAOfAi6byhtM/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_CourtyardBalcony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjMXkNWztcVr1QvsFDi7WmxaqzAI994QbZavAsLwM6VUNX_lNkOFvOWOfjSeFZETF-YqqJzjNa1b90UOx4qFgD9BnPDxd1FrQPYJBzCGiLP72d_NmGuf7ddiaX4gF_6IEAOfAi6byhtM/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_CourtyardBalcony.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A mid-20th century view of Chanaleilles</em><br />
<em>before purchase by Niarchos.</em><br />
<em>Image:culture.gouv.fr</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcDDs4F4g_xziglRbtY5wTY9PdKC15sPC01Udfw154U6RuleQ-8zai576jWj1kh1Rt89Myt_gXNbtKKxicOZXRTfkIVS_QT8-3ZfcXapP_PWs2UgWk2Osraq1z8Csr50Jzqf-4NmBkoE/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_GardenEast_Zerbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcDDs4F4g_xziglRbtY5wTY9PdKC15sPC01Udfw154U6RuleQ-8zai576jWj1kh1Rt89Myt_gXNbtKKxicOZXRTfkIVS_QT8-3ZfcXapP_PWs2UgWk2Osraq1z8Csr50Jzqf-4NmBkoE/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_GardenEast_Zerbe.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The east garden after the excavation.</em><br />
<em>Photo by Jerome Zerbe.</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
According to a 1969 article in "Life" magazine, he paid $500,000 for the house as a present for his third wife Eugenie (daughter of shipping magnate Stavros G. Livanos), a marriage which had ended in divorce in 1965. The floods of 1907 had deposited soil that raised the level of the garden, and excavation brought natural light back to the basement level.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w5fVjiWo9QHrpuBTSXibZ__sx8DT2A9koGMl9GYyCVmO8BAgvp4CPA5Sg5k1hg6X5Qve-UtB0Krn_qOB0dEXVar1Wy-WAFibh-5txu1UpwMXaFyRPs3r7m5hMpAQKwKg9ILTQRfSELU/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Arial.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w5fVjiWo9QHrpuBTSXibZ__sx8DT2A9koGMl9GYyCVmO8BAgvp4CPA5Sg5k1hg6X5Qve-UtB0Krn_qOB0dEXVar1Wy-WAFibh-5txu1UpwMXaFyRPs3r7m5hMpAQKwKg9ILTQRfSELU/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Arial.png" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A current view of Hôtel Chanaleilles</em><br />
<em>showing the main house surrounded on three sides by gardens</em><br />
<em>and the auxiliary building at the sidewalk.</em><br />
<em>Source: MapQuest.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The plan of the Hôtel de Chanaleilles is T-shaped in plan with the gallery extended along the spine from the entrance facing the street. The rear garden was lost in the 19th century; the sheer walls in the satellite photo are a neighboring property.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElbjC_uOB168VvBDYkAOf8ERd0h9fxkqCTJb0f5KzR4QGeCMwF9q1wKm4X4ubn7yjUtYHmxGyWFOnL0vLzLYXcrIHOk4llUzwrAXEo73qQSI5LZUz_DNmmTeBBr7Q2C8sgtpZ1cnQkRI/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Galerie_Bagues_TheDevotedClassicist.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElbjC_uOB168VvBDYkAOf8ERd0h9fxkqCTJb0f5KzR4QGeCMwF9q1wKm4X4ubn7yjUtYHmxGyWFOnL0vLzLYXcrIHOk4llUzwrAXEo73qQSI5LZUz_DNmmTeBBr7Q2C8sgtpZ1cnQkRI/s400/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Galerie_Bagues_TheDevotedClassicist.png" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The </em>galerie<em> of Chanaleilles</em><br />
<em>Photo: Bagues</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The gallery's parquet floor of rare woods glows with the bright yellow curtains and four large crystal chandeliers made for the space by Bagues.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIGoUTZWt-NVg7uMm7loOvLm6MNhrAYZyyDtrEyiye-toDSy27lMv3ftPjtjitu9HjFT5zC4XBH9r9SaTurLOiv3tU43nkTKzJk_u0TlxwONXm72CHaLQny3hz7t9JT859fwaN6b4j_0/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_RedSalaonNiarchos_Life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIGoUTZWt-NVg7uMm7loOvLm6MNhrAYZyyDtrEyiye-toDSy27lMv3ftPjtjitu9HjFT5zC4XBH9r9SaTurLOiv3tU43nkTKzJk_u0TlxwONXm72CHaLQny3hz7t9JT859fwaN6b4j_0/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_RedSalaonNiarchos_Life.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Stavros Niarchos in the red salon of Chanaleilles</em><br />
<em>Photo: Life magazine, March 28, 1969,</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The red salon has walls covered in red velvet between engaged Corinthian columns below a gilt ceiling. The floor is covered with a Savonnerie with the royal arms for the King of Poland, a gift of Louis XV and the furniture includes an ebony <em>bureau plat</em> with mounts by Gouthiére. But the real focus of the room is the art: a Goya, a Seurat, and the famous "Pietà" by El Greco bought for $400,000 to celebrate New Year's Eve in 1954 according to the "Life" magazine article.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu72yOKaoaIcD7bBNOZWJ4pHlOaoUFQk5EmswAZXCFEGXA7ullTCWTiXRfzum_CKAy96rAS3B5Tw8dZ4X7cklVPkMJZzastELKP3aJYGhwnX65SyBZsq0Y_P0EIccw-3jjP-nxTVMWjH4/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Boudoir_Zeerbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu72yOKaoaIcD7bBNOZWJ4pHlOaoUFQk5EmswAZXCFEGXA7ullTCWTiXRfzum_CKAy96rAS3B5Tw8dZ4X7cklVPkMJZzastELKP3aJYGhwnX65SyBZsq0Y_P0EIccw-3jjP-nxTVMWjH4/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Boudoir_Zeerbe.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The boudoir at Chanaleilles.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Jerome Zerbe</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
White and gold <em>boiserie </em>from the Parr palace in Vienna (where Marie Antoinette was betrothed) decorate a boudoir with a Renoir.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpJbUmIkQfovKAs_3Kk62TFu4GRfyubFFLKKK845fnlFDaJZkMUsTFfzqNVrC2pJx2Okod7wHwkegkIxcPXmLo8LfFvdZ1QykQdgE36HGtJylHffnsHiAPEX5Fmp2kCrdWftzsCB1lsc/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Salon_Bagues_TheDevotedClassicist.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpJbUmIkQfovKAs_3Kk62TFu4GRfyubFFLKKK845fnlFDaJZkMUsTFfzqNVrC2pJx2Okod7wHwkegkIxcPXmLo8LfFvdZ1QykQdgE36HGtJylHffnsHiAPEX5Fmp2kCrdWftzsCB1lsc/s400/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Salon_Bagues_TheDevotedClassicist.png" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A salon at Chanaleilles</em><br />
<em>with Règence period lacquer panels.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Bagues</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The largest salon was created by extensive rebuilding by Emilio Terry in able to accommodate some Régence lacquer panels set into the <em>boiserie. </em>Here these panels act as the art, but there is another spectacular Savonnerie rug and three lavish rock crystal chandeliers along with museum-quality furniture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnVhkePHkohx8PGev1Ugz2C2ADncrsuXzbZZX7ygQjUWIiVA6BSRjBIt6sr9LNSjgXk_runkYMgTswb6wRsUzCPcz5sxXdOSwhIZhcgVI51lYo-JM24tcgB6ccPZpqzJmezQQqWONAyg/s1600/Niarchos_DiningRm_Zerbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnVhkePHkohx8PGev1Ugz2C2ADncrsuXzbZZX7ygQjUWIiVA6BSRjBIt6sr9LNSjgXk_runkYMgTswb6wRsUzCPcz5sxXdOSwhIZhcgVI51lYo-JM24tcgB6ccPZpqzJmezQQqWONAyg/s320/Niarchos_DiningRm_Zerbe.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The principal dining room at Chanaleilles.</em><br />
<em>Photo by Jerome Zerbe.</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A white salon with a Gauguin is on the other side of the T beyond the red salon. In addition to a children's dining room, there is a principal dining room with a parquet floor and paneling from Madame Tallien's era. Empire period Puyforcat gilt-silver vessels, part of a whole collection bought at auction and presented to the Louvre as a gift, are displayed in the dining room along with Meissen and Sèvres porcelain and Chelsea tureens and more paintings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5H89hc6_xGp5SGrujBvfar4dNBEoaJovdo_zP41QawJhbSaKLOsayyE5_U-oV1o3OAtTH9amvv2n5BXieef9BwxJ2Frm-a90fhcj6N_RC2c6L0PoYi7wlfyWOayAWHEz7evNEz_afqA/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_DiningConnaisance.BW.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS5H89hc6_xGp5SGrujBvfar4dNBEoaJovdo_zP41QawJhbSaKLOsayyE5_U-oV1o3OAtTH9amvv2n5BXieef9BwxJ2Frm-a90fhcj6N_RC2c6L0PoYi7wlfyWOayAWHEz7evNEz_afqA/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_DiningConnaisance.BW.png" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Puyforcat gilt-silver at Chanaleilles.</em><br />
<em>Image: "Connaissance Des Arts" Novembre 1960</em></td></tr>
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Hollywood film star Edward G. Robinson provided about sixty Impressionist paintings from his collection through New York's Knoedler Galleries, sold to Niarchos in 1957 for $3,125,00 to satisfy community property terms of his divorce settlement.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5PJ6tpw7TaFb59ha_MPqWX95PvkXx5bPHNYRAxLqRwgsOnah1_UUB9t7EY2B9HGqCuKM2bLxtlzGMWOiMbyf8idoWPszDqsgL5KkztbyrcvSOEXzVtVlF4ckH_boK7T7FJXVW6-Z-00/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_ClassicalDisplay_Zerbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5PJ6tpw7TaFb59ha_MPqWX95PvkXx5bPHNYRAxLqRwgsOnah1_UUB9t7EY2B9HGqCuKM2bLxtlzGMWOiMbyf8idoWPszDqsgL5KkztbyrcvSOEXzVtVlF4ckH_boK7T7FJXVW6-Z-00/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_ClassicalDisplay_Zerbe.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Emilio Terry's display gallery</em><br />
<em>for the classical collection at Chanaleilles.</em><br />
<em>Photo by Jerome Zerbe</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A special room was created by Emilio Terry in the neo-classical style with bold ebonized and gilt columns on mahogany plinths. This architectural framework displayed the Niarchos collection of classical pottery and sculpture fragments. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XR_vycqh9V5v8a8HvOayr-rlrSatpGZqJIAYUVOlE93xVUusNWbgndaK7Fl5QR7HCnkK6xfUw-ljVSfWZEXlYOvEyhOJyqmTP9EvEa4m_hdVTbFlrEJPKfXkTb5VACCFox1q5Qd2bPk/s1600/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Bathroom_Zerbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XR_vycqh9V5v8a8HvOayr-rlrSatpGZqJIAYUVOlE93xVUusNWbgndaK7Fl5QR7HCnkK6xfUw-ljVSfWZEXlYOvEyhOJyqmTP9EvEa4m_hdVTbFlrEJPKfXkTb5VACCFox1q5Qd2bPk/s320/Niarchos_Chanaleilles_Bathroom_Zerbe.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Pompeian bathroom at Chanalleilles.</em><br />
<em>Photo by Jerome Zerbe</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Madame Tallien's bathroom with Pompeian style mosaics and a classical bathtub carved from a block of granite was restored.<br />
<br />
It is believed that Niarchos' 61 year old son Philip, an active but low-profile collector of contemporary art, still owns and occupies the house. In 2001, eight works of art described as from a "private collection" were sold by Christie's for more than $10 million; they were paintings by Pierre Bonnard, Eugene Boudin, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Renoir, Georges Rouault and Maurice Utrillo thought to have been sold from Chanaleilles to settle a legal dispute among the heirs. In 2005, a large part of what is believed to be the Stravos Niarchos collection, estimated at a value of more than $250 million, was given to Kunsthaus Zurich on long-term loan.<br />
<br />
The photos from LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY are by Jerome Zerbe and the text from that book provided some of the history of the house. Now out of print, used copies are available through <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0393012794">The Devoted Classicist Library.</a><br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there are currently no good English-language books about Emilio Terry now in print. For more about the legendary design firm Maison Jansen, read <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0926494333">JANSEN</a> by James Archer Abbott.<br />
<br />John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-1825898278371188622016-02-28T18:47:00.000-06:002016-02-28T18:57:30.949-06:00Manhattan Double Wide<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>128 East 73rd Street, NYC, began as two houses</em><br />
<em>dating from the 1880s faced in brownstone.</em><br />
<em>Architect A. Wallace McCrae put them together</em><br />
<em>in a 1928 Georgian Revival renovation.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Brown Harris Stevens.</em></td></tr>
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While most of the clients of <strong>John Tackett Design</strong> have no interest in having their homes published, on-line real estate listings ultimately get around those objections. In this case, the death of the gentleman soon after the house was complete and now the lady just last November has led to a former architectural project coming on the market complete with photos and floor plans.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>More accurately, the lowest level would be the Cellar; it was further</em><br />
<em>excavated, the elevator service extended, and fitted for archival storage.</em><br />
<em>The level below the sidewalk would be the Basement; the clients were </em><br />
<em>not interested in the garden accessed through the butler's room.</em><br />
<em>Image: Brown Harris Stevens.</em></td></tr>
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This was one of my first commissions after opening my own office. The planning and construction for renovation was undertaken from 1987 to 1989 with help from my former Parish-Hadley colleague <strong>Paul Engel</strong> and <strong>Hannington Engineering Consultants</strong>. The general contractor was <strong>Crawford Construction</strong>, one of the best builders in Manhattan at the time for high-end residential renovations. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Entrance Hall received a new marble floor but the</em><br />
<em>wall treatment of applied moldings was extant.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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The interior designer was hired after construction was already underway, but some revisions were made to the drawings to meet the designer's demands. Otherwise, the designer had complete <em>carte blanche</em> for the furnishings in terms of both concept and budget with the results as shown here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The 30 ft wide Living Room is where the unusual </em><br />
