Notable Homes: Bernard Boutet de Monvel at 11 passage de la Visitation

"Autoportrait Place Vendome" 1932.
Lot 25, Sale PF1639.
Image via Sotheby's.

Those who admire small but chic homes are familiar with La Folie Monvel, the Palm Beach pavilion that was the result of the collaboration of artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel and architect Maurice Fatio.  (If not, see here, and about his Moulin de Launoy here.).  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.


The Paris residence of Bernard Boutet de Monvel.
Image via Sotheby's.

The early 19th century hotel particulier in the heart of the Faubourg Saint Germain was bought by Bernard Boutet de Monvel in 1924.  He called on his friend Louis Süe, the artist-architect-decorator co-founder of Compagnie des arts francais, 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 Art Deco.


The staircase in the Boutet de Monvel residence
at 11 passage de la Visitation, Paris.
Image via Sotheby's.

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 here.


The Entrance Hall of the Boutet de Monvel residence.
Image via Sotheby's.

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 verre églomisé dates from circa 1830.



A writing table by Jean-Michel Frank.
Image via Sotheby's.

An ebonized writing table with an inset leather top, Lot 75, is branded and numbered by Jean-Michel Frank as "made in France JMFrank, Chanaux and co" 19086,



The Dining Room of the
Boutet de Monvel residence, Paris.
Photo AD France via Sotheby's.

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.


Bernard de Monvel's drawing of the dining room
"Salle a manger de hotel particulier de l'artiste"
for Harper's Bazaar, 1927.
Image via Sotheby's

The Murano glass chandelier, circa 1920, was grouped with a Venetian wall light as Lot 82.


Dining chairs designed by Boutet de Monvel.
Image via Sotheby's.

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).


The Grand Salon in the Boutet de Monvel
residence, Paris.
Image via Sotheby's.

With its black lacquer papier maché 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.


A black silk sofa, circa 1920 to 1925.
Image via Sotheby's.

A standout among the furnishings of the Grand Salon is a grand canapé, 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.


A view of the Library that appeared in
Plaisir de France, May 1951.
Image via Sotheby's.

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.


One of a pair of painted allegorical panels, Lot 109.
Image via Sotheby's.

The other panel, shown above the fireplace in the view of the Library, represented the painter, showing his palette, ruler, T-square, and compass. 



The 19th century mantel clock in the Library, Lot 107.
Image via Sotheby's.

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.


The Boudoir in 1927.
Image via Sotheby's.

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.


Chairs and table in the Boudoir,
Lots 120 and 121.
Image via Sotheby's.

The vintage view of the Boudoir shows part of the set of four black lacquered fauteuils from the Directoire period, late 19th century, and a birds eye maple and ebonized wood guéridon from the Charles X period, circa 1830.



A view of the sitting room of daughter Sylvie
from Plasir de France, May 1951.
Image via Sotheby's.



The center table, Lot 145.
Image via Sotheby's.

One of the most charming of the antiques is the ebonized and mahogany guéridon with stylized alligators emerging from cattails, Italian, circa 1830; the marble top may be a replacement.


The chandelier, Lot 146,
the oil lamps, Lot 147,
and the folding screen, Lot 148.
Image via Sotheby's.

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 papier peint folding screen of four panels dates from about 1850 and depicts muses of a classical temple in an exotic tropical setting.


The rear of the house in 1927.
Image via Sotheby's.

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.



The studio of Bernard Boutet de Monvel
on the top floor of his Paris home.
Image via Sotheby's.

Read more about Bernard Boutet de Monvel and his residence at 11 passage de la Visitation on the Little Augury blog.  Here, there are some additional vintage views of the interior which show some variations in the furniture arrangements.


The cover of the new book by Stéphane-Jacques Addade
expected to be published in September, 2016.
Image: The Devoted Classicist Library

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 here.

