André-Charles Boulle Exhibition at the Château de Chantilly (Oise, Hauts-de-France Region, France) ✨
From June 8 to October 6, 2024 , the famous Château du Duc d'Aumale is hosting an absolutely exceptional exhibition (I'm back, dazzled...🤩) dedicated to André Charles Boulle , one of the greatest French cabinetmakers of all time. If not the greatest...
A master of cabinetmaking!
André Charles Boulle (1642-1732) went down in history (and even gave his name to a famous art school...) for his creations in metal and tortoiseshell marquetry, often decorated with gilded bronze appliques.
He worked for over 50 years for the Bâtiments du roi (Louis XIV) creating pieces (notably offices) for the royal family and by extension for the French high nobility. His dazzling works are synonymous with the opulence and excellence of French art under the reign of the Sun King.
The exhibition. Sublime!
Because it brings together some of Boulle 's most emblematic (and impressive...) creations, commissioned by illustrious figures of his time such as King Louis XIV or the Grand Dauphin. And of course the Prince of Condé who was one of the most famous residents of the Château.
Among the exhibits are flat desks, chests of drawers, cabinets (some very beautiful clocks) and other furniture. Symbols of elegance and power.
It is beautiful, impressive, and even didactic: a (very interesting) part of the exhibition tells in a fairly simple way (it wasn't...) Boulle 's marquetry technique (which he did not invent in the strict sense, but perfected and popularized) consisting of superimposing (I am simplifying...) plates of different materials, generally tortoiseshell and copper (or brass), then cutting them out, thus creating complex and elegant patterns, often inspired by nature and arabesques.
An unforgettable visit!
The exhibition therefore offers a truly unique opportunity to discover, through Boulle's work, impressive in its finesse, elegance and technical perfection, the evolution of the forms and decorations of French furniture at the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century.
Superb and unforgettable, I come back with some (modest) inspirations for my upcoming cushion collections 🌈
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