<em>width of the townhouse can be fully appreciated.</em><br />
<em>The paneling dated from the 1928 renovation but</em><br />
<em>the lighting and climate control systems were new.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Brown Harris Stevens.</em></td></tr>
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The clients and their two young sons brought only their clothes, their art, and a few recently acquired antiques from their previous residence, a contemporary penthouse that had been decorated by John Saladino.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The niches flanking the chimney had shaped shelves for display</em><br />
<em>that were removed to realize the designer's scheme.</em><br />
<em>The closed door opens to the Pantry.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Brown Harris Stevens.</em></td></tr>
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The house is located on a particularly attractive block and had last been decorated by my former employer, Albert Hadley of Parish-Hadley. The owners sold only because the new wife wanted a "fresh start" at a new address. (A detail of their River House apartment appeared on the dust jacket of <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0316700320">PARISH-HADLEY: SIXTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DESIGN,</a> by the way).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Pantry, between the Living Room and the Dining Room,</em><br />
<em>was fitted as a full kitchen with custom mahogany cabinets.</em><br />
<em>A rolling library ladder allows access to the upper</em><br />
<em>cabinets. A secondary stair, just out of view on the left,</em><br />
<em>allows direct access to a full kitchen on the Basement level.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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Much of my design work focused on bringing the systems of the house up to date and the auxiliary spaces as the architectural design of the primary rooms remained unaltered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLB5OyOjZasL2jezQvl6D1kDJvufIO15bDCb14RNNU0_FoEUf6yCnW3_NVsh8fSawwyG189De8kb1rVFiH8xS7hQ2rdGLe7wV4cGUwdxGrYA8wjViGR78wV5KsaGFjH0ROcXYVzM85j0/s1600/Chaus_128E73rd_Dining.SW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLB5OyOjZasL2jezQvl6D1kDJvufIO15bDCb14RNNU0_FoEUf6yCnW3_NVsh8fSawwyG189De8kb1rVFiH8xS7hQ2rdGLe7wV4cGUwdxGrYA8wjViGR78wV5KsaGFjH0ROcXYVzM85j0/s400/Chaus_128E73rd_Dining.SW.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dining Room with marble bolection chimneypiece</em><br />
<em>and paneling from the 1928 renovation.</em><br />
<em>Not seen are a pair of angled closets that, along with</em><br />
<em>the angled windows, give the room an unusual plan</em><br />
<em>for a townhouse. The floor was supplied by the</em><br />
<em>interior designer.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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The Stair Hall gives an idea of the limitations of the original house. Because of the width, there would have been only a primary room at the front and back with the stairs in between.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Stair Hall on the Parlor Floor.</em><br />
<em>The clients' collection of bronze sculpture by Aristide Maillol</em><br />
<em>required planning for structural support in the old timber structure.</em><br />
<em>A crane brought in the sculpture before the painting, etc., was</em><br />
<em>complete and sat in place inside its crate.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Brown Harris Stevens.</em></td></tr>
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Although it may be difficult to determine in this photo, the Master Bedroom had been handsomely detailed in a revival of the Louis XVI style during the 1928 renovation and a wide opening breached the party wall of what had been the two separate houses.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Master Bedroom with a sitting and sleeping area.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Brown Harris Stevens.</em></td></tr>
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The Master Dressing Room was an existing space that was updated with new closets as mirror glazed French doors.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Master Dressing Room millwork dates from the</em><br />
<em>late 1980s renovation.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Brown Harris Stevens.</em></td></tr>
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The Master Bathroom was also an existing space with a pair of gilded mahogany lavatories supplied by the interior designer who also provided the black and white marble floor. (Despite my warning that the effect would be optical, the installation went ahead; it was immediately covered with a rug).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Master Bathroom with the bathtub flanked by a</em><br />
<em>water closet on the left and a shower stall (beyond the</em><br />
<em>shirred curtained door) on the right.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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The Library on the same floor as the Master Suite serves as a Family Room. The Tudor Revival oak paneling dates from the 1928 renovation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>With the exception of the television, the Library retains the</em><br />
<em>late 1980s décor.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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The wonderful frosted glass lens over the skylight, a detail that I have repeated over the years, was a feature dating from the 1928 renovation. Exterior flood lights were added on the roof so that it becomes a recessed light fixture in the evening.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The top floor Stair Hall.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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The top floor was reserved for use by the sons. The front had been a suite that was reconfigured into two bedrooms, both with mahogany trim and inset panels upholstered in fabric.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The front, west bedroom on the top floor.</em><br />
<em>Photo; Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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The boys' bathroom was also mahogany. In the photo, the French door on the left opens to a closet and the one on the right opens to reveal the shower stall. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXK57BqLb_DnUuNxql9dVR-Q5QUhIXBrsH_ITgK7YHljsAQx6ydUmWoZy2FVfZx5xvE0VBoy1ekyDZXoAYbZnvXx41UJpdG9pGI-6agzzcQG0uDmHqkYTO7ly3vJu-s73qQ4trKCX2jTc/s1600/Chaus_128E73rd_BathBoysShared_realtor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXK57BqLb_DnUuNxql9dVR-Q5QUhIXBrsH_ITgK7YHljsAQx6ydUmWoZy2FVfZx5xvE0VBoy1ekyDZXoAYbZnvXx41UJpdG9pGI-6agzzcQG0uDmHqkYTO7ly3vJu-s73qQ4trKCX2jTc/s400/Chaus_128E73rd_BathBoysShared_realtor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The boys shared this bathroom on the top floor,</em><br />
<em>benefitting from the natural light of the skylight.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Realtor.</em></td></tr>
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Not shown in photos, but seen in the plan was a playroom/sitting room created for the boys. A structural steel beam was hoisted up by a crane to allow a wide doorway in the central structural wall. French doors that are hinged to fold back on each other was devised to give privacy to the grandmother to sleep over on occasion in the space to the east.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjg7tOjcSVLHoN7V6VdvaTSsCAOHGIpUYFoCJV-KVlBx4FISLUJ7D1q5WeGGQmr-Up41OOlhZSruAOqd9nB8yrPPzNZE2EWlVmd6Qde05sIXsge39rSLLlEd5Z-K4a8apaz2dp63G_ds/s1600/Chaus_128E73rd_arial.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjg7tOjcSVLHoN7V6VdvaTSsCAOHGIpUYFoCJV-KVlBx4FISLUJ7D1q5WeGGQmr-Up41OOlhZSruAOqd9nB8yrPPzNZE2EWlVmd6Qde05sIXsge39rSLLlEd5Z-K4a8apaz2dp63G_ds/s400/Chaus_128E73rd_arial.png" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The pin marks the property in this aerial view to the south.</em><br />
<em>Although the garden faces south, the tall apartment buildings</em><br />
<em>on the next street block the sunlight.</em><br />
<em>Image: MapQuest.</em></td></tr>
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The house is offered for sale at $42 million by the agent who specializes in the best Manhattan listings, Paula Del Nunzio, of <a href="http://mobile.bhsusa.com/manhattan/upper-east-side/128-east-73rd-street/townhouse/14307318">Brown Harris Stevens.</a> Additional photos were provided by the listing at <a href="http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/128-E-73rd-St_New-York_NY_10021_M35326-33438">Realtor.com.</a> In some cases, the images are distorted, sometimes compressed or stretched to fit the real estate company's template, so try to take that into account when the proportions seem off. And it was intentional that the interior designer's name does not appear in this blog. See the regular web version of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist</a>, if this is being read in an alternate format, to scan the Labels categories for posts on other Manhattan townhouses.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-90029167353125439522016-02-21T15:13:00.000-06:002016-02-21T15:13:13.768-06:00Notable Homes: Guignécourt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The entrance to Guignécourt.</em><br />
<em>Image:Guillixon</em></td></tr>
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"Notable Homes" is one of the re-occurring series of posts for <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist</a> that features an architecturally significant residence and its furnishings. The stylish San Francisco-area estate <strong>Guignécourt</strong>, also known as Guigné Court, and decorator <strong>Anthony Hail </strong>was the subject of a popular previous post, <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2011/09/guigne-court-and-anthony-hail.html?m=1">here.</a> And there was a second post <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2013/02/more-on-guigne-court.html?m=1">here.</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Guignécourt</em><br />
<em>Image: Sotheby's</em></td></tr>
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The eccentric owner Christian de Guigné, 4th, listed the property for sale at $100 million with a contingency for life residency; after no takers, the price was reduced to $39.9 million with the exclusive-use condition removed.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7J2h4RwhFFOrXkF6dVnGFryUn79UNe-hfj2Leo2750ZQvMo7e68zwmgivV5DPMenaOZLHA9ck5miZN1u_7r-RdrmD1kh2-BgiyKfd0M4WWA40CqSy3vNzzXkWI7cw8-RhjW371-8xZU/s1600/guigne_PhotoPortrait_1961_yahoo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7J2h4RwhFFOrXkF6dVnGFryUn79UNe-hfj2Leo2750ZQvMo7e68zwmgivV5DPMenaOZLHA9ck5miZN1u_7r-RdrmD1kh2-BgiyKfd0M4WWA40CqSy3vNzzXkWI7cw8-RhjW371-8xZU/s400/guigne_PhotoPortrait_1961_yahoo.png" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Christian de Guigne, 4th, left, with his parents and brother Charles, 1961.</em><br />
<em>Photo via Yahoo!</em></td></tr>
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Built 1913 to 1916 to designs by architects Walter Danforth Bliss and William Baker Faville, the gardens were later refined by Thomas Dolliver Church and the interiors were improved by Anthony Hail in the early 1960s. According to the <a href="http://www.gullixson.com/891-Crystal-Springs-Road">Guillixon listing</a>, the property offering at 891 Crystal Springs Road, Hillsboro, is still active. But the story for those interested in the decorative arts is the Christie's auction of contents coming up in New York on March 24, 2016.<br />
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There are a number of very handsome rooms, but none are more stylish than the Pavilion at the swimming pool. Although the furnishings from the Anthony Hail era are worn and the décor is not entirely intact, it is still a space worthy of note.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-12PU7i27f_pt7_GW_tlv3Oul5aLpa3zNEIz9YCvOa1gZLTEYAdB1dvsNo3r_l2i4LCKrH8hQx9iU5Ep84rPIkjBuR3rmClb7YNFmrqmA5EvSqkl26PKp_6YG5SODh-YdkiayVvHONWA/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_GenViewInterior.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-12PU7i27f_pt7_GW_tlv3Oul5aLpa3zNEIz9YCvOa1gZLTEYAdB1dvsNo3r_l2i4LCKrH8hQx9iU5Ep84rPIkjBuR3rmClb7YNFmrqmA5EvSqkl26PKp_6YG5SODh-YdkiayVvHONWA/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_GenViewInterior.png" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Pavilion at Guignécourt, 2015.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqRSEYLzKA56tVe_lJUxoKl_tyfMUiHldCpNWqluolaJCy8b9zGnl-s0zafRkt3pVwYayCQvsESlFa1S_9jR3OK05DkP2aq9jvwbwFus3Q0x7FNC0jaLPsMSBwOGZpuYi19UEtZb2jh4/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_wallpaperDetail_150.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqRSEYLzKA56tVe_lJUxoKl_tyfMUiHldCpNWqluolaJCy8b9zGnl-s0zafRkt3pVwYayCQvsESlFa1S_9jR3OK05DkP2aq9jvwbwFus3Q0x7FNC0jaLPsMSBwOGZpuYi19UEtZb2jh4/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_wallpaperDetail_150.png" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The walls of the Pavilion at Guignécourt are covered with</em><br />
<em>hand painted Chinese wallpaper dating from the 18th or 19th century</em><br />