Stavros Niarchos at Chanaleilles

The entrance hall of Chanaleilles
created by Emilio Terry.
Photo via Architectural Digest.
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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 Pamela Churchill (later Harriman) and Princess Firyal of Jordan (see previous post here) 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 The Devoted Classicist.

Vintage view of the entrance from the
rue de Chanaleilles by René-Jacques.
Photo: via culture.gouv.fr

The hôtel particulier, 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 folie 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.


The entrance to Chanaleilles.
Photo by Jerome Zerbe.
LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

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 galerie with an exceptional parquet floor and installed a notable Pompeian style bathroom.

A view of the west garden of Chanaleilles
with the enclosed colonnade on the right.
(Treillage covers an adjacent building)
Photo by Jerome Zerbe
LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

After years of being closed, Stavros Niarchos bought the house in 1956 and brought in the Cuban-born architect/decorator Emilio Terry for architectural improvements and modern conveniences and Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen for interior design. 

The east garden of Chanaleilles before
restoration by Niarchos.
Image: culture.gouv.fr

A mid-20th century view of Chanaleilles
before purchase by Niarchos.
Image:culture.gouv.fr

The east garden after the excavation.
Photo by Jerome Zerbe.
LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

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.

A current view of Hôtel Chanaleilles
showing the main house surrounded on three sides by gardens
and the auxiliary building at the sidewalk.
Source: MapQuest.

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.


The galerie of Chanaleilles
Photo: Bagues

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.

Stavros Niarchos in the red salon of Chanaleilles
Photo: Life magazine, March 28, 1969,

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 bureau plat 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.

The boudoir at Chanaleilles.
Photo: Jerome Zerbe
LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

White and gold boiserie from the Parr palace in Vienna (where Marie Antoinette was betrothed) decorate a boudoir with a Renoir.


A salon at Chanaleilles
with Règence period lacquer panels.
Photo: Bagues

The largest salon was created by extensive rebuilding by Emilio Terry in able to accommodate some Régence lacquer panels set into the boiserie.  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.

The principal dining room at Chanaleilles.
Photo by Jerome Zerbe.
LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

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.

The Puyforcat gilt-silver at Chanaleilles.
Image: "Connaissance Des Arts" Novembre 1960

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.

Emilio Terry's display gallery
for the classical collection at Chanaleilles.
Photo by Jerome Zerbe
LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

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. 

The Pompeian bathroom at Chanalleilles.
Photo by Jerome Zerbe
LES PAVILLONS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

Madame Tallien's bathroom with Pompeian style mosaics and a classical bathtub carved from a block of granite was restored.

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.

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 The Devoted Classicist Library.

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 JANSEN by James Archer Abbott.

Hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency, Paris

The principal elevation of the mansion known as the
hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image:  private collection.

The previous post of The Devoted Classicist was a presentation of the last Paris apartment of the late Beatriz Patino, a pied-a-terre overlooking Parc Monceau.  Mention was made of the previous residences that she and her husband Antenor, the oldest son of the Bolivian "Tin King," shared in Paris.  Their previous mansion on the rue d'Andigné became the Iraqi Embassy.  The hotel particuleur on the stylish avenue Foch is believed to now be residence of the ambassador to France from the United Arab Emirates (according to Parisian public records).


The hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency
at 34 avenue Foch, Paris.
Image:  Wikipedia.

A few years ago, the house, also known as Palais Montmorency, was offered for sale by Christie's International Realty for Euro 100 million (about U.S.$136 million).  The listing has since been removed from the Christie's site, but it had been mentioned on most of the real estate blogs as the second most expensive residential property in the world for sale at the time.  Some photos can still be seen on the blog, Homes of the Rich. 


The secondary elevation of the hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency
along rue Le Sueur.
Image:  private collection.

There were only a few photos still available to view despite the highly publicized real estate offering.  But a great cache of images came just minutes after an inquiry to one of my Devoted Readers, T.B., and I am happy to share these now.


The Ground Floor Plan
of the hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image:  private collection.

