Tea at Trianon: Inside Petit Trianon

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Inside Petit Trianon

Paris Atelier has some marvelous photos of the interior of Petit Trianon, showing the detailed craftsmanship, as well as glimpses into Marie-Antoinette's boudoir and private rooms at the main palace.

Here are some details of the Queen's curtains at Versailles, as described in Trianon:

Anonymous said...: Beautiful fabrics!! Silk brocade? I wonder if these are as old as Trianon, or if they are reproductions? If it's the original, they have really kept their color, which is astonishing.; February 1, 2009 at 2:26:00 PM EST
elena maria vidal said...: I am pretty sure that most of the fabrics are reproductions, but as close as possible to the originals. Versailles has gone through several stages of restoration over the last century. Most of the original furnishings were destroyed, scattered or allowed to fall into disrepair. The efforts to restore the palace to its splendor have been meticulous.; February 1, 2009 at 2:40:00 PM EST
Alexandra said...: I love that white infused with that gray - very French. I am so drawn to these colors along with the French blues. The simplicity of the that white room is so beautiful! It's much warmer than the Swedish whites.; February 1, 2009 at 11:36:00 PM EST
lara77 said...: The Queen had such exquisite taste; the refinement is so evident in the decor and the sheer beauty of the drapery. One only has to remember how the idiots of the republic were quick to sell off the treasures of Versailles. Now, the French Government pays through the nose to try and buy back the scattered masterpieces of the monarchy. How the circle turns!; February 2, 2009 at 8:10:00 AM EST
Enbrethiliel said...: +JMJ+

Well, I wouldn't mind doing a Scarlett O'Hara and making myself some gowns out of those drapes! =D; February 2, 2009 at 9:09:00 AM EST
Ninon said...: Beautiful!!! I want to move in there... :D; February 2, 2009 at 3:44:00 PM EST