<em>figured with a mountainous landscape.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzqZkzTNwbo_nlziXvxQJ1f7Z-gA_zXCMteh6Ma6tGFpC1gAogg_OnFmLSRrVmNUmkUsWrZnF5uJOO5pkHJj0JIYc79zfg_tCGZyyfyYpck86dVr-m6sgb8B1VJ6mMBl5IcvS69SLaeg/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_SofasPairTufted_.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzqZkzTNwbo_nlziXvxQJ1f7Z-gA_zXCMteh6Ma6tGFpC1gAogg_OnFmLSRrVmNUmkUsWrZnF5uJOO5pkHJj0JIYc79zfg_tCGZyyfyYpck86dVr-m6sgb8B1VJ6mMBl5IcvS69SLaeg/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_SofasPairTufted_.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A pair of gray-green velvet sofas. Lot 134.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSVW-_0No9axSMdZQ4NjqDirX-FK7bB56DvnZ7qDDanl2E_d6ii65Qvxkv_NOd7byX7zbi0m4oibqCPty9sIQfe4mxFgg4WbdmPudXVSeyc6Bl3NZ5N-WqXCDLmyBR6Yt4gSAk23iiXY/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_TablesBlackLacquerGilt_137.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSVW-_0No9axSMdZQ4NjqDirX-FK7bB56DvnZ7qDDanl2E_d6ii65Qvxkv_NOd7byX7zbi0m4oibqCPty9sIQfe4mxFgg4WbdmPudXVSeyc6Bl3NZ5N-WqXCDLmyBR6Yt4gSAk23iiXY/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_TablesBlackLacquerGilt_137.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A pair of Chinese black lacquer and gilt tables</em><br />
<em>with pierced fretwork and a plinth base. Lot 137.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's</em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-_Bsuxo2A4zceeI0dX8JrJ0EPt9LaJfqSkXn3nhcyotPe4AXG2xQ43w3mTaNmABbP5uz87EhhHXSXFGEXY_xP2QcAcanlSpJ034JbzWq58IcvwELXQfyLRoqEuks1v2_OWKewKduiPI/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_Carpet_Ningxia_141.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge-_Bsuxo2A4zceeI0dX8JrJ0EPt9LaJfqSkXn3nhcyotPe4AXG2xQ43w3mTaNmABbP5uz87EhhHXSXFGEXY_xP2QcAcanlSpJ034JbzWq58IcvwELXQfyLRoqEuks1v2_OWKewKduiPI/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_Carpet_Ningxia_141.png" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A Ningxia carpet from West China, 18th century. Lot 141.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpGlPzHiFj9Eo0lZm45zM9XGLs597JRpculCGwzNe2GxcyThpYa4ZH20cCJNDsgzQWKC1P-Qpjx2mF1vAwmtCBxczb774dP9jcMpqHmpubx0VRjRTA6Gv3BlqG8VFcVTdiskVEFOx8DA/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_chairs_Italian_148.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpGlPzHiFj9Eo0lZm45zM9XGLs597JRpculCGwzNe2GxcyThpYa4ZH20cCJNDsgzQWKC1P-Qpjx2mF1vAwmtCBxczb774dP9jcMpqHmpubx0VRjRTA6Gv3BlqG8VFcVTdiskVEFOx8DA/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_chairs_Italian_148.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A set of four Italian chairs, grain painted and parcel gilt,</em><br />
<em>black leather upholstery, early 19th century. Lot 148.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodRe-qeaWkgCfpLgnmUTeLd4miDauMC9JnE1ZQrL8azRkwDjYOU7tkf9cbvt__U8D2fnxNNp9BP4DhGiwANnn41vvHNr0GIN7NetyiEq_rfXJPPLj-KulC8G7EnEKR3ubeJu8bAjp8mA/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_ConsolesPairDolphin_139.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodRe-qeaWkgCfpLgnmUTeLd4miDauMC9JnE1ZQrL8azRkwDjYOU7tkf9cbvt__U8D2fnxNNp9BP4DhGiwANnn41vvHNr0GIN7NetyiEq_rfXJPPLj-KulC8G7EnEKR3ubeJu8bAjp8mA/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_ConsolesPairDolphin_139.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A pair of console tables with a terracotta dolphin-form support</em><br />
<em>and green marble top and base. Late 19th/early 20th century.</em><br />
<em>Lot 139.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_PikEcMSCvkAttoU6Z1konTga9ANekUFtoIRRRMWfBMKdssmSNqMSms2ReO0_W-PcNvUK8djNFIY6FXtK5JJpKAY-49zKJMUaRS9T-xiyxaWATpcAkpABJPN3Eq8ylO_3OjPrsfnxuQ/s1600/Guigne_Pavilion_model_ChinesePav_147.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_PikEcMSCvkAttoU6Z1konTga9ANekUFtoIRRRMWfBMKdssmSNqMSms2ReO0_W-PcNvUK8djNFIY6FXtK5JJpKAY-49zKJMUaRS9T-xiyxaWATpcAkpABJPN3Eq8ylO_3OjPrsfnxuQ/s400/Guigne_Pavilion_model_ChinesePav_147.png" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A Chinese model of a garden pavilion, </em><br />
<em>gilt-metal and cloisonné enamel.</em><br />
<em>19th century. Lot 147.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A George II longcase clock,</em><br />
<em>blue and gilt-Japanned, circa 1730.</em><br />
<em>(The works and case associated). Lot 149.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
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Despite the high quality of architecture and the numerous beautiful rooms, there is no guarantee of ever finding an appreciative buyer for the house. Certainly the land is desirable, but this sale of the furnishings is not a good indication that there has been interest in the house itself. Judging from the seemingly senseless demolition around the country lately, there is a hunger for opulent mansions that lack patina and any history of former owners. Perhaps this sale at Christie's will attract the attention of a buyer that sees the potential of this Sleeping Beauty.</div>
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John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-89466308088192047792015-12-21T10:16:00.001-06:002015-12-21T10:16:14.975-06:00Merry Christmas, 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraCU1occv0rrtXGIeH2GNnuCEtVDAyIcnH4iwRR-7wYprNd50NcHDpy93PLVstW-1xZ__ml0s1n9QsIp6DY-ccl3DnbYs-0FxxBHDngLHW88foiPoredF_xm2NX6YDTwYBrPDuCFpVfs/s1600/Christmas+Card+Sketch+2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjraCU1occv0rrtXGIeH2GNnuCEtVDAyIcnH4iwRR-7wYprNd50NcHDpy93PLVstW-1xZ__ml0s1n9QsIp6DY-ccl3DnbYs-0FxxBHDngLHW88foiPoredF_xm2NX6YDTwYBrPDuCFpVfs/s640/Christmas+Card+Sketch+2015.png" width="483" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Sketch by John Tackett for John Tackett Design</em></td></tr>
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Happy holidays to all my Devoted Readers. 2016 will bring many posts that are hoped to be particularly interesting, along with updates of projects by John Tackett Design. Best wishes to you all! _ JohnJohn J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-68233381593974552612015-10-16T23:19:00.000-05:002015-10-27T19:28:25.683-05:00Parish-Hadley Book Launch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcJua3JwVKzwPciejBQ4f6ABi4WMgNcge3rJ2gc1-3G-d9XJlu4tuSuwQLu42SRokQJL5Y1hqyfSYjiAIBQRdO3Kpz3XsWOBPOU20YmsafsE5IlAoVJVnvS09K30b3D-_OEMOA3yHX4w/s1600/Parish_CarltonHobbs_Ext_MCNY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcJua3JwVKzwPciejBQ4f6ABi4WMgNcge3rJ2gc1-3G-d9XJlu4tuSuwQLu42SRokQJL5Y1hqyfSYjiAIBQRdO3Kpz3XsWOBPOU20YmsafsE5IlAoVJVnvS09K30b3D-_OEMOA3yHX4w/s400/Parish_CarltonHobbs_Ext_MCNY.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>60 East 93rd Street, New York City.</em><br />
<em>John Russell Pope, architect, completed 1931.</em><br />
<em>Photo: Collection of the Museum of the City of New York.</em></td></tr>
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October 13, 2015, marked the launch reception for the new book <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM</a> by Brian J. McCarthy and Bunny Williams. The Devoted Classicist, <strong>John Tackett</strong>, a contributor, was an honored guest along with the thirty others who have a chapter in the book. The reception was held in the glorious Manhattan townhouse that is home to the noted antiquarian <a href="http://www.carltonhobbs.com/">Carlton Hobbs</a> at 60 East 93rd Street.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5FMnlSZpGZADUhu92DgSzTy_k_H1YjgJUtDb6naA5PZ0ESX_wR9hlw5ewRi1NPUmX8MT1FRjXUfsTyogCmlTUX_9f5m_7SQ67qJo78txFGsn3NFL4OjEugLSwj5GV9lOHtLht_Tjrus/s1600/Parish_CarltonHobbs_ExtEntrance.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5FMnlSZpGZADUhu92DgSzTy_k_H1YjgJUtDb6naA5PZ0ESX_wR9hlw5ewRi1NPUmX8MT1FRjXUfsTyogCmlTUX_9f5m_7SQ67qJo78txFGsn3NFL4OjEugLSwj5GV9lOHtLht_Tjrus/s400/Parish_CarltonHobbs_ExtEntrance.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>No sign of commerce marks the entrance to Carlton Hobbs, LLC.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.</em></td></tr>
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That block between Madison and Park Avenue is one of my absolute favorites, the site of several of the city's most distinctive townhouses. Number 60 was designed by architect John Russell Pope and completed in 1931 for Virginia Fair Vanderbilt. Heir to the fortune her father made from the Comstock Lode and Big Bonanza mine, she was married to William Kissam Vanderbilt, president of the New York Central Railroad, until 1927. Despite the financial reverses of many during the Great Depression, there were no economic hardships for "Birdie," as her friends called her, who divided her time between this house, another on Long Island, and a third in California. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxfqduGERs3azLMfw3clP2pXkXWIs2OQT4MRw1RgTEFae0wYpP44DrHFFrrWmxA1V2p2ylJP69y6RzHkf60sz3TfpzIx7y-z3C0-tXRVvRM9pWNm-Lt5kk2JqdZJeXD26gCT3kHxhIeU/s1600/Parish_CarltonHobbs_ExtToWest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxfqduGERs3azLMfw3clP2pXkXWIs2OQT4MRw1RgTEFae0wYpP44DrHFFrrWmxA1V2p2ylJP69y6RzHkf60sz3TfpzIx7y-z3C0-tXRVvRM9pWNm-Lt5kk2JqdZJeXD26gCT3kHxhIeU/s400/Parish_CarltonHobbs_ExtToWest.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The main block of 60 East 93rd Street has three principal floors</em><br />
<em>with the set-back entrance not seen here.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.</em></td></tr>
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The house replaced three rowhouses and was built of limestone. There are three principal floors but the service areas are on seven stories of shorter ceiling heights within that space. Originally, there were four 18th century paneled rooms (one was removed by a subsequent owner) with antique parquet floors (replaced after occupation by a school). Decorative hardware in the antique style was made by Bricard in Paris.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMY8YDDjDbVB_DGKsPiqUgBPf_buwDknLir84sn0E7j3lnlQwxZN6x7Gk2rawrz6h6OiOdUMDTqF_IBCoNXWhgTvsUUKEKDDTA7fPPQk_RYO_R3VzQ2wP2G3KKdtfeKfmVz880WN8OoY/s1600/Parish_CarltonHobbs_Dining.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMY8YDDjDbVB_DGKsPiqUgBPf_buwDknLir84sn0E7j3lnlQwxZN6x7Gk2rawrz6h6OiOdUMDTqF_IBCoNXWhgTvsUUKEKDDTA7fPPQk_RYO_R3VzQ2wP2G3KKdtfeKfmVz880WN8OoY/s400/Parish_CarltonHobbs_Dining.png" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dining Room as set up as display space for</em><br />
<em>antiques offered for sale.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.</em></td></tr>
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After Virginia Fair Vanderbilt's death at age 60, the house was bought Bryan and Thelma Foy, she being the very stylish and rich daughter of auto manufacturer Walter Chrysler. Then the house was occupied by the Romanian Mission to the United Nations before being bought by the Lycee Francais. Carlton Hobbs bought the 50 room mansion for about $10.5 million in 2002 and spent two years in restoration. Read more about the house in a past post of <a href="http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2011/06/virginia-fair-vanderbilt-house-no-60.html?m=1">Daytonian in Manhattan</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh5L1v99Sy8yGsYbBlM0CGb8hSsZyDncx5MbBZFDDNGoxBRw5QOO2hRpc-WzOyH43hCOEKwj4bpan1eSj2CqsVkW5Oe3dAvyjWMeQL7ABWjuAayvK0ATR8l5gSTtfDggNktPxGm3lcUc/s1600/Parish_CarltonHobbs_BrianBunnyCropped_edited-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqh5L1v99Sy8yGsYbBlM0CGb8hSsZyDncx5MbBZFDDNGoxBRw5QOO2hRpc-WzOyH43hCOEKwj4bpan1eSj2CqsVkW5Oe3dAvyjWMeQL7ABWjuAayvK0ATR8l5gSTtfDggNktPxGm3lcUc/s400/Parish_CarltonHobbs_BrianBunnyCropped_edited-1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Designers Brian J. McCarthy and Bunny Williams, authors of</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM</a><br />
<em>address the guests from the staircase at the book launch reception.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.</em></td></tr>
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In addition to seeing the interior of the house, it was a great treat to see some of my old friends and colleagues and meet new ones. In addition to Brian and Bunny, who were there with their respective spouses <strong>Danny Sager </strong>and <strong>John Rosselli</strong>, there was <strong>Thomas Jayne</strong>, <strong>Michael Whaley</strong> (and wife <strong>K.T.</strong>), <strong>David Kleinberg</strong>, <strong>Nicholas Miles Pentecost</strong>, <strong>Libby Cameron</strong>, <strong>Kim Cruise</strong>, <strong>Nancy Porter</strong>, <strong>Carol Cavaluzzo</strong>, <strong>John Murray</strong>, <strong>David McMahon</strong>, and <strong>Paul Engel</strong>. And it was so good to see <strong>Mark Ferguson</strong> with business partner <strong>Oscar Shamamian</strong> with their wives <strong>Natalie Jacobs</strong> and <strong>Llewellyn Sinkler</strong>. Parish-Hadley "alumni" after my tenure included <strong>Douglas C. Wright</strong>, <strong>Todd Klein</strong>, <strong>James Andrew</strong>, and<strong> Thom Filicia</strong>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXY-aoiAqtHm_lDuQEFRaEE7l4kNVAB9FKU4Gk2ppr7Mc_5OSJxTs5ifXYRolkeolgEqaY5o7LSEl2wu9StnQ145vokPDZHLYoadEfXxrXm9i9c3BLBBmraxNovXs4vlMiyTK7sFWcN0E/s1600/Parish_CarltonHobbs_ViewOfReception_13Oct2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXY-aoiAqtHm_lDuQEFRaEE7l4kNVAB9FKU4Gk2ppr7Mc_5OSJxTs5ifXYRolkeolgEqaY5o7LSEl2wu9StnQ145vokPDZHLYoadEfXxrXm9i9c3BLBBmraxNovXs4vlMiyTK7sFWcN0E/s400/Parish_CarltonHobbs_ViewOfReception_13Oct2015.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A view from the staircase of some of those gathered for the book launch reception.</em><br />
<em>Photo by John J. Tackett for The Devoted Classicist blog.</em></td></tr>
