Marie Antoinette's

Portrait of the Comtesse de Beaufort (or is it?)

2021-02-16T22:38:00.003-05:00

Louis Michel van Loo, Portrait of the Comtesse de Beaufort. 1760, oil on canvas. The Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College.

"This beautiful idealized portrait has been long known as La Comtesse de Beaufort, though her identity needs to be further investigated." (Old Masters, n.d.) I love this portrait, especially how color reflects off the white satin bodice. It almost looks like the blue sky in a mirror. Look closely at some of the colorful gemstones (detail below).

The Interrupted Sleep, 1750

2020-09-22T11:30:00.007-04:00

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How to frame a Boucher! "The Interrupted Sleep" 1750, oil on canvas

A post shared by Lauren (@mariegossip) on Oct 11, 2012 at 11:01am PDT

Boucher's The Interrupted Sleep caught my eye while passing through the museum...

Happy Fall! Carving the pumpkin

2020-09-15T21:22:00.001-04:00

Bail, Franck-Antoine, Cutting the Pumpkin. 1910, oil on canvas. Private Collection. Bridgeman Education.

Happy Fall!

I have spent the past two days looking through the thick white haze that has reached New York from the west coast wildfires. Our environment weighs heavy in my thoughts as often as the struggles of my neighbors who are dealing with the effects of the pandemic. I hope you and your families find yourselves in good health this fall, with fresh air to breathe and a large orange well-shaped pumpkin to carve. Turn off the lights and enjoy peaceful evenings with the windows open and soft yellow serene candlelight. 🕯️🎃🌙

Sending warmest wishes for the start of autumn from my new place!
Lauren

Which style gown do you prefer?

2019-09-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

I have run this poll twice now, 2015 and 2016. Each year the results were close...will this year be the same? The poll is now open! Which style gown do you prefer?

The Robe à l'Anglaise or the Robe à la Française?

Both styles were worn between the years of 1720 and 1780. The robe à l'anglaise developed with a fitted back after the style of dress worn in England. The sacque-back of the robe à la Française is reinterpreted from the seventeenth–century gown to incorporate two expansive pleats from the neckline at back.

Marie Antoinette's Boudoir at Fontainebleau

2019-07-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

Jules-Marc-Antoine Frappaz, Marie Antoinette's Boudoir. 1876, oil on canvas. Musée national du Château de Fontainebleau.

Then and now pictures of Marie Antoinette's Boudoir at Fontainebleau! Drawings are from 1876 and the photographs are from the 21st century. Is it to your taste?

Seven Charges made against Marie Antoinette

2019-07-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Many people use Yahoo Questions and sometimes some pretty funny ones will pop up during searches. I stumbled on my amazingly relevant Yahoo Question of the Day recently, "What was the deal with Marie Antoinette?"

So the asking party really was wondering if she was executed, which I think we all here can safely answer 'yes.' But what were the grounds for her execution? Let's take a look at her trial....

Versailles: a Bedroom of style

2019-07-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Photo tour!

The Queen's bedroom at Versailles saw its fair share of lady occupants. The style of the furnishings rotated with the fashions, which were kept up for the ladies, naturally. They could update the decor and commission works for the rooms as they wished. Today it is left as it was when Marie Antoinette occupied the room. The Guard room is the only room that is in its 17th-century state. This room was occupied by the Queen's guard (twelve body guards).

Marie Antoinette's Shoes

2019-06-26T11:53:00.001-04:00

I have found four pairs of shoes that Marie Antoinette owned and one fabulous pair she didn't own!

The Dining room from Kirtlington Park

2018-11-08T14:42:00.000-05:00

Dining room from Kirtlington Park, Oxfordshire, 1742–48 Designed by John Sanderson (English, active from 1730, died 1774) Wood, plaster, and marble H. 20 ft. (6.09 m), L. 36 ft. (10.97 m), W. 24 ft. (7.32 m) Fletcher Fund, 1931 (32.53.1). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

One of my favorite period rooms at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the Dining room from Kirtlington Park, Oxfordshire. This room was designed mid-18th century, and walking through is really a transporting experience. The details in the panels, stucco, and chimney-piece are beautiful. The lighting and decoration are thoughtfully done. The wooden floors are original, and believed to be from trees from the owner's estate!

It's a Royal Wedding Weekend!

2018-05-18T08:34:00.001-04:00

As we gear up for a Royal Wedding, I thought it would be a great time to take a look at all the fun festivities at royal weddings in 18th century France!

PS- Feel free to go into princess / prince-mode this week!

18th Century Royal Wedding Ceremony: Marie Antoinette

2018-05-17T09:59:00.001-04:00

I found this excellent account of the wedding ceremony between Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste. This is not about the festivities, which were no doubt fun, but the actual ceremony that took place.

