Smoke Screen

The frame of a Louis XVI style fire screen.

If you were a nobleman in the 17 th, 18 th, 19 th and up to to the 20 th century at least, and you had a fireplace, you had to have a fire screen. Made of wood and fabric, sometimes intricately decorated and set in front of the hearth, the fire screen was supposed to protect the room and its occupants against projections from the fire or intensive heat. Even when a fire was not burning, the screen, if it was large enough, could offer protection against draughts coming from the chimney shaft. The only thing screens couldn't offer you protection from in Versailles was smoke, for the palace's flues are said to have been particularly inefficient at evacuating it. 

But maybe more importantly, in the houses of the aristocracy during the Ancien Regime, the fire screen was an indispensable element of decor, and its colour and fabric were often to match those of the room's furniture. 

The screen delivered today for the Duchess's Grand Cabinet is in a very elegant Louis XVI style, and in perfect harmony of colour and style with the armchairs. (What are the armchairs in harmony with is another question!) Also note how the curves of the screen subtly echo those of the mirror frame above the fireplace.

Armchairs and matching Fire Screen in front of the fireplace in the Duchess's Grand Cabinet.

Well Kept Secrets

When watching photos of one of the last posts on this blog, I have been disturbed by one empty space along a wall of the Golden Cabinet (Duchess's Apartments). On the picture above, you can see that the panel on the right side of the mirror is cut to lead way to an other room. So, of course, nothing should stand there in the way. But on the opposite side, underneath the two paintings, you definitely had space for something. After some thinking and wondering, I came to the conclusion that a small secrétaire à abattant, (or fall front desk) would be ideal to fill the space. There is another door on the secrétaire's left, so the piece of furniture had to have a small enough depth not to be an obstacle when entering and exiting the room.

The fall front desk I found, in pure Louis XVI style, has got the ideal size. It is made of mahogany wood, has got a marble top and displays some gilded bronze elements, perfectly matching the furniture already in place. It is a welcome detail in the room's decoration but not meant to be the center of attention (this role will be played by a large Riesener commode, now still in our workshops, that will furnish the back wall, where the transparent screen now stands).

If you think you might not be allowed to see the real thing in Versailles (the Golden Cabinet is a private room of the Duchess, accessible by invitation only), here are at last some close up pictures of the secrétaire.

         

   

         

   


         A small Louis XVI Fall Front Desk in the Duchess's Golden Cabinet.

More Armchairs

We were writing in the last post about the name given to armchairs meant to be placed along a wall and essentially kept there with no other purpose than contributing to the decor of a room. Such armchairs are called fauteuils meublants. You may see in the picture above (taken today in the Duchesse's Golden Cabinet) how such seats may be arranged on either side of a fireplace for instance.

For really seating, two other identical armchairs have been delivered. Those will be used as fauteuils courants, or armchairs positioned in the centre of the room and more freely moved around according to needs. To complete the furniture, two matching bergères will be delivered soon.

An armchair in the Duchess's Golden Cabinet, of the same model as those furnishing the Grand Cabinet, but in gold and off-white tones.

A less formal arrangement of armchairs, set around a table for tea or conversation. 

Three armchairs in the Duchess's Golden Cabinet.

Armchairs

An armchair from a pair delivered for the Duchess's Grand Cabinet.

This type of Louis XVI armchair is said to be à la reine, which means it has a straight back. An armchair with a curved back is said to be en cabriolet. 

Armchairs meant to be moved freely around a room, like this pair, are called fauteuils courants. On the other hand, armchairs placed against a wall and staying pretty much at the same place all the time are called fauteuils meublants (furniture armchairs).

Have A Seat!

It has been months, or even years since we had in mind to build chairs to refurnish the palace. At last, a prototype of a Louis XVI style armchair has been built. This prototype won't be painted, varnished or finished further and will serve as a template from which to build (hopefully), many more such chairs... So, stay tuned, we hope to show you some completed models in the near future!

A Louis XVI style armchair (only the bare frame of it) made today in our workshop. The armchair is made of 20 different elements.