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It was a great pleasure to see <strong>Peter van Hattum</strong> the spouse of the late <strong>Harold Simmons</strong>, my former "boss" who was such a great teacher. And also attending was former employee from the early days of Parish-Hadley, <strong>Suzanne Earls Carr</strong>. Sue introduced me to her guest, <strong>Bruce Budd</strong>, the esteemed designer who had worked for the late tastemaker Bunny Mellon; what a treat to meet such a talented gentleman! Also in attendance was former Parish-Hadley client and great friend of Albert Hadley <strong>Rene Meyers</strong> who is practically part of the alumni group. One of my favorite decorative painters, <strong>Chuck Fischer</strong>, was there; he also has authored some fantastic pop-up books with his illustrations literally springing to life throughout the book. And I spoke briefly to author of several books on famous decorators <strong>Stephen Salny</strong>. Of course, there were many, many others and I am sure I am leaving someone out. But it was fun and a good time was had by all. Thanks to our host <strong>Carlton Hobbs</strong> and literary marketing & branding agent <strong>Jill Cohen</strong> with associate <strong>Lizzy Hyland</strong>.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-13978242125561993632015-10-15T21:25:00.001-05:002015-10-16T10:04:00.995-05:00Hermes Mallea and the Great Houses of Havana<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhXT2ji1DTp5Sy2M0uiUacZAW-X7nxm8sTlONUTkrGFqCoTxVSl7ZBtd4_OIak9Xu2B2UxBICcV0HNSuurqvzPD3jyCt7DbUmO4VM_3uv6fFSg9b4hnhGEdgCxb-YenLyX1FHBOUtEGg/s1600/Mallea_Hermes_Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhXT2ji1DTp5Sy2M0uiUacZAW-X7nxm8sTlONUTkrGFqCoTxVSl7ZBtd4_OIak9Xu2B2UxBICcV0HNSuurqvzPD3jyCt7DbUmO4VM_3uv6fFSg9b4hnhGEdgCxb-YenLyX1FHBOUtEGg/s320/Mallea_Hermes_Photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Hermes Mallea will be the Guest of Honor</em><br />
<em>at the Decorative Arts Trust gala anniversary celebration.</em></td></tr>
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All Devoted Readers within driving distance will not want to miss an upcoming talk about the great houses of Havana by architect/interior designer/author <a href="http://www.mgrouponline.com/">Hermes Mallea</a>. This event is just one part of the 35th anniversary celebration of Decorative Arts Trust, a support group of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Hermes' presentation will be Saturday, October 17, 10:30 am in the museum auditorium in Overton Park, 1934 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. The talk is free and open to the public. A book sale of both THE GRAND HOUSES OF HAVANA and ESCAPE: THE HEYDAY OF CARIBBEAN GLAMOUR, with proceeds benefiting D.A.T., will follow the talk along with a book signing by the author.<br />
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And be sure to allow enough time in your schedule afterwards to view the current exhibition which features over 100 items donated to the museum collection by Decorative Arts Trust and its members. For more information, see the Trust's <a href="http://www.decorativeartstrust.com/">website</a>.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-3603748088964454382015-10-06T14:27:00.001-05:002015-10-16T10:19:35.017-05:00John Tackett is a Branch of the Parish-Hadley Tree of Life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSoC86BlM1x0zbWo6T7vSNsFVwdpiIQBJvo7q3RI-FJlvRASoWDUcd49CA2894jksmg1zYUB3jTgDLLyYl9dukpTSMLP6kVCJ29pPvQf4iIP4nk1U48nzLXgSd-U8igS4Z2U2OHzrcYo/s1600/HoakSunRm_WatercolorOne_JohnTackett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSoC86BlM1x0zbWo6T7vSNsFVwdpiIQBJvo7q3RI-FJlvRASoWDUcd49CA2894jksmg1zYUB3jTgDLLyYl9dukpTSMLP6kVCJ29pPvQf4iIP4nk1U48nzLXgSd-U8igS4Z2U2OHzrcYo/s400/HoakSunRm_WatercolorOne_JohnTackett.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Tackett's design for a Garden Room in a renovation of a 1930s</em><br />
<em>house in the Volk Estates area of University Park, Dallas, Texas.</em><br />
<em>Image: John Tackett Design and <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2011/07/garden-room-revealed.html?m=1">The Devoted Classicist</a> blog.</em></td></tr>
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I have known all about Brooke Astor's Money Room, a famous space now revered by traditional decorators and architects, for 35 years. Blessed with the classic proportions of a top Pre-War Park Avenue apartment building and given more than just a bit of help by knowing what to play up and what to play down, the expertly edited room was a great influence on this impressionable twenty-something. But by the time of my tenure, however, it existed only in this one transparent image below, part of a slideshow presented to Parish-Hadley clients on occasion to illustrate a point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51p2yMy9J95VXf_Zg5siwWpX_vfdhOL8GrMASKfDK6uKda3l70o4hQxtMn_fTDi56SLCFIVPZdxUeBuRRmkVqhlyBvgHMO5_EJ4ezkNNLdnirrQI-sO5BAAvD2eQX7otsPcjLvSPpxDY/s1600/Abbott_Floor_Astor_ParishHadley.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51p2yMy9J95VXf_Zg5siwWpX_vfdhOL8GrMASKfDK6uKda3l70o4hQxtMn_fTDi56SLCFIVPZdxUeBuRRmkVqhlyBvgHMO5_EJ4ezkNNLdnirrQI-sO5BAAvD2eQX7otsPcjLvSPpxDY/s320/Abbott_Floor_Astor_ParishHadley.png" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Brooke Astor's "Money Room" decorated by Parish-Hadley in the 1970s.</em><br />
<em>Photo: <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0847827429">ALBERT HADLEY: THE STORY OF AMERICA'S PREEIMINENT INTERIOR DESIGNER</a></em></td></tr>
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Mrs. Astor had given the name to a room in her apartment where she determined the beneficiaries of cash gifts from the Astor Foundation charities as well as from her own fortune provided by her late husband, Vincent Astor (son of RMS Titanic victim Jacob Astor). The room was on the lower level, originally a separate full-floor apartment and later joined to her own with the insertion of an interior staircase. Brooke Astor was about to leave on a trip the next day when she told Albert Hadley that he could redecorate the Drawing Room of her mother's former apartment if the work could be completed by the time of her return in only two weeks. The whole Parish-Hadley office immediately sprang into action the next day along with their team of tradespeople and workrooms. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ehAykJHo9qxmtI7FYpFmpc7SbozJCNqJWXfoHkKEPKbmGfdkmnM3Mw-6yjOiI4AEzmWd_Y7i7OcYUpM_OG43ty3FoXEqEflzPnxA30r5JV6BZQbq_PxaQTAlZtOiZ_FGMEw-G56ev5Y/s1600/JohnTackettDesign_Christmas2014_488IslandDrive_PalmBeach_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ehAykJHo9qxmtI7FYpFmpc7SbozJCNqJWXfoHkKEPKbmGfdkmnM3Mw-6yjOiI4AEzmWd_Y7i7OcYUpM_OG43ty3FoXEqEflzPnxA30r5JV6BZQbq_PxaQTAlZtOiZ_FGMEw-G56ev5Y/s400/JohnTackettDesign_Christmas2014_488IslandDrive_PalmBeach_edited-1.jpg" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dining Room of a new house designed by John Tackett</em><br />
<em>for a vacant waterfront site in Palm Beach, Florida.</em><br />
<em>The chairs are the "Jack" model by <a href="http://www.bunnywilliamshome.com/products/jack-chair">Bunny Williams Home.</a></em><br />
<em>Drawing by John J. Tackett.</em></td></tr>
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The room was emptied and the furniture sent out for re-upholstery. The walls were painted with a subtle yellow marble finish but the most memorable feature was the floor; the herringbone parquet floor was scraped and stained in two tones of varying zig-zag stripes, an innovation at the time. An often over-looked feature of the room was the curtains hanging from big gilded rings on wood poles. The curtain fabric, and the whole point of telling the story here, was a custom pattern that Mr. Hadley had just designed. It was printed with a large scale, "Tree of Life" motif that resembled stylized embroidery in brown on natural linen. The whole team labored diligently with designers Kevin McNamara, Bunny Williams, and Harold Simmons working late on the Sunday night arranging books and hanging pictures before Mrs. Astor's return the next day. The room was a huge success but virtually unknown to the rest of the decorating world outside Parish-Hadley until it was published in 2005.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHa7avU9RUgDOKFApWDUkJZcl1Mt9TN0yT-qHxPnCBPvuA0tNLtecC_qLMGsfDixtfPeVdRlfR7aJB8AJhOoEF3gHS-OWW-72yDYJH17jdBIo8W-a6Bp3dVFOJJJxTMVrj3euzZQ7uvQ/s1600/NonesuchHousePreliminaryBirdsEyeViewCropped.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHa7avU9RUgDOKFApWDUkJZcl1Mt9TN0yT-qHxPnCBPvuA0tNLtecC_qLMGsfDixtfPeVdRlfR7aJB8AJhOoEF3gHS-OWW-72yDYJH17jdBIo8W-a6Bp3dVFOJJJxTMVrj3euzZQ7uvQ/s400/NonesuchHousePreliminaryBirdsEyeViewCropped.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Tackett's design for a new house on a secluded, wooded, hilltop site</em><br />
<em>in Nashville, Tennessee, is organized so all room benefit from the views.</em><br />
<em>Drawing by John J. Tackett.</em></td></tr>
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This and many other stories about the company are told by thirty-one former employees in the new book released today, October 6, 2015, <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE; AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM.</a> As those who worked there earned the equivalent of an advanced degree in design, they are known as "alumni." In an unusually high number of instances, the "graduates" went on to found their own firms. Examples of their work, influenced by their Parish-Hadley education, illustrate the book.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkCPzo9JGntRvZapNlTbm81XpBpxxsgosaKAA9-5zQPAzp2eHpqGHWEeEgRhU3pk78iDUEovJWdz2KI3UerpsaRrDz3D3W6FioNihGpE_iUqvmzxcVAx2GKtASH7y2TxtijUrzkyt548/s1600/NonesuchHouseService.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkCPzo9JGntRvZapNlTbm81XpBpxxsgosaKAA9-5zQPAzp2eHpqGHWEeEgRhU3pk78iDUEovJWdz2KI3UerpsaRrDz3D3W6FioNihGpE_iUqvmzxcVAx2GKtASH7y2TxtijUrzkyt548/s400/NonesuchHouseService.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Tackett's design for a new house in Nashville features a service entrance elevation</em><br />
<em>that is pleasing to the owner who almost always uses this entrance as well.</em><br />
<em>Drawing by John J. Tackett.</em></td></tr>
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<strong>Brian J. McCarthy</strong> had the idea for the book which had Albert Hadley's blessing before his death in 2012. (Sister Parish died in 1994). <strong>Bunny Williams</strong> volunteered her help in making the book a reality and they are listed as co-authors. But co-editors would be more accurate as each chapter is told in the words of an alum. In addition to chapters by Brian and Bunny, other well-known designers such as <strong>David Easton</strong>, <strong>William Hodgins</strong>, <strong>David Kleinberg</strong>, <strong>Michael Whaley</strong>, and <strong>Thomas Jayne </strong>relate their experiences at Parish-Hadley. Plus there are others -- no less talented -- such as <strong>John Tackett</strong>, known to you all as <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2010/12/bit-more-about-me.html?m=1">The Devoted Classicist.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Gmj2v1Rh4VvfEZrCtMh2r4CZlCXmIarDw7EkRleoI3xYPGnm_aopUVUTcT8d6CC2QSHD5SQKybLokbv9ME-pbfmuCJAM7kHoJIAr5pyexX3NRIxg6LpGdYG59xFzKA8ogKoz-8d_PQ0/s1600/John+J.+Tackett_NewHouse_Miami_CircularEntranceHall.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Gmj2v1Rh4VvfEZrCtMh2r4CZlCXmIarDw7EkRleoI3xYPGnm_aopUVUTcT8d6CC2QSHD5SQKybLokbv9ME-pbfmuCJAM7kHoJIAr5pyexX3NRIxg6LpGdYG59xFzKA8ogKoz-8d_PQ0/s320/John+J.+Tackett_NewHouse_Miami_CircularEntranceHall.png" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Tackett's design for a new house in Miami Beach features a</em><br />
<em>circular Entrance Hall decorated with a Neo-Regency palm tree motif.</em><br />
<em>Drawing by John J. Tackett.</em></td></tr>
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Not wanting to spoil the experience for those who will read the book, the decision was made not to reproduce any of the images from the book for this post. As might be imagined, the book could have been published as several volumes but was eventually reduced to a usable 288 pages. So here are a few of the John Tackett Design images that had to be cut from the final product. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvdZDTMjt9lX2u31opF4ipt2JZqoDJbGJheoWI70AaAQ4qXoL3mz04rs2aKTqWHE7P_sSE7lJ5uwiYHcGHyb44hRFx7nU1If-e7R8W89ADOgwLWGYSYVgdkmXAsVVj236ORAHpUWcMNs/s1600/John+J.+Tackett_NewHouse_Dallas_ColorElevation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvdZDTMjt9lX2u31opF4ipt2JZqoDJbGJheoWI70AaAQ4qXoL3mz04rs2aKTqWHE7P_sSE7lJ5uwiYHcGHyb44hRFx7nU1If-e7R8W89ADOgwLWGYSYVgdkmXAsVVj236ORAHpUWcMNs/s640/John+J.+Tackett_NewHouse_Dallas_ColorElevation.png" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Tackett's design for a new house on a minimal lot in Dallas was part of</em><br />
<em>a development of other homes of similar size and materials while otherwise being unique.</em><br />
<em>Drawing by John J. Tackett</em></td></tr>
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<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM</a> can be ordered at a discount from <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">The Devoted Classicist Library,</a> an affiliate of Amazon. And if you do not have the 1995 book <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0316700320">PARISH-HADLEY: SIXTY YEARS OF AMERICAN DESIGN</a> or the 2005 book <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0847827429">ALBERT HADLEY: THE STORY OF AMERICA'S PREEMINENT INTERIOR DESIGNER,</a> these can be ordered by clicking on the title. For additional features of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist</a> blog, see the regular on-line/web version <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">here.</a> See more examples of my work by going to <strong>LABELS</strong> on the web version and clicking on "John Tackett Design Portfolio." Also, see the photos on the Facebook page of <strong>John Tackett Design</strong>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoqfarjwu2Ss3OSFmMalx1pHVGAx2Gpd0ALC42oAhe5DQEUQ74_3qB4xl3UMVrxqV6XyUfTWGybuwanBRQghZ6cfv6ITco9ZNxgYDoScTQvGkJQYT4d0wR1U6VHExMhLPLY68dnYWxjs/s1600/John+J+Tackett_NewHouse_CreoleCottage_Color_edited-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHoqfarjwu2Ss3OSFmMalx1pHVGAx2Gpd0ALC42oAhe5DQEUQ74_3qB4xl3UMVrxqV6XyUfTWGybuwanBRQghZ6cfv6ITco9ZNxgYDoScTQvGkJQYT4d0wR1U6VHExMhLPLY68dnYWxjs/s400/John+J+Tackett_NewHouse_CreoleCottage_Color_edited-1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Tackett's design for a new house in the style of a Creole cottage.</em><br />
<em>Drawing by John J. Tackett.</em></td></tr>
