The furniture of the Governor of the Invalides in 1849: A Balzacian furnishing?
Type de matériel :
15
In December 1848, Jérôme, the last surviving brother of Napoleon I, was appointed Governor of the Invalides by the future Napoleon III. Accompanying his installation, the Garde-Meuble made him furnishings worthy of his new post and his glorious military past. Numerous pieces of furniture and objects were then taken out of storage or from the Tuileries Palace to complete this refurbishment, often including illustrious items. As the Invalides did not suffer the fires of the Commune, much of the furniture used can still be found in French collections, whether in the Mobilier National, the Hôtel des Invalides or in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Analysis shows a mixture of works from all periods, ranging from Louis XVI to Louis-Philippe, with certain objects belonging to the neo-Renaissance or the neo-Boulle. Among the most important works are a lacquer chest of drawers in the Louis XVI games room at Compiègne, or the guéridon of Joséphine’s boudoir at Saint-Cloud, as well as several neo-Louis XV or neo-Louis XVI pieces from the Orléans Apartments at the Tuileries.
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