Archive for May 27th, 2020

May 27, 2020

Vaux le Vicomte, Chambre des Muses!

And why not tell you of another wonderful room we love in the wonderfully gorgeous castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte in the village of Maincy, Seine et Marne dept 77 of the Ïle de France region of my belle France! I have written several posts on this wonderful castle but as usual feel need to expand a bit on the details. Therefore, here is a bit more on the chambre des muses or bedroom of Nicolas Fouquet!

The first floor (2nd US)  is that of the Fouquet family. Mr. and Mrs. each have their apartment. You can see the superintendent’s bedroom is the only one in the chateau to have retained its original decor, including a magnificent Gobelins tapestry. The castle once had 150 tapestries and Le Brun had created a workshop in the village near Maincy which, after Fouquet’s arrest, moved to Paris and became the Gobelins factory (manufacture des Gobelins). This is where he slept last before been taken by D’Artagnan to Nantes on orders of Louis XIV. The tapestries here are very rich and many were confiscated by Louis XIV until 1787. The five still in his room done at Gobelins for the Count of Toulouse son of Louis XIV with the arms attach of his wife Marie de Noailles at the angles. On top of the chimney you see another tapestry l’Amour pour qu’il demeure toujours auprés d’elle (love to always stay with her), with the traces of Marie-Madeleine de Castile that Nicolas Fouquet married in second marriage in 1651.

The Chambre des Muses was the bedroom of Nicolas Fouquet; it owes its name to the 9 Muses which animate the admirable ceiling imagined by Charles Le Brun whose central work is an oil on 4 x 4 meters octagonal canvas, Le Triomphe de La Fidélité, echoing the fidelity of Nicolas Fouquet to Louis XIV during the Fronde uprisings. We discover Clio, Muse of History and Fame, in the company of Prudence and Loyalty, and at the corner of the arches, the other eight muses, two by two: Euterpe, Music; Calliope, Epic Poetry; Terpsichore, Dance; Melpomene, the Tragedy; Thalie, the Comedy; Erato, Lyric Poetry; Polymnia, Painting; Urania, and Astronomy. On each side of the chairs, a pair of dressers called “Mazarines” by Boulle. On these chests of drawers, two 17C Chinese sandstone hawks with gilt bronze mount from the 18C. On the ceiling you have an Apollo with the lighs of the world and around the above description of the muses.

Maincy

Nicolas Fouquet’s bed room has the particularity of having an alcove with a raised platform which was to accommodate the superintendent’s bed but which remained unfinished. This platform served as a stage for Molière as a theater on July 12, 1661 for the representation of the L’École des maris, (school of husbands), before members of the royal family,  guests of Fouquet. On the ceiling of this alcove is the second oil on oval canvas by Le Brun: La Nuit, where you see the divinity Diane gracefully unfolding her bluish veils, which will also be restored. The very refined decor of the ceiling of the Triumph of Faithfulness symbolically combines science and the arts. Here you are at the dawn of the first Versaillese style, inspired by Italian mannerism. Traumatized by an old transposition of the original canvas, this large painting is in a poor state of conservation requiring urgent intervention. All the windows have been covered by glass and lead as was done to windows in the 18C.

You too can participate in helping keeping this beauty for all of us. As said, I am friends of the Castle for many years and one of the first castle ever visited in France since the dept Seine et Marne is the birth place of my dear late wife Martine. And we love these monuments/castles.

The Les Amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte association has 2,500 members. For thirty years, it has been working to find, all over the world, pieces of furniture, works of art, documents that belonged to Vaux or relate to its history. Among the treasures now on display at the chateau, a portrait of Madame Fouquet by Le Brun, letters to D’Artagnan on the detention of the superintendent at Pinerolo, an extremely rare manuscript by La Fontaine. And, the eighth tapestry from the Barberini collection, found in the United States. Today 2 M € are disbursed annually for the maintenance of Vaux-le-Vicomte. More on this association in French here: Friends of Vaux le Vicomte

Some webpages to help you plan your trip here as usual by me are

The official webpage of Vaux le VicomteCastle of Vaux le Vicomte

Tourist office of the area Melun val de Seine on Vaux le Vicomte in English: Tourist office of Melun Val de Seine on Vaux le Vicomte

The tourist office of the Ïle de France region on Vaux le Vicomte in English: TOurist office region of Ile de France on Vaux le Vicomte

And there you go another wonderful gorgeous room in magnificent Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, not far from Paris but not in Paris or a thing to do in Paris. This is an all together wonderful chic adventure I recommend to all visitors to France. Hope you enjoy it.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

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May 27, 2020

Vaux le Vicomte, Salon d’Hercules!

And why not staying here in beautiful beyond description Vaux le Vicomte at Maincy, dept 77 of Seine et Marne and in the Ïle de France region. One of our sentimental favorites and we know it well. Let me tell you a bit more on the Salon d’Hercules.

Located to the right of the Grand Salon (see post), you find the impertinent rodent in the Salon d’Hercules on a recently restored carpet it stands out prominently, covering the snake, emblem of its rival Colbert. The Salon d’Hercules, the anteroom of Fouquet’s apartment, is adorned with a painted ceiling of a scene representing a Hercules greeted in the Olympus by Jupiter, Diane, and Junon. The medallions and panels adorning the arch represent the twelve works of Hercules by Le Brun. In the center of the anteroom, stands the bronze model of the equestrian statue of Louis XIV that Girardon made in 1699 for the Place Vendôme in Paris, and which was destroyed during the French revolution. This model rests on the wooden base carved by Slodz, a pupil of Girardon at the gallery of sculptures in the Louvre museum!