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<br />John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-28747143307371711702015-08-31T19:00:00.000-05:002015-09-02T13:33:46.072-05:00The Theatre at Fontainebleau<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtobS4ssNVGZUtXvTmzyL9OU47SvYtx1GxNqKXm3dbWabpbgLkZwxgeNq91vkKD0w_HmuIPbvdQvq_k6lRMdU0iSc752VFzPYYUzScE3DenyL_x_kIPneLzQOcT6zFLaQtjBpaH5yVxhs/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_InteriorRestored_May2014_DailyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtobS4ssNVGZUtXvTmzyL9OU47SvYtx1GxNqKXm3dbWabpbgLkZwxgeNq91vkKD0w_HmuIPbvdQvq_k6lRMdU0iSc752VFzPYYUzScE3DenyL_x_kIPneLzQOcT6zFLaQtjBpaH5yVxhs/s400/Fontainebleau_theatre_InteriorRestored_May2014_DailyMail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Imperial Theatre at Fontainebleau </em><br />
<em>Chateau </em><em>as restored, May 2014.</em><br />
<em>Photo via Daily Mail.</em></td></tr>
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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. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqzGd8LDsV39FstpwY9MsTMuQlaGGvxLvSGBrX60YiBytB8SJHkJ0Uuw8o4kiRdRjesuuw2sajRq8Pf5N8kTf1ybtf_1kCliWCNWslZS_gwIgeWP5f4c2AaxIGSZUZM3jdUJCTMjt-D4/s1600/Fontainebleau%252C_Court+of+Honor+panoramic_-_July_2011_wiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqzGd8LDsV39FstpwY9MsTMuQlaGGvxLvSGBrX60YiBytB8SJHkJ0Uuw8o4kiRdRjesuuw2sajRq8Pf5N8kTf1ybtf_1kCliWCNWslZS_gwIgeWP5f4c2AaxIGSZUZM3jdUJCTMjt-D4/s400/Fontainebleau%252C_Court+of+Honor+panoramic_-_July_2011_wiki.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Courtyard of Honor, Fontainebleau.</em><br />
<em>Photo via Wikipedia.</em></td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SqmQR99AeSC3uJYQrDBgLLMqQXGbts47P05-EnqLBVqv8AMSt8E7ZDJUvpl1evouOrGwwRs6amK4quULZpPwZaAN4PqewAHGh83S9PN_AG0hyphenhyphenJPWLLpDQcEP7XJuD-4WuD9Yn0nCAC0/s1600/Fontainebleau_Theatre_Napoleon_III_circa1910_wiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SqmQR99AeSC3uJYQrDBgLLMqQXGbts47P05-EnqLBVqv8AMSt8E7ZDJUvpl1evouOrGwwRs6amK4quULZpPwZaAN4PqewAHGh83S9PN_AG0hyphenhyphenJPWLLpDQcEP7XJuD-4WuD9Yn0nCAC0/s400/Fontainebleau_Theatre_Napoleon_III_circa1910_wiki.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A circa 1910 view of the Imperial Theatre, Fontainebleau.</em><br />
<em>Photo via Wikipedia.</em></td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-NOa6F09eC6F3SOPopxGBE8zIaRiQe8yMEBOfarJRyhd9mq2MDqr8xOxlFfIy48WwTm24cUmM5hEzpSPw4ul2e8St1BMQTLW-56d7NxhxSfy_GHiWHxSwtcq-xrLoBz-iQ5b2GRdWmw/s1600/Fontainebleau_FloorPlan_NapoleonIIIEra1862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-NOa6F09eC6F3SOPopxGBE8zIaRiQe8yMEBOfarJRyhd9mq2MDqr8xOxlFfIy48WwTm24cUmM5hEzpSPw4ul2e8St1BMQTLW-56d7NxhxSfy_GHiWHxSwtcq-xrLoBz-iQ5b2GRdWmw/s640/Fontainebleau_FloorPlan_NapoleonIIIEra1862.jpg" width="412" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The chateau during the era of Napoleon III, 1862.</em><br />
<em>The theatre is noted by the "T" towards the lower right.</em><br />
<em>Image from Private Collection.</em></td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5IK8_ZvbOF2nHVHnJc3syCv2sAPZfYh5_QDpHRnOHhtL4l9DfIjm0mEsI-mw1hIjiWK5QRCIioApUbAteh81moy6l-eJ38r_vdLXD1-VKBlyHWJhsP8HBMeNDNR5bP8ITvlqoq5id0w/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_elevDwgs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5IK8_ZvbOF2nHVHnJc3syCv2sAPZfYh5_QDpHRnOHhtL4l9DfIjm0mEsI-mw1hIjiWK5QRCIioApUbAteh81moy6l-eJ38r_vdLXD1-VKBlyHWJhsP8HBMeNDNR5bP8ITvlqoq5id0w/s400/Fontainebleau_theatre_elevDwgs.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Exterior elevation drawings showing the courtyard and</em><br />
<em>garden sides of the wing, indicating the position of the theatre.</em><br />
<em>Image from musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr</em></td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqbZWXtFcFxau3hxA04boR-8ddXVvKoKFcExEUQ9FRzoMSguEHqwEgvjcXl4kJrRmZRQEP1xF8peBsniWzQDOptcSFzVb_S3fZil_bhvqgLqpQ0GX_nZjKlPwgQVNSSCly0vXULBY4nY/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_PreRest.Canape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiqbZWXtFcFxau3hxA04boR-8ddXVvKoKFcExEUQ9FRzoMSguEHqwEgvjcXl4kJrRmZRQEP1xF8peBsniWzQDOptcSFzVb_S3fZil_bhvqgLqpQ0GX_nZjKlPwgQVNSSCly0vXULBY4nY/s400/Fontainebleau_theatre_PreRest.Canape.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The lower level, or </em>parterre <em>prior to</em><br />
<em>restoration.</em><br />
<em>Photo via musee-chateau-ontainebleau.fr</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E_5bZiqDaxfDUhRbAt6GM5-Yde901upPxi-0sf_HchLuXt8zMtpLHqRrdAlV74juV1VG24-eiedujCYDiO3v51AxAlFzFbcaaXiT58H6UCZ32OcXD77B9w0VV3KeU4Ih3vaciP74874/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_PreRestorationCoveredChairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E_5bZiqDaxfDUhRbAt6GM5-Yde901upPxi-0sf_HchLuXt8zMtpLHqRrdAlV74juV1VG24-eiedujCYDiO3v51AxAlFzFbcaaXiT58H6UCZ32OcXD77B9w0VV3KeU4Ih3vaciP74874/s400/Fontainebleau_theatre_PreRestorationCoveredChairs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The unrestored first dress circle of the theatre.</em><br />
<em>Photo via musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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 <em>canapés</em> that provided seating for the <em>parterre</em>. The next level up was the first dress circle that included the imperial box with the second dress circle above that; these had individual <em>fauteuils </em>under the sheeting as did the boxes on the fourth level. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesd3Nhjx7JKvZ4F3LUxTmBp6eO6_TMHrlhRGlu6DTBRB53jofeVO6bvKMSBS1ZXSjwf3gnA2Y7CusH95wQqJgL_4IxJHki-dOjHJts4ZzCFa14XfC2e1U3t9KmlTc_wDtVxy6i9m9-gI/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_PreRestViewToStage.TheDevotedClassicist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesd3Nhjx7JKvZ4F3LUxTmBp6eO6_TMHrlhRGlu6DTBRB53jofeVO6bvKMSBS1ZXSjwf3gnA2Y7CusH95wQqJgL_4IxJHki-dOjHJts4ZzCFa14XfC2e1U3t9KmlTc_wDtVxy6i9m9-gI/s400/Fontainebleau_theatre_PreRestViewToStage.TheDevotedClassicist.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A pre-restoration view of the Imperial Theatre,</em><br />
<em>Fontainebleau, showing one of the stage sets.</em><br />
<em>Photo via musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Fthyphenhyphen_XnAotVhbOJxFDys_FQd2-BrGfPXJcpGlT32YhpLUkTnDaZNz7-lQ3gMfZzmJ9s7Crb7JX1iKZUqiSxupZ0uC891hm939OdyQmvnA2SFvw8gfyWxMqibMZavlrM4v4XSwDMzgyI/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_Machinery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Fthyphenhyphen_XnAotVhbOJxFDys_FQd2-BrGfPXJcpGlT32YhpLUkTnDaZNz7-lQ3gMfZzmJ9s7Crb7JX1iKZUqiSxupZ0uC891hm939OdyQmvnA2SFvw8gfyWxMqibMZavlrM4v4XSwDMzgyI/s400/Fontainebleau_theatre_Machinery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The machinery in the attic to raise and lower</em><br />
<em>the scenery.</em><br />
<em>Photo via musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQpzKGq055rd3AjUCkE1w5zVyz_j700ybs84CeCdaozdpRflWmZmMj8YbK8nGDaD5uwm4ZDyfJcpCaXs59um8WO6qlUecC24iyVjs5KG9Bz-qQXhRpPuHPpX0THZd1kjsB43URSp1tKI/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_SheikhKhalifa_AbuDhabiRuler_right_AFPGettyviaDailyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQpzKGq055rd3AjUCkE1w5zVyz_j700ybs84CeCdaozdpRflWmZmMj8YbK8nGDaD5uwm4ZDyfJcpCaXs59um8WO6qlUecC24iyVjs5KG9Bz-qQXhRpPuHPpX0THZd1kjsB43URSp1tKI/s320/Fontainebleau_theatre_SheikhKhalifa_AbuDhabiRuler_right_AFPGettyviaDailyMail.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The patron of the theatre's restoration,</em><br />
<em>Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right.</em><br />
<em>Photo from Getty Images via Daily Mail.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_Yb2s_RYOkbF7WG3eAx-wu6oRzphH8SHZBATVBkESEOx9JN-d2jxeLcZnbE3at-C45BAQHZbEcTGOL02h3NIST34hxoeaFpnqOMGt6DvtQCDJlIXzMQcuD9iJdv1c4bYmr_eX-bMCug/s1600/Fontainebleau_theatre_BackstageToAudienceRestored_DailyMail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_Yb2s_RYOkbF7WG3eAx-wu6oRzphH8SHZBATVBkESEOx9JN-d2jxeLcZnbE3at-C45BAQHZbEcTGOL02h3NIST34hxoeaFpnqOMGt6DvtQCDJlIXzMQcuD9iJdv1c4bYmr_eX-bMCug/s400/Fontainebleau_theatre_BackstageToAudienceRestored_DailyMail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Imperial Theatre, Fontainebleau.</em><br />
<em>Photo via Daily Mail.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-24209363542219905622015-07-17T12:34:00.000-05:002015-07-17T14:08:37.277-05:00Marie-Antoinette: Chic Chaises<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLv2MugLV4_tT7kOpUtc1G3nENwOqS_Z0sOErlrEILUORfBtFsaZA1NIgB8urYXkZPJk7ME6q-lSCTXXnjiLV5OsolOCu-T6ALshrDoutFzQp64z4DpXEKpFW3lxSzUbptAI6QBVgSWs/s1600/Bel_fauteuil_en_bergere_by_francois_foliot_1780_Christies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLv2MugLV4_tT7kOpUtc1G3nENwOqS_Z0sOErlrEILUORfBtFsaZA1NIgB8urYXkZPJk7ME6q-lSCTXXnjiLV5OsolOCu-T6ALshrDoutFzQp64z4DpXEKpFW3lxSzUbptAI6QBVgSWs/s400/Bel_fauteuil_en_bergere_by_francois_foliot_1780_Christies.jpg" width="353" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A </em>fauteuil en bergere <em>made for</em><br />
<em>Marie-Antoinette's </em>Salon du Rocher<br />
<em>in the garden of the Petit Trianon, Versailles.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A single armchair sold last week for $2,714,250. Yes, it was a very special chair, made especially for Marie-Antoinette as part of a suite to furnish the Belvedere Pavilion, her <em>Salon du Rocher</em> or teahouse, in the garden of the Petit Trianon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMq6hmBY0-pd0qwqK6DZN4QcFHrxsxFPGhbCFS8RQeHfvFEVCFzMyN8JNWB-AVGoDwzKNvXr91w9d-Hw58ZtdaM9e3vJji18jhSQ9qhgQUqVnoitWD4vGEXKBiPC18heIOIpu8CDsjkQM/s1600/bel_ExteiorLakeGrotto_WMF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMq6hmBY0-pd0qwqK6DZN4QcFHrxsxFPGhbCFS8RQeHfvFEVCFzMyN8JNWB-AVGoDwzKNvXr91w9d-Hw58ZtdaM9e3vJji18jhSQ9qhgQUqVnoitWD4vGEXKBiPC18heIOIpu8CDsjkQM/s400/bel_ExteiorLakeGrotto_WMF.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Belvedere Pavilion (and Grotto)</em><br />
<em>in the garden of the Petit Trianon.</em><br />
<em>Image: World Monuments Fund.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVqInuJmE3sdXoTbWkCShPPLbmyaGbNvvFepxsQLrmDIp5oSG97Xk_8ggZESmzFnPnjsZrXB7aMKHVabsByjcHJVnMJpWU3BI80yVx9e2-RlCtZcmon8OLlG0ue_l22WIMOCA9dD78KY/s1600/Bel_Interior_WMF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVqInuJmE3sdXoTbWkCShPPLbmyaGbNvvFepxsQLrmDIp5oSG97Xk_8ggZESmzFnPnjsZrXB7aMKHVabsByjcHJVnMJpWU3BI80yVx9e2-RlCtZcmon8OLlG0ue_l22WIMOCA9dD78KY/s400/Bel_Interior_WMF.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The interior of the Belvedere Pavilion.</em><br />
<em>Image: World Monuments Fund.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The Belvedere Pavilion was built between 1778 and 1781 under the supervision of the queen's architect Richard Mique with interior decoration by Le Riche. (A conservation effort was completed in 2012 supported by the <a href="http://www.wmf.org/project/belvedere-pavilion-versailles">World Monuments Fund).</a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5D_vqq4JNNpSYLUHOd9zuCcfLVcEwaCv11wv2NeXrXmF7xVryZoQasQfHA3PKo-jNj1GHe72womVKBq1A5laVbqIkYQHzS2EZ-geOxvEjavL_K5fsMai6shZg3N8BeJcA3V8pXbS6reU/s1600/Bel_extElev_ArchitecturalWatercolors.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5D_vqq4JNNpSYLUHOd9zuCcfLVcEwaCv11wv2NeXrXmF7xVryZoQasQfHA3PKo-jNj1GHe72womVKBq1A5laVbqIkYQHzS2EZ-geOxvEjavL_K5fsMai6shZg3N8BeJcA3V8pXbS6reU/s400/Bel_extElev_ArchitecturalWatercolors.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Belvedere Pavilion</em><br />
<em>in a modern watercolor by Andrew Zega from</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/2080135619">PLEASURE PAVILIONS AND FOLLIES</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94Hz2KtL1wK2cAdt5JNjlQavl-DQDNg6MwlWTFmpDVKLEzVXV4431okMMZb49mNnKr3j6UdXx_7AIuktzTf9vxNtSIoIOiS6RsSewWk7PVT6C5KZa4CJQnkxV6kWJy4ow_JRPku-Qzfw/s1600/Bel_Plan_1786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94Hz2KtL1wK2cAdt5JNjlQavl-DQDNg6MwlWTFmpDVKLEzVXV4431okMMZb49mNnKr3j6UdXx_7AIuktzTf9vxNtSIoIOiS6RsSewWk7PVT6C5KZa4CJQnkxV6kWJy4ow_JRPku-Qzfw/s400/Bel_Plan_1786.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The floor plan of the Belvedere Pavilion</em><br />
<em>showing the design of the marble floor </em><br />
<em>and the surrounding terrace as drawn by</em><br />
<em>Claude-Louis Châtelet in 1786.</em><br />
<em>Image: Bibliothèque de Modène.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The July 9, 2015 auction at Christie's, London, Sale 10670, was titled "Taste of the Royal Court: Important French Furniture and Works of Art from a Private Collection." Far exceeding the estimate of $463,200 to $772,000, Lot 18 was described as a royal Louis XVI giltwood <em>fauteuil en bergere</em>. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoN-hkyFPrD8bmeJ66n41PmCJZTh6h7z20EcaRmwnlceL_3JhThoYuMVn2LSrtrqUx6rGNaFmC9yARQQFxYwPOooLlEFpe-qynRM6gzudX_ELXyDSzgUGe1Q5I6uL5U0mYi-3AdHeciqA/s1600/Bel_bergere_Side_Christies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoN-hkyFPrD8bmeJ66n41PmCJZTh6h7z20EcaRmwnlceL_3JhThoYuMVn2LSrtrqUx6rGNaFmC9yARQQFxYwPOooLlEFpe-qynRM6gzudX_ELXyDSzgUGe1Q5I6uL5U0mYi-3AdHeciqA/s400/Bel_bergere_Side_Christies.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Side view of the </em>fauteuil en bergere<br />
<em>from the suite made for the Belvedere Pavilion.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfNsW3MWLvmZANKiCGCAF6jkuso4NPrUIqE9e-Uq6GCfHFQkW3_6ZU8sZUnvM6ZkZlbFF3GKY3IoNBq5E_o-aT3VQb6n0bzqPEJOSGQcPINY_QhlXHzApgro-XXw8IvetFnk9JiFS08g/s1600/Bel_bergere_FrontRailLeg_Christies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfNsW3MWLvmZANKiCGCAF6jkuso4NPrUIqE9e-Uq6GCfHFQkW3_6ZU8sZUnvM6ZkZlbFF3GKY3IoNBq5E_o-aT3VQb6n0bzqPEJOSGQcPINY_QhlXHzApgro-XXw8IvetFnk9JiFS08g/s400/Bel_bergere_FrontRailLeg_Christies.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A detail of the chair sold at auction last week</em><br />
<em>that had been made for Marie-Antioinette's</em><br />
