Tea at Trianon: Young Elizabeth Taylor

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

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Young Elizabeth Taylor

From Town and Country:

Elizabeth Taylor was known for captivating audiences with her sultry on-screen persona, violet eyes, and tumultuous relationships, but what was the legendary actress like at home? See inside her childhood house, meet her adorable pets, and check out some of the luxe places she lived during her eight marriages. With her incredible fashion sense, it's only natural that her taste in home decor was just as elegant. These photos will give you a sense of how the star lived when the cameras weren't rolling.

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Art was a big part of Liz's life, since her father was an art dealer. When they moved to California, he opened a gallery—which is also where she was first discovered. Her homes were always filled with elaborate paintings and she collected pieces from Van Gogh, Pissarro, Degas, Renoir, and Gris. (Read more.)