Completed in 1900 to plans by architect Henri Paul Nénot, these early twentieth-century houses are not as appreciated today as their surviving eighteenth-century counterparts.  But there is a lot to be said of these scholarly Louis XVI Revival residences.  (See the earlier post on the Camondo, now a decorative arts museum).  Although over one hundred years old, there is still a validity in the formal reception spaces for functions today, and the classical proportions of the architecture and logical layout of the floor plans make such a house suitable for adaptation for modern use.


The convenient porte-cochere is
labeled descente a couvert on the plan.
Image:  Christie's International Realty.

The architect Nénot worked for various architects in Paris including Charles Garnier before opening his own practice.  Although he is best known for his design for the new Sorbonne, he was also the architect of a number of well-regarded public buildings and residences.


The ground floor Vestibule of the former home of
Beatriz and Antenor Patino, hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image:  private collection.

The concept behind avenue Foch was conceived by Baron Haussmann during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III to connect Place de l'Étoile (the junction of avenues in star form at the Arc de Triomphe now called the Place Charles de Gaulle) with the Bois de Boulogne, a new public park.  Jean-Charles Alphand enlarged upon the original design to make the avenue 120 meters wide, the widest in Paris.  Lined with chestnut trees and flanked with sidewalks and horse paths, there were ornamental lawns and flower beds, creating an extension of the Bois de Boulogne which Alphand also designed, along with Parc Monceau and the other Napoleon III parks.


The plan of the principal floor,
known as the first floor in France.
Image:  private collection.

When it opened in 1854, it was named avenue de l'Impératrice after Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.  After the reign ended, the name changed in 1870 to avenue du Général-Uhrich and in 1875, to avenue du Bois de Boulogne.  In 1929, the name was changed again to avenue Foch, after the Marechal Ferdinand Foch, a World War I hero who died that year.  During the Nazi Occupation, the Gestapo and the counter-intelligence branch of the SS commandeered some of the mansions for office use.  But the name avenue Foch in the twentieth-century was generally synonymous with great wealth style, and culture.


The Stair Hall of the hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image:  private collection.

Ferdinand Blumenthal was the first owner of the house with his wife Cecilia, of the socially prominent New York City Ulman family.  Blumenthal had come to the U.S. from his native Frankfurt-am-Main around 1875 to establish a New York City office of his family business, F. Blumenthal & Co., leather merchants.  He retired early and maintained his home at 19 Spruce Street in NYC as well as his showplace at 34 avenue du Bois de Boulogne. 


The Gallery of the hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image: private collection.

Famous as a collector of art and antiques, the Paris mansion was filled with paintings of the Barbizon School, including a number by Carot.  Blumenthal was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor for his contributions to French art.  He died in 1914 aboard a steamship from Naples to New York City, leaving Cecilia a widow at age 51. 


One of several salons at the hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image:  private collection.

Three years after her husband's death, Cecilia Blumenthal married Louis, 2nd Duc de Montmorency, aged 48.  The wagging tongues of Paris then referred to her as the "Duchess of Montmorenthal."  Today, three Corots and one Delacroix from the Blumenthal collection are now in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.


The ceiling of the Dining Room of the hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency
was reputedly painted by Henri Rousseau.
Image:  Christie's International Realty.

Beatriz and Antenor Patino were great collectors of art and antiques as well, with this hotel particuleur undoubtedly being a splendid base in Paris for their opulent lifestyle.  The Patinos were often referred to as major donors to the restoration of the Palace of Versailles.  A 1986 article in the New York Times at the time of Mme Patino's selling a number antiques in preparation for the move to the relatively small apartment presented in the previous post stated, "A room at Versailles is furnished with seven of their finest pieces - a pair of armchairs, a pair of corner cabinets, a commode, a chaise and an armoire."


The Second Floor Plan of the
hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image: private collection.

The Third Floor of the
hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.
Image: private collection.

Thanks again to T.B. for the rare, vintage images of hotel Blumenthal-Montmorency.