<em>Belvedere Pavilion, Versailles.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsM3SdWAkQMwYyJLZAaQonmqTGJ2bNVriyKWtcRCdPGJD-CFtk1hcmCM8UvZhqBy-qre03LFbtvaBWmKn6a_xULLR96NGkrhxJFm9qa3QTDKBGiEjKr1i7Ut3CAW0P34eR2DS9RR_vtZ0/s1600/Bel_bergere_ArmMeetsBack_Christies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsM3SdWAkQMwYyJLZAaQonmqTGJ2bNVriyKWtcRCdPGJD-CFtk1hcmCM8UvZhqBy-qre03LFbtvaBWmKn6a_xULLR96NGkrhxJFm9qa3QTDKBGiEjKr1i7Ut3CAW0P34eR2DS9RR_vtZ0/s400/Bel_bergere_ArmMeetsBack_Christies.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Another detail of the chair made for</em><br />
<em>Marie-Antoinette's Belvedere Pavilion.</em><br />
<em>Image: Christie's.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The auction notes listed Francois (II) Foliot as the maker, 1780-81, and attributed the design to Jacques Gondoin with the carving by either Mme. Pierre-Edme Babel or Toussaint Foliot. A wax model by Gondoin showed an additional two legs at the front rail, suggesting that the existing rail might be a replacement from the end of the 18th or early 19th century.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwGfO6Rdu8c1HL7O_0Vz9va3ai881iYrlFiUOzIo3hN4tRGAMUOlJM7Me2oUJrpVyEbHVvy6vQ13e_Tw6bbDg7pK5hmg89JpH9veQJyCnUVFq9-yvd4bKp09by9MzPBc1eo5pv3mKpJk/s1600/bel_bergere_WaxModel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwGfO6Rdu8c1HL7O_0Vz9va3ai881iYrlFiUOzIo3hN4tRGAMUOlJM7Me2oUJrpVyEbHVvy6vQ13e_Tw6bbDg7pK5hmg89JpH9veQJyCnUVFq9-yvd4bKp09by9MzPBc1eo5pv3mKpJk/s400/bel_bergere_WaxModel.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The wax study model of the chair</em><br />
<em>attributed to Gille-François Martin, to the design</em><br />
<em>of Jacques Gondoin. Paris, 1780. 1:7 scale.</em><br />
<em>Image: Musèe National des Châteaux des Versailles et de Trianon.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Originally, the suite was comprised of eight <em>fauteuils en bergere </em>(closed-arm chairs) and eight <em>chaises </em>(side chairs). The carved beech was painted white, originally, with parcel-gilt detailing. The major expense of the original suite, however, was the fabric, threads of gold and silver embroidered on silk. Bills for payment for the chairs costing 20,000 <em>livres</em>, now in the Archives Nationale, were presented during the Revolution trial as evidence of Marie-Antoinette's lavish spending. (A gallon of wine at the time cost about one livre, a cow, 100 livres, and a horse, 250 livres).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodwad933Eo80Catpo7KQt1dITj5XjJhv708E0R-6Vx43sKezlATh1dSQTU9A6jD6apS0HSGBs-fMT2ECLCSAYOqlziSoOOjAOQzbmIOy-e2iNmN8qcrt_ESaTJd_lTGX0nynC6Q_Orro/s1600/Bel_Chaise_Sidechair_Rear_SNA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodwad933Eo80Catpo7KQt1dITj5XjJhv708E0R-6Vx43sKezlATh1dSQTU9A6jD6apS0HSGBs-fMT2ECLCSAYOqlziSoOOjAOQzbmIOy-e2iNmN8qcrt_ESaTJd_lTGX0nynC6Q_Orro/s400/Bel_Chaise_Sidechair_Rear_SNA.jpg" width="336" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A </em>chaise<em> from the suite, in the collection at Versailles.</em><br />
<em>The modern fabric is interpreted to be in keeping</em><br />
<em>with the original design concept.</em><br />
<em>Image: Syndicat National des Antiquaires.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Getty Museum has four side chairs from this suite in their collection. They were bought from the estate of Anna Thomson Dodge from Christie's in 1971. The four chairs were one of the highlights of her impressive collection that furnished her Trumbauer-designed mansion, "Rose Terrace," in Grosse Point Farms, Michigan.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3dUUqTKxbD5UGxXzcUvyU8LrMv7IopyfXy_6QQCj-ry_v8fT2NP8iwiuIky5cUDpVYZrHMeLoAYBTjsg20SOLwA70ZBOKjJSwTxwgj1qOAKGwoPICkk6UsyF_BPy3BkbNGKBiRRrYlg/s1600/Bel_Chaise_Oblique_GettyCollection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3dUUqTKxbD5UGxXzcUvyU8LrMv7IopyfXy_6QQCj-ry_v8fT2NP8iwiuIky5cUDpVYZrHMeLoAYBTjsg20SOLwA70ZBOKjJSwTxwgj1qOAKGwoPICkk6UsyF_BPy3BkbNGKBiRRrYlg/s400/Bel_Chaise_Oblique_GettyCollection.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>One of the four </em>chaises<em> in the Getty collection</em><br />
<em>now covered in modern fabric.</em><br />
<em>Image: getty.edu</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Who was the buyer? That has not been revealed, but the price would indicate that there were at least two very interested parties. There was a special European Union document that allowed its shipment to the auction in London; apparently it was not from a private collection in France or there would have been issues on exporting such a historically important antique. My guess is that the Getty Museum was the high bidder, but hopefully we shall see this chic chaise on public exhibition in the future.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRwlZl1U9u80vaZy5pzKl4SciDc6L5Y-Aa7rtTK6dSRPRuU26hySxeRNZ6Xwa-EkrwaARsSH4YtaYDhL4YI95h1T5cwWelBfm0jJ3wN0kH8iVmMVax9nminNoTv9hDewt__dYNQW6AgE/s1600/Bel_Illumination_1781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhRwlZl1U9u80vaZy5pzKl4SciDc6L5Y-Aa7rtTK6dSRPRuU26hySxeRNZ6Xwa-EkrwaARsSH4YtaYDhL4YI95h1T5cwWelBfm0jJ3wN0kH8iVmMVax9nminNoTv9hDewt__dYNQW6AgE/s400/Bel_Illumination_1781.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Claude-Louis Châtelet's 1781 painting</em><br />
<em>"</em>Illumination du Pavillon du Belvédère, Petit Trianon."<br />
<em>Image: Collection of the Palace of Versailles.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Read more in this series "Chic Chaises" <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2014/11/bunny-mellon-chic-chaises.html?m=1">here,</a> <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2014/11/frances-elkins-chic-chaises.html?m=1">here,</a> and <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2015//02/valerian-rybar-chic-chaises.html?m=1">here</a>. Visit the regular on-line version of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist</a> to leave a comment or search the archives of past posts.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-3118069824815972552015-06-11T20:12:00.001-05:002015-06-12T10:31:59.388-05:00Parish-Hadley Tree of Life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBcZ35mzT-1qMo_Ytb15ad0UqD8lXi0uGZdCt2CkT9RMStXi7HmQkabazGnUQO3DUdmc8Ahn6wILgbWD6P7qoupbQrnHup8dzXuiNIl_IHKLpQzJkvQEJ8gbuC50094ngR-rTF-WMjWE/s1600/ParishHadley_BookCover_TheDevotedClassicist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBcZ35mzT-1qMo_Ytb15ad0UqD8lXi0uGZdCt2CkT9RMStXi7HmQkabazGnUQO3DUdmc8Ahn6wILgbWD6P7qoupbQrnHup8dzXuiNIl_IHKLpQzJkvQEJ8gbuC50094ngR-rTF-WMjWE/s640/ParishHadley_BookCover_TheDevotedClassicist.jpg" width="521" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE</a><br />
<em>is a new book to be published October, 2015.</em><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is a new book in the works, <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">PARISH-HADLEY TREE OF LIFE: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF THE LEGENDARY DESIGN FIRM,</a> being developed by <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2013/12/brian-j-mccarthys-luminous-interiors.html?">Brian J. McCarthy</a> and <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2013/05/480-park-avenue-before-and-after.html?">Bunny Williams</a> that will focus not only on the firm, but will also feature thirty-one of the former employees who have gone on to successful careers on their own. Because of the unique learning environment created by <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2012/02/sister-parish-at-960-fifth-avenue.html?">Sister Parish</a> and <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2012/04/albert-hadley-remembered.html?">Albert Hadley,</a> the "graduates" of Parish-Hadley are known in the design profession as "alumnae" with their experience compared to an advance degree in design. Each of the 31 alumni interviewed have a chapter in the book giving a personal reflection of the firm with illustrations of their work past and present.<br />
<br />
The Parish-Hadley story is an very unique one; no other interior design firm - ever- has produced so many designers who left to establish their own studio. Brian had the idea for the book about eight years ago. He developed an outline and discussed it with Mr. Hadley (who passed in 2012 following Mrs. Parish's death in 1994) who was very excited about the project. But Brian's own book, <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617690430">LUMINOUS INTERIORS: THE HOUSES OF BRIAN McCARTHY,</a> came first. When Brian told Bunny about his idea when they were both at the Nashville Garden & Antiques Show, she was very enthusiastic and promised her full support. The next week, Bunny was in a meeting at Abrams and happened to mention the idea; the publishers jumped on it, giving the book an immediate green light for <strong>Stewart, Tabori and Chang</strong>, using the same book agent <strong>Jill Cohen, </strong>art director <strong>Doug Turshen</strong> and creative team that both Bunny and Brian had used before on their own books. In addition to the very readable text, the book also promises to be visually interesting. Advances in digital imagery will avoid the muddy results of historic black & white photos that have plagued design books in the past. Plus there are many new color never-before-published images.<br />
<br />
The image used for the book jacket (and that may change) is one of my favorites of the Parish-Hadley projects, the <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2011/07/travellers-albert-hadley-and-sunburst.html?">Living Room of Nancy Pyne</a> in Peapack, New Jersey. Both partners had a hand in the design and the result is quintessential Parish-Hadley -- comfortable yet refined and with an architectural sensibility in the furnishings without being too rigid.<br />
<br />
The title of the book expresses Albert Hadley's appreciation of the traditional motif, the Tree of Life. The mythology of the sacred tree dates back to a number of ancient civilizations including the cultures of pre-Islamic Persia and ancient Egypt as well as other Asian, European, and Native American beliefs. The motif gained wide-spread exposure as a popular design on 17th century printed cotton bedcoverings from India, the <em>palampores</em> which often featured a Tree of Life as a central figure. The Tree of Life motif was also developed in Persia and China in the 18th century with adaptations for the European market where various goods were marketed. Crewel embroidery was also used to represent the motif in England, often a natural color wool yarn on a colored background; a wallpaper representation of this was an Albert Hadley favorite.<br />
<br />
And not insignificantly, there will be a short chapter on <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2010/12/bit-more-about-me.html?">John J. Tackett</a> that Devoted Readers will not want to miss. Plans are for an October 13, 2015, release with Hearst Publications -- <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/B0039L2QLS">Elle Décor,</a> <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/B001THPA44">Veranda</a>, and <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/B001THPA1W">House Beautiful</a> -- hosting a gala launch on that date. So there will be plenty more about the book in the magazines in the coming months. But for those who cannot wait to see the book on store shelves, pre-ordering at a discount price is available <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/1617691704">here.</a>John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-74623713194945766702015-06-10T13:52:00.001-05:002015-06-11T10:41:21.504-05:00Another Storey<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJpt5RHg-T8PgxrFPk0up-b2YqbigLWI6FUlRq0L5Q8Ji2D6VjqhaQnBD5c0jM0LGjzfjzCpA8MwNOQRYrnwq4NCbguaku416Li0HD_6Zue-QyxFuFRJKnV59NRUACkWNXKYRgXncky4/s1600/AnotherStorey_TDC_JohnTackettDesign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJpt5RHg-T8PgxrFPk0up-b2YqbigLWI6FUlRq0L5Q8Ji2D6VjqhaQnBD5c0jM0LGjzfjzCpA8MwNOQRYrnwq4NCbguaku416Li0HD_6Zue-QyxFuFRJKnV59NRUACkWNXKYRgXncky4/s400/AnotherStorey_TDC_JohnTackettDesign.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Tackett Design.</em><br />
<em>A Proposed Addition and Improvements</em><br />
<em>to a New House Under Construction.</em><br />
<em>Image: The Devoted Classicist blog</em></td></tr>
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A colleague has interior design clients building a very large house custom designed by a local architect. In addition to a substantial main block, there are extensions in both directions with almost endless passages to room after room on the Ground Floor. So it was a surprise to be contacted about a possible expansion while the house was just starting construction.<br />
<br />
There was interest in having parents occupy the planned Master Suite on the Ground Floor, requiring the homeowners to relocate to the Second Floor and push the guest rooms to a new Third Floor. The interior designer wisely advised against expansion of the Ground Floor, already a maze many time larger than the main block. The program for <strong>John Tackett Design</strong> was to suggest an upward expansion of the main block without increasing the overall roof height, and propose some detailing to give more architectural interest. The foundation was complete and framing underway but the structural engineer gave approval for the proposed added storey. My quick sketch over a reduced-size print of the original construction drawing is shown.<br />
<br />
A very deep porch is replaced with an entrance terrace (already in place) with a rusticated limestone first floor giving a visual base for applied limestone pilasters and a limestone pediment. Instead of the over-sized brown brick with white mortar originally planned, I suggested a traditional-sized brick in a buff ochre color with matching mortar to compliment the proposed buff Minnesota limestone. The windows were already on order, but I did suggest changing the Upstairs Center Hall window over the front door, and the window of the two-story Secondary Stair Hall seen on the front of the house. Also, my design changes the front door to a narrow pair and alters the sidelights, transom and limestone surround.<br />
<br />