Maincy

Above the chimney see the painting of Louis XV by Van Loo around a portrait of François de Neufville, marshal of Villeroy young guardian of Louis XV until 1722 of which will followed in the same functions the Duke de Charost grandson of Nicolas Fouquet, Louis-Philppe d’Orléans (lieutenant general of the French armies and father of Philippe Egaliteé that voted the death of cousin Louis XVI and grandfather of Louis Philippe,king of the French ). You see facing the windows portrait of Princess Palatine second wife of Monsieur (Philippe de France) the brother of Louis XIV. here you find an interesting fellow, portrait of battles of François Henri de Montmorency-Bouteville, duke and marshal of Luxembourg. He was orphan of his father ordered beheaded by Richelieu, but nevertheless a great warrior soldier winner of many battles including during the war of Augsbourg, where he took the flags of the enemy and sent them to decorate the nave of Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, giving him the name of the tapestry master of Notre Dame!

Another impressive room you must see, well all see it, is a must when visiting the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte. There are some webpages to help you plan your trip here as my usual information.

The official webpage of Vaux le VicomteCastle of Vaux le Vicomte

Tourist office of the area Melun val de Seine on Vaux le Vicomte in English: Tourist office of Melun Val de Seine on Vaux le Vicomte

The tourist office of the Ïle de France region on Vaux le Vicomte in English: TOurist office region of Ile de France on Vaux le Vicomte

A bit of extra information but I think is needed to be told.

The Les Amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte association has 2,500 members. For thirty years, it has been working to find, all over the world, pieces of furniture, works of art, documents that belonged to Vaux or relate to its history. Among the treasures now on display at the chateau, a portrait of Madame Fouquet by Le Brun, letters to D’Artagnan on the detention of the superintendent at Pinerolo, an extremely rare manuscript by La Fontaine. And, the eighth tapestry from the Barberini collection, found in the United States. Today 2 M € are disbursed annually for the maintenance of Vaux-le-Vicomte. The official webpage is here in French: Friends of Vaux le Vicomte association

And there you go another wonderful castle monument and gorgeous room to be dream on while visiting my belle France. Hope you enjoy the details and feel free to ask for more that I might have missed as usual in rushing these things. Vaux-le-Vicomte is waiting for you.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

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May 27, 2020

Vaux le Vicomte Grand Salon!

Now lets get you back to my backyard. It disturb me that many link the castle with things to do in Paris!! when in fact this castle belongs to the Seine et Marne dept 77 dear to me and in the village of Maincy not far from Melun. Ok so enough for my rant; I have written several posts on it but as usual need to come back for the details.

I like to tell you a big more on the Grand Salon of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte. 

The Grand Salon is found after crossing the vestibule, located under the dome. It is oval; an innovation for the time, which preferred the galleries. The idea is directly inspired by the Italian Baroque. The decoration planned by Le Brun is not finished, Fouquet having been arrested before. But the Vogüé family, current owner of the premises, do not despair of achieving it one day, because they have the drawings, signed by Le Brun. Le Brun had planned a vault ; the first for a private building – famous on the theme of Palace of the Sun. This was not finished and the plans are in the Louvre museum today. At its place, the previous owner Mr Sommier put 12 busts in marbre of famous personages like emperors and Romans Italian works of the 17C coming from the collection of the Prince Napoleon. However, there are 4 busts high up in the columns around the north and south doors that have never left Vaux-le-Vicomte since 1661.

Maincy

This is where Nicolas Fouquet gave the party with guess king Louis XIV on a room or salon 18 meters long by 18 meters wide was still unfinished. As it is done by Le Vau is an oval perimeter mark by 16 arches and 16 doric columns high to the windows in the first floor (2nd US). Here it is represented in arcades beautiful cariads representing the 12 signs of the zodiac and the four seasons, with below decorations of flowers, fruits and animals.

It is an impressive room and one of the highlights of the visit by many visitors. I must add I am Friends of the castle  (les amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte) for many years and help out voluntarily and financially for its upkeep.

The Les Amis de Vaux-le-Vicomte association has 2,500 members. For thirty years, it has been working to find, all over the world, pieces of furniture, works of art, documents that belonged to Vaux or relate to its history. Among the treasures now on display at the chateau, a portrait of Madame Fouquet by Le Brun, letters to D’Artagnan on the detention of the superintendent at Pinerolo, an extremely rare manuscript by La Fontaine. And, the eighth tapestry from the Barberini collection, found in the United States. Today 2 M € are disbursed annually for the maintenance of Vaux-le-Vicomte.

The official webpage of Vaux le VicomteCastle of Vaux le Vicomte

Tourist office of the area Melun val de Seine on Vaux le Vicomte in English: Tourist office of Melun Val de Seine on Vaux le Vicomte

The tourist office of the Ïle de France region on Vaux le Vicomte in English: TOurist office region of Ile de France on Vaux le Vicomte

This is dear castle of mine and very much a must to visit while in my belle France. Hope you enjoy as we do and you too can help maintained it as beautiful as you see it by donating to the Amis de Vaux le Vicomte webpage here: Friends of Vaux le Vicomte association

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

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