Marie Antoinette and Louis: Wedding Festivities

2018-05-14T12:45:00.000-04:00

"The fireworks were less beautiful than had been hoped because the smoke obscured the general effect: but the illuminations, as well as the spectacle of the ball were of the greatest and most superb magnificence."

Mdm. du Deffand to M. Walpole

Younghusband, Helen Augusta Magniac. 1912. Marie-Antoinette: her early youth (1770-1774). London: Macmillan. 54.

The Pleasures of the Seasons, Snowed In

2018-01-06T11:02:00.000-05:00

Johann Georg Platzer, Winter [The Pleasures of the Seasons]. Early/mid 18th Century, oil on copper. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

What do you do on a snow day?

The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Dressmaking Spotlight + Book Giveaway!

2017-11-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

Not long after I started blogging here I came across Lauren Stowell's blog on historical costuming. A long time follower, I was delighted to learn that Lauren, teamed up with Abby Cox, has recently published a book on 18th-century dressmaking. Let's dive into the book and see what it is all about!

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher; all opinions are my own, of course. Read on for a chance to win a signed copy of the new book!

18th Century Mothers Know Best: Where to Find True Happiness

2017-11-16T10:10:00.000-05:00

Another bit of advice from Marie Antoinette's mom!

18th Century Fashion Rules: Colors and Cuts

2017-09-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun, Comtesse Marie Dubarry. 1789, oil on canvas. Musée St.-Didie.

A Letter from Marie Antoinette to her mother, Maria Theresa dated June 13, 1776....

Marie Antoinette visits the Louvre

2017-04-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Anonymous, Portrait of Marie Antoinette. Miniature, cloth. Musée du Louvre.

How do you browse an art gallery? Here is a little account of Marie Antoinette visiting the Louvre....

A Description of Paris in the 18th Century

2017-02-22T13:54:00.001-05:00

A description of Paris between the years 1787-1789. An Englishman visits Paris and this is what he had to say...

How to frame a painting by François Boucher

2016-09-21T16:41:00.000-04:00

A photo posted by Lauren (@mariegossip) on May 29, 2016 at 9:26am PDT

Boucher's The Interrupted Sleep caught my eye while passing through the museum...

How Tall Was Marie Antoinette?

2016-07-18T10:30:00.000-04:00

Joseph Ducreux After French, 1735-1802, Marie Antoinette as a Young Girl. Dates not recorded, oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

How tall was Marie Antoinette?

Jean-Honoré Fragonard's Mythological Figures

2016-05-31T10:05:00.000-04:00

Fragonard, The Goddess Minerva. c. 1772. The Detroit Institute of Arts.

Here is a selection of mythological and fictional figures that Fragonard painted. Working throughout the 18th century, Fragonard studied with François Boucher, Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Charles-André van Loo and Charles-Joseph Natoire. He was and is known for his genre paintings.

Before he studied art, Fragonard was an apprentice to a notary in Paris. One account suggests his parents noticed his artistic inclinations and prompted him to seek a different apprenticeship while another says he was fired from his desk job because he doodled too often!

The secret history of Marie Antoinette's perfumer

2016-04-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Louis XVI, de trois quarts à gauche, Marie-Antoinette, le second Dauphin et Madame Elisabeth, de profil à gauche, bustes conjugués, émergeant de nuages : [estampe]

"You who so love flowers, I offer you this bouquet."

The destruction at Poitiers Cathedral

2016-02-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Poitiers Cathedral, 1840s.

A first hand account of damage done at Poitiers Cathedral in the 18th century.

Marie Antoinette's Secret Letters, Illegitimate Children, and DNA Testing

2016-01-12T14:24:00.003-05:00

Vigee-Lebrun, Elisabeth-Louise. Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and her children. 1787 Oil on canvas. Versailles.

Widely discussed, researched, and studied over a 200 year period, Marie Antoinette's story is fascinating and sad: victims of a violent revolution, all the family but her daughter died as a result. Now, author Evelyn Farr is bringing to light evidence that two of the queen's children were actually fathered by Count Axel von Fersen and not King Louis XVI.

Norma Shearer as Marie Antoinette and Tyrone Power as Count Axel von Fersen in Marie Antoinette

"Based on her research, Farr says she has compelling evidence that Marie-Antoinette's son Louis Charles and daughter Princess Sophie – both of whom were thought to be the children of Louis XVI – were in fact fathered by Fersen. "¹

Having recently finished watching Making a Murderer on Netflix my first reaction to this story was - "What about the DNA testing!?"

Giveaway Winner Announced For the Jane Austen's Emma is oh-so pretty Giveaway

2015-12-17T22:11:00.001-05:00

The Jane Austen's Emma is oh-so Pretty! Book Giveaway has ended and we have a winner! The lucky winner drawn at random is...