The interior designer who had apparently expressed concerns throughout the original design process was thrilled with my proposal. And the homeowners were ecstatic. But the parents, who were not part of the discussion, balked at the thought of moving in with their adult offspring. "Never!" was their reported comment. So this has been one last view before going into the Unbuilt category in the files.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-31370400595286550522015-05-09T13:11:00.001-05:002015-05-09T13:11:26.196-05:00More Valerian Rybar for Claudette and Murray Candib<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdU1rQEJffZkKntNAMy2AR7wZhj2wMOat7-wNcu-NpfeIO_jyG10KHvO2GtRlH6B29fTrk10ayoeuW0ThLruOBkOZ9JnX3JLHXHeYYPGgYIxaEydxLjjorGW3XVxmgGEJdz5kF_2RxO4/s1600/rybar_candib_LivRm_AD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdU1rQEJffZkKntNAMy2AR7wZhj2wMOat7-wNcu-NpfeIO_jyG10KHvO2GtRlH6B29fTrk10ayoeuW0ThLruOBkOZ9JnX3JLHXHeYYPGgYIxaEydxLjjorGW3XVxmgGEJdz5kF_2RxO4/s400/rybar_candib_LivRm_AD.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Candib's Living Room in Miami Beach</em><br />
<em>decorated by Valerian Rybar.</em><br />
<em>Image: Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another office neighbor's purging of reference files has yielded more images of the Miami Beach house that Valerian Rybar decorated for Claudette and Murray Candib. Looking like a neo-classical villa on the Riviera, the project with partner Jean-Francois Daigre was featured in the April 1987 issue of Architectural Digest. The stylish chairs in the handsome lattice-paneled Dining Room were featured on a previous post of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2015/02/valerian-rybar-chic-chaises.html?m=1">The Devoted Classicist.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz1ca2J88zJ8FKxUbERDMdYYdyMDYGwyVP_OOduYilAshoXiiLr1J4JvkMSe3E3X0Eph71xMMZZS9w4nZx6vBvQ1ZWrlHdMHKnIZ81QOtAFVyLhHFkM2BoCBWuWIkojUgpPl0Fav91G4/s1600/Rybar_Candib_DiningRm_1987_AD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz1ca2J88zJ8FKxUbERDMdYYdyMDYGwyVP_OOduYilAshoXiiLr1J4JvkMSe3E3X0Eph71xMMZZS9w4nZx6vBvQ1ZWrlHdMHKnIZ81QOtAFVyLhHFkM2BoCBWuWIkojUgpPl0Fav91G4/s400/Rybar_Candib_DiningRm_1987_AD.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Candib Dining Room.</em><br />
<em>Image: Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Clearly, Rybar was not big on choosing furnishings from a catalog; he mixed carefully selected antiques with his own custom-designed cabinetry and upholstery. In the Living Room, a central <em>bourne</em> was fabricated with a scagliola top that accommodated table lamps to supplement the light from a pair of crystal and bronze doré chandeliers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdz_WGB3GwPwFbrHHkwZpujSf1PiOTGZ65hNgEWMWc808igVVqLzZxs5_UtDphegolt8J1tWtnGMUv0G03M85O3F4D5vjPqdudG8f7YKFwQ82s4Zb7gkoHNUhA3jm_R2Vn9sWO2p7u3U8/s1600/rybar_candib_loggia_AD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdz_WGB3GwPwFbrHHkwZpujSf1PiOTGZ65hNgEWMWc808igVVqLzZxs5_UtDphegolt8J1tWtnGMUv0G03M85O3F4D5vjPqdudG8f7YKFwQ82s4Zb7gkoHNUhA3jm_R2Vn9sWO2p7u3U8/s400/rybar_candib_loggia_AD.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Loggia in the Candib home.</em><br />
<em>Image: Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Loggia benefits from classic Florida architecture, walls in blocks of coquina stone and a paneled, white-washed wood ceiling (which appears to be cedar or cypress). The modular seating in Ottoman form has stylized paisley upholstery fabric in gray and burgundy, an effect later to be diluted with less-expensive versions but this was not as familiar at the time. The same goes for the pleated shades. And it was not long before knock-off Coromandel screens diminished the value of the antique lacquer panels. But at the time, this room with pots of huge orchids was chic.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZFkxMzoV8fIU8ST5IkapEh22ncaCxyDSBqOJExY_7y1Ijp5krcRlumjqI5czCNK8mq-ebUiagS8ZWCM6-LOTZ1Y-ebbg1FbhLpHe1dlt5Xr1eTd1Ny8yPYAHJTt_cuvPghITgsB1WcA/s1600/rybar_candib_PowderRm_AD_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZFkxMzoV8fIU8ST5IkapEh22ncaCxyDSBqOJExY_7y1Ijp5krcRlumjqI5czCNK8mq-ebUiagS8ZWCM6-LOTZ1Y-ebbg1FbhLpHe1dlt5Xr1eTd1Ny8yPYAHJTt_cuvPghITgsB1WcA/s400/rybar_candib_PowderRm_AD_edited-1.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<br />
"I told Valerian I wanted something very different," Claudette Candib was quoted to say about the Powder Room. Although animal prints are commonplace today, wall panels of jaguar velvet framed with ebonized wood certainly had to be unexpected in Florida. An ebony Empire <em>coiffeuse </em>paired with a sculptural chair of the same period with a black horsehair-covered seat added glamor to the space as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJj6hsBzobSGWT6PvFT-n5xRSew4p7CjI51limCrpcci2laEQJqVu6jDPqFZLFpvcRcY9SjAruQWBA1nftn8iNE0ht1r25qdbbm_XApTCTh3ggZR733_BWM_0hIWr5qE0SQkoxMXhyphenhyphenG4/s1600/rybar_candib_Library_AD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJj6hsBzobSGWT6PvFT-n5xRSew4p7CjI51limCrpcci2laEQJqVu6jDPqFZLFpvcRcY9SjAruQWBA1nftn8iNE0ht1r25qdbbm_XApTCTh3ggZR733_BWM_0hIWr5qE0SQkoxMXhyphenhyphenG4/s400/rybar_candib_Library_AD.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Candib's Library designed by Rybar.</em><br />
<em>Image: Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
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In some terms, the Library was one of the more conventional rooms in the house. Handsomely paneled, an animal-print carpet furthers the black and gold scheme for comfortable upholstered seating, a Louis writing desk, and a lacquered low table probably designed by Rybar.<em> </em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHeToc_Opm5cAkI95KGgeeP0i8_QF2mm6wY2hj1cdx4EJHa8h7wapYapStjONB7_X2piU_EFyZBncs2YXsxFFlSkUFVkGa_mq5txePsVjJuNNskjJvH1auVx4UD8MmBXx0yUTAfvu_AQ/s1600/rybar_candib_BR_Comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHeToc_Opm5cAkI95KGgeeP0i8_QF2mm6wY2hj1cdx4EJHa8h7wapYapStjONB7_X2piU_EFyZBncs2YXsxFFlSkUFVkGa_mq5txePsVjJuNNskjJvH1auVx4UD8MmBXx0yUTAfvu_AQ/s400/rybar_candib_BR_Comp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Candib Master Bedroom by Valerian Rybar.</em><br />
<em>Image: Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
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There was no lack of drama for the decoration of the Master Bedroom, however. Rybar designed a canopy in a variation of a <em>lit à la polonaise </em>with supports as stylized palm trunks. An Ottoman style bench at the end of the bed undoubtedly concealed a pop-up television.<br />
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Self-described as "the world's most expensive decorator," Rybar's published projects were not universally praised although the firm never suffered from a lack of potential clients with the means to have a gasp-inducing interior. The most interesting lesson today, however, might be the design professional's ability to carry through with a theme and leave no aspect of decoration without consideration. The idea of Total Design for interiors has lost appreciation in these past years, but there seems to be interest growing again, no?<br />
John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-66602710492346223072015-04-10T07:58:00.000-05:002015-04-10T07:58:25.808-05:00Mario Buatta, Curtain Master<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmKdU2XvnCFvqbl-x4dKI74bGbatrK1ATG8yKpmyJJAlK-avg3IsSfFjWnmVpIxa1pfgxx8MQFmXjOx6jXAjbiEkMfV6TBTcH8D5Bbs6KBmf5-sby8IGrYMWfTd_oWg3PBzTJ-N9ZLLs/s1600/Buatta_CurtainA_BlairHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmKdU2XvnCFvqbl-x4dKI74bGbatrK1ATG8yKpmyJJAlK-avg3IsSfFjWnmVpIxa1pfgxx8MQFmXjOx6jXAjbiEkMfV6TBTcH8D5Bbs6KBmf5-sby8IGrYMWfTd_oWg3PBzTJ-N9ZLLs/s1600/Buatta_CurtainA_BlairHouse.jpg" height="640" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Curtains in the Dillon Room of Blair House</em><br />
<em>decorated by Mario Buatta. 1988.</em><br />
<em>Photo from Southern Accents.</em></td></tr>
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Granted, there are many other examples that would better prove Mario Buatta's skill in curtain design, but this one illustrates several valuable lessons. While it is admirable that the form of the curtains acknowledges the form of the window (or doorway), it is not critical that the form be absolutely followed. Windows with a rounded head do not necessarily require rounded head curtains. (As with any rule, there are exceptions and I will contradict myself in a future post, but let's stay with this for the moment).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAxqmTMcbOqIM9u5BbKA5C_Jsspj0UeVRpda-kMuixpFfEU1igu0JmaZHdfLPabGDhMyJrbHTjweamI2UOf6k2HpAzb36IBl4gmsjOhC6OgTZqN1RaYw1J1QamvMvIokEiIU_QWfNC-o/s1600/Buatta_CurtainB_BlairHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAxqmTMcbOqIM9u5BbKA5C_Jsspj0UeVRpda-kMuixpFfEU1igu0JmaZHdfLPabGDhMyJrbHTjweamI2UOf6k2HpAzb36IBl4gmsjOhC6OgTZqN1RaYw1J1QamvMvIokEiIU_QWfNC-o/s1600/Buatta_CurtainB_BlairHouse.jpg" height="400" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Dillon Room at Blair House</em><br />
<em>as decorated by Mario Buatta, 1988.</em><br />
<em>Photo from Southern Accents.</em></td></tr>
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Identifying the gilded, pierced element of the valance (or pelmet) as the curtain cornice, note how that feature gives grace to the large opening. The curtain cornice allows the striped silk taffeta fabric of the valance and panels to just simply hang; the volume of the fabric along with lining and interlining as well as the correct dimensions keep the ensemble from looking limp. Although the center of the curtain cornice rises to a height above the cornice (or crown molding) of the room, note that the attachment of this treatment is made to the wall. Curtains should never be attached to the face of the cornice of the room. (And that is one rule for which I can think of no exceptions).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPGXTVrztqQ-F6PRYgfI2bQIjuRVVyMqdO9Z72BpreE9LGAShPu-u1qGyhCbs8xvD1F2wRbAd_X2ZFJu_T3aEQpUmmwMWi9_M1dbuoZfE8a0QawQAnXfzlREOozKSJpj1mbbng_GWFNs/s1600/Buatta_BlairHouse_DillonRoom_MaryENicholsViaAD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPGXTVrztqQ-F6PRYgfI2bQIjuRVVyMqdO9Z72BpreE9LGAShPu-u1qGyhCbs8xvD1F2wRbAd_X2ZFJu_T3aEQpUmmwMWi9_M1dbuoZfE8a0QawQAnXfzlREOozKSJpj1mbbng_GWFNs/s1600/Buatta_BlairHouse_DillonRoom_MaryENicholsViaAD.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Another view of the Dillon Room, Blair House.</em><br />
<em>Photo from Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
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While many might know that Blair House is the official guest house of the President for visiting foreign dignitaries and their entourages, some may not realize that it is actually four houses; two face Pennsylvania Avenue and two face Jackson Square adding up to over 100 rooms. The 1984 to 1988 renovation dealt with architects <strong>John Mesick </strong>and <strong>John Waite</strong> restructuring the interconnection of the interior spaces and other functional issues with an $8.6 million grant from Congress. But an additional $5 million was raised by private donations for the décor by the Blair House Restoration Fund headed by <strong>Selwa "Lucky" Roosevelt</strong> (Chief of Protocol from 1982 to 1989 and wife of Theodore Roosevelt's grandson) and <strong>Clement Conger </strong>(who was the force behind the White House decoration of public rooms from Pat Nixon until Nancy Reagan). Half of those funds was used for decoration and half was reserved for an on-going acquisition and maintenance fund. The responsibilities for the interior design were divided between Mario Buatta and <strong>Mark Hampton</strong>, each among the top "name' decorators of the time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmqQwoADKL6YZZyGDnlKpWxkOo6D18c3z1rVAk3oJuZSEZnzwE2du-GCRcjw2lUU3CmLhwLOqY0B8QyvDukZLhOvW9Y4h867pcMAiB4FYhSOmhwxPy3qDhTJLG7uIAM7JfeQkDAwfQ1I/s1600/Buatta_BlairHouse_QueensBedrm_RedoneBunnyWilliams_WashPost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmqQwoADKL6YZZyGDnlKpWxkOo6D18c3z1rVAk3oJuZSEZnzwE2du-GCRcjw2lUU3CmLhwLOqY0B8QyvDukZLhOvW9Y4h867pcMAiB4FYhSOmhwxPy3qDhTJLG7uIAM7JfeQkDAwfQ1I/s1600/Buatta_BlairHouse_QueensBedrm_RedoneBunnyWilliams_WashPost.jpg" height="282" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>The Queen's Bedroom at Blair House</em><br />
<em>as decorated by Mario Buatta in 1988.</em><br />
<em>Bunny Williams redecorated the room in 2011.</em><br />
<em>Photo via The Washington Post.</em></td></tr>
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In 2011, <strong>Bunny Williams</strong>, one of the top talents today, was brought in to redecorate three bedrooms, two by Mario Buatta and one by Mark Hampton, which had discontinued fabrics that made it not feasible to reproduce the original scheme. The curtains, however, were still in a condition suitable for re-use and sent to be auctioned in September, 2011 by the Potomac Company in Alexandria with proceeds to benefit the restoration fund. The headboards and associated hangings along with the curtains, all in a discontinued Lee Jofa chintz, were given a pre-auction estimate of $400 to $800; the results are not known.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-50413434530464688912015-04-07T11:13:00.001-05:002015-04-07T13:21:39.386-05:00John Saladino, Curtain Master<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLDeN_DTnaxC2VroggDsg3U2pV2ejeVCmE3A6L4izamClUjMOkSh7_hDdiQ4SwuLsY3LvlRABiARdkXk_94W6tUG3YjVrFTHt72ebbk_TBJlBYb2-3MzZi0KsiArDgxS7W4pvsG0YP9Q/s1600/Saladino_CurtainA_Oct1998_HB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLDeN_DTnaxC2VroggDsg3U2pV2ejeVCmE3A6L4izamClUjMOkSh7_hDdiQ4SwuLsY3LvlRABiARdkXk_94W6tUG3YjVrFTHt72ebbk_TBJlBYb2-3MzZi0KsiArDgxS7W4pvsG0YP9Q/s1600/Saladino_CurtainA_Oct1998_HB.jpg" height="640" width="505" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>John Saladino's Kips Bay Showhouse room.</em><br />
<em>Image from HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, October 1988.</em></td></tr>
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Designer of furnishings and interiors, <strong>John Saladino</strong> is known for his Signature Look that mixes continental antiques with seating, tables and lighting of his own design, usually within a handsome architectural setting. But Saladino is not necessarily known for his curtains. Here is an example, however, where Saladino realized that the room absolutely needed some softness at the tall south and west-facing windows of this room and addressed the issue in a simple, classic way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOf1DvaTa1A_IQ99EFaVEhQlaEl_bVxNUezdVPWeG61V3NjZm5dP69Xyj1b3WpfJfId9fe8woZ3FRNPtPVp6l1yTRBMLRIMWs_0kmMTSP1k2ATF1NWWMPblHTSsyQIkCmfjSWTrZq7k_c/s1600/Saladino_CurtainB_Oct1998_HB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOf1DvaTa1A_IQ99EFaVEhQlaEl_bVxNUezdVPWeG61V3NjZm5dP69Xyj1b3WpfJfId9fe8woZ3FRNPtPVp6l1yTRBMLRIMWs_0kmMTSP1k2ATF1NWWMPblHTSsyQIkCmfjSWTrZq7k_c/s1600/Saladino_CurtainB_Oct1998_HB.jpg" height="336" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A corner of Saladino's Kips Bay Showhouse room.</em><br />
<em>Image from HOUSE BEAUTIFUL, October 1988.</em></td></tr>
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This room was in a Park Avenue townhouse that was used as a decorator showhouse several times to benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club providing after-school and enrichment programs for New York City children; I think this particular event dates from 1988. Patrons at the gala opening are allowed to walk into the rooms, but the typical visitor only sees the room from one angle, at the doorway (unless it is a walk-through room) so the space is often furnished to be seen from just one vantage point. But the room has to work during both day and evening opening hours. The existing paneling in this case could not be altered, making any special construction at the windows impossible. Part of the solution here was a bottom-up linen shade that could be adjusted to diffuse the light as well as the view of traffic just below. This allowed the curtain panels of unlined fabric to be fixed, pulled up to one side in the manner of the classical Mediterranean villas that still inspire Saladino. The panels were silk, if I am remembering correctly, with inverted pleats giving a more tailored look, hanging from braided cords of the same color.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BxwozPSm4l5ORFgLoNt9rAXNCbuaYzSYIrK8o9gAU95Nx9mmq5wFoX5sR4Jk2QZ7jkjf93EK97WsV2qCWuZ8iAYewv68cYA94fHpiE_LPtRKFo_oS7wxyiSUnXTUC6LviydaEu9M1wc/s1600/Saladino_CurtainC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BxwozPSm4l5ORFgLoNt9rAXNCbuaYzSYIrK8o9gAU95Nx9mmq5wFoX5sR4Jk2QZ7jkjf93EK97WsV2qCWuZ8iAYewv68cYA94fHpiE_LPtRKFo_oS7wxyiSUnXTUC6LviydaEu9M1wc/s1600/Saladino_CurtainC.jpg" height="358" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Saladino's Kips Bay Showhouse Room.</em><br />
<em>Photo from </em>SHOWCASE OF INTERIOR DESIGN:<br />
EASTERN EDITION, <em>1991, via</em><br />
<a href="http://theartoftheroom.com/2014/05/enduring-saladino-style-vintage-kips-bay/">The Art of the Room</a></td></tr>
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Can you imagine the room without the curtains? It would not be nearly as successful without this relatively simple element. Read more about this room in a post of <a href="http://theartoftheroom.com/2014/05/enduring-saladino-style-vintage-kips-bay/">The Art of the Room</a>. This is the third post in the not-necessarily-consecutive series on curtains with the others being able to be seen by clicking on "curtains" under LABELS in the right-hand margin of the regular web version of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/2010/12/bit-more-about-me.html?m=1">The Devoted Classicist.</a><br />
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<br />John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-46356085116693916382015-04-02T13:59:00.001-05:002015-04-02T13:59:45.354-05:00Robert Couturier, Curtain Master<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqhGocvcP7zlp8X_8I2rtIaslz2ZfNjEkQpqcXTI50t4dsOBJahyphenhyphenOaW4akHnNjvTr49GvN5PTfTed2vqMoVngNg-ksK_pNvtGQScnR0DM5IDQivNiFdvIyUNypw_zNuPfGlaBtbOH-_M/s1600/Couturier_CurtainB_sept1990_HG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqhGocvcP7zlp8X_8I2rtIaslz2ZfNjEkQpqcXTI50t4dsOBJahyphenhyphenOaW4akHnNjvTr49GvN5PTfTed2vqMoVngNg-ksK_pNvtGQScnR0DM5IDQivNiFdvIyUNypw_zNuPfGlaBtbOH-_M/s1600/Couturier_CurtainB_sept1990_HG.jpg" height="322" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Designer Robert Couturier's Living Room</em><br />
<em>from House & Garden, September 1990.</em></td></tr>
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In Robert Couturier's Living Room in his own NYC apartment, the curtains play a large part of the success of the room. Filled with a mix of stylish continental antiques from the 18th, 19th, and 20th-centuries, an Aubusson rug grounds the arrangement. Three tiers of white, hinged bi-fold, louvered shutters provide light control and privacy in the bay window that would otherwise dominate the room if the eye had not been stopped by the billowing effect of the curtains. Panels of taffeta hang by tabs of the same fabric from a steel rod accented with brass finials, support posts, and large tie-back rosettes.<br />
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Imagine the same room without the curtains to realize the importance of that feature. Although it is not the type of room usually seen in magazines today, it still has validity after 25 years. More posts in the Curtain Master series will follow with a series of un-consecutive series of posts by <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist.</a>John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-17305138709279088762015-03-29T19:01:00.001-05:002015-03-29T19:01:38.903-05:00Kevin McNamara, Curtain Master<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVXLZO86yNF83wChjmN17LSr8Vgo5BpsyuqVB9qDIblDCIx_SE_vTQisF9l0V2nJPAlgL4tsenYmahWh_-Jr9h3hMDSuIov1trVBFSSuAfF8P9y8fVYK-BOe1PnuaVXmlYVBUj52AYeo/s1600/McNamara_CurtainA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVXLZO86yNF83wChjmN17LSr8Vgo5BpsyuqVB9qDIblDCIx_SE_vTQisF9l0V2nJPAlgL4tsenYmahWh_-Jr9h3hMDSuIov1trVBFSSuAfF8P9y8fVYK-BOe1PnuaVXmlYVBUj52AYeo/s1600/McNamara_CurtainA.jpg" height="640" width="499" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A view of the East Hampton Living Room</em><br />
<em>of designer Kevin McNamara.</em></td></tr>
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The Devoted Classicist is still hearing far too many people -- including professional interior designers -- say that they do not do curtains. Actually, they say they don't do "drapes" which is like nails on a chalkboard to me, but that is another subject. This is the first of a non-consecutive series of posts to show how curtains can really add to the appeal of a room.<br />
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Although I have a great appreciation for elaborate curtains -- if the rest of the room is up to it -- I do understand those whose memory is tainted with visions of poorly proportioned, tortured, and sometimes smothering window treatments that are so objectionable that nothing at the windows would be better. But relatively simple curtains, even in formal atmospheres can be a welcome and much needed dressing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGGkE92vWMKezgJU2n_WmB-69vdia-3jNJXm_W_GqVaugm6A1tms7EvWPyiYoJNUge6n-gjpuWxeRocX3b5xjbK3eUsfTRNUBPgoeoclwr2vcb1x04bmFUYHBihwJt3aqxxinGpa_Pi4/s1600/McNamara_CurtainsB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLGGkE92vWMKezgJU2n_WmB-69vdia-3jNJXm_W_GqVaugm6A1tms7EvWPyiYoJNUge6n-gjpuWxeRocX3b5xjbK3eUsfTRNUBPgoeoclwr2vcb1x04bmFUYHBihwJt3aqxxinGpa_Pi4/s1600/McNamara_CurtainsB.jpg" height="640" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Another view of the curtains</em><br />
<em>in Kevin McNamara's East Hampton</em><br />
<em>Living Room.</em><br />
<em>Both photos from Architectural Digest.</em></td></tr>
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These photos show the Living Room of the late Kevin McNamara's weekend house in East Hampton. I visited twice, once while it was under construction and another time after it was complete and handsomely furnished when I still worked at Parish-Hadley. So this decor dates back about 30 years. (These two shots come from an article in Architectural Digest, torn out for the Curtain File of a colleague. But I have the entire issue packed away and will show more in a future post).<br />
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I hope you can imagine how different this room would look without curtains. As I recall, the long walls of the room each had three pairs of tall French doors opening out to a terrace on both the entrance and garden side of the capital 'I' (with serif) shaped house. (I might have preferred shorter doors with a transom to give the desired overall height, but that, too, is a subject for another post). Color/value also plays a role. How different the room would be if the curtains matched the green glazed walls. Here, the French doors remain an important feature of the room, but they are visually softened somewhat by the creamy curtains. The site is wooded and private, so there may have never been a need to draw the curtains, eliminating the need for supplemental treatments or more complicated hardware. And I hope you can see the simple gilt fillet at the top of the wall, giving definition to the perimeter of the room, an interesting detail given the curtain poles mounted almost to the cornice.<br />
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Kevin, who passed away in 2005, had started his career at McMillen and then at Parish-Hadley before founding his own firm so he was well-versed in how to create proper curtains. Later in his career, he and his life partner founded Christopher Norman Inc., a to-the-trade source which was at the forefront of having French and Italian-style silk woven in the Far East at more affordable prices, making silk curtains, etc., more popular to a wider market. More about Kevin McNamara will appear in future posts of <a href="http://tdclassicist.blogspot.com/">The Devoted Classicist.</a>John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4390485471778959088.post-71589337310409954132015-03-27T11:27:00.000-05:002015-03-27T11:27:54.300-05:00Florence de Dampierre<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fT8Jy_zrAyGY8juQqPDVNEWVMEd31tigl350L5gTzYOZTCZKf7zdyTHqERnGOpMBGsPPwptnGePc26n_wbMaAuPPY06puLRWZsd1DZb9ImDR4MhkFWqliOlvdFjlaxmk5y25-8KzXEM/s1600/Dampierre_PaintedSecretaire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fT8Jy_zrAyGY8juQqPDVNEWVMEd31tigl350L5gTzYOZTCZKf7zdyTHqERnGOpMBGsPPwptnGePc26n_wbMaAuPPY06puLRWZsd1DZb9ImDR4MhkFWqliOlvdFjlaxmk5y25-8KzXEM/s1600/Dampierre_PaintedSecretaire.jpg" height="400" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A painted </em>secrétaire à abattant <em>from</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0847808041">THE BEST OF PAINTED FURNITURE</a></td></tr>
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The first U.S. shop devoted entirely to eighteenth and nineteenth-century painted furniture, Florence de Dampierre Antiques, opened in New York City in 1985. Immediately, it was a great success, drawing popular decorators and A-List clients to the SoHo shop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOVsrcaqZ56j9h42dio4ZD0ZQNzBQhPStjAxHyYaboyRDggrxOStMSjifNXjik_ebu0AC8u6p_1NSVo8pMzvc7wrswelnFujn_bhxTauhN0MKuZu87tR5ZQHkEKfGyQ_-Lc28lxzBdQg/s1600/Dampierre_Florence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOVsrcaqZ56j9h42dio4ZD0ZQNzBQhPStjAxHyYaboyRDggrxOStMSjifNXjik_ebu0AC8u6p_1NSVo8pMzvc7wrswelnFujn_bhxTauhN0MKuZu87tR5ZQHkEKfGyQ_-Lc28lxzBdQg/s1600/Dampierre_Florence.jpg" height="200" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Florence de Dampierre</em></td></tr>
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In addition to being a dealer in the loveliest antique furniture, Florence de Dampierre has designed limited edition reproductions and has written five successful books.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECmgL-WTJAOTj9XtO5yWaGhq_QwqMHgfzRtVtJiqglyucHEPAij3Ka0onwrxeKIVIeiNZzPBzTVfVbcCgZga0KhajfXBlpVIitYLQ1_3DAogea83NnaHLkXEDMyMY0eWXSRNkrnsOpkg/s1600/Dampierre_Books.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECmgL-WTJAOTj9XtO5yWaGhq_QwqMHgfzRtVtJiqglyucHEPAij3Ka0onwrxeKIVIeiNZzPBzTVfVbcCgZga0KhajfXBlpVIitYLQ1_3DAogea83NnaHLkXEDMyMY0eWXSRNkrnsOpkg/s1600/Dampierre_Books.png" height="86" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Books by Florence de Dampierre.</em><br />
<em>Image from <a href="http://www.florencedammpierre.com/">www.florencedammpierre.com</a></em></td></tr>
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<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0847835944">WALLS: THE BEST OF DECORATIVE TREATMENTS</a> is especially noteworthy as it features a University Park/Dallas renovation project by John Tackett Design.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ScWGkpy8oQOYzSgFZT6o6MVOeZj99VA6FekdrpCrXaU5CP4-AYjcOZ5cESeSePbcpeBdU6D_eDFqGCuyuUeoWJnIciEtOxeAnwP_IaDYZB0UJzM1pIelYV7giT0nkdN0K7Z4lAs27RE/s1600/Dampierre_JohnTackettDesign_GardenRoom.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ScWGkpy8oQOYzSgFZT6o6MVOeZj99VA6FekdrpCrXaU5CP4-AYjcOZ5cESeSePbcpeBdU6D_eDFqGCuyuUeoWJnIciEtOxeAnwP_IaDYZB0UJzM1pIelYV7giT0nkdN0K7Z4lAs27RE/s1600/Dampierre_JohnTackettDesign_GardenRoom.png" height="640" width="473" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>A John Tackett Design project featured in</em><br />
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/thedevoclas-20/detail/0847835944">WALLS: THE BEST OF DECORATIVE TREATMENTS</a></td></tr>
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Florence de Dampierre will present a talk using images from her books as well as her own interior design projects as a guest of <a href="http://www.decorativeartstrust.com/">Decorative Arts Trust</a>, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Saturday March 28, 2015, 10:30 am in the museum auditorium. The public is invited and the event is free with museum admission.John J. Tacketthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138329330942154191noreply@blogger.com10