Ladies Please Take a Seat

I remember my first visit to the Louvre, my travel mates and I all split up and went our different ways. I passed through the Napoleon apartments and other period rooms and hurried on to make sure I could see all my portraits and favorite artists. Around noon I decided that I would make my way back to the decorative art section. Like stepping into a good movie or well written book, (when you do not need to use your imagination) I found the atmosphere instantly overwhelming. There really is too much for the eyes, a total I-Max theatre experience. Maybe Only for a drooling historian of space. This is the reason I am delighted with museums a la Frick. In any case, most likely unbeknownst to my companions, unless I blurted it out, I - in that one day- I visited the apartments and decorative arts section 3 times. *looks away and holds up fan*

So a sucker for the mundane world of objects d'art here we have our first post on, Chairs. Please don't run away now! It gets interesting! Let me try anyway....

When I refer 18th century French furniture I will be discussing 6 main styles which do overlap each other and have funny dates. They are Régence, Louis XV, Transition, Louis XVI, Directoire and Empire.

When the 18th century began, fashionable homes and palaces were filled with chairs that were high backed and very throne-like. They were heavy, stocky and were usually lined up against walls, enhancing their appearance as a solid piece of the room.

Furniture styles changed in accordance to changes in fashion, believe it or not. Look at womens dress for exaple. A lady who has both wit and taste arrives to the party dressed in the latest court gown, complete with those sexy new paniers. Not only does she look great, super slim and very classy, she is wearing the cutest new little blue shoes to match. The walk from her sedan chair to the party has exhausted her and her little feet are not too happy either. So she goes to sit in the first chair available, convienctly near a particualrly handsome duke. But oh no! the decor of the room is outdated! The chairs have arms which extend forward above the front legs of the chairs! She can't sit and the duke gets up and leaves and our poor lady is left standing on moaning feet and without charming company. The old style just would not do! In fact a diarist had noted, "the act of sitting down pushes the whale bones out in such a manner that armchairs have had to be specially made to accommodate them." 1728

How were the chairs changed when fashion demanded? Well to start, the arms of the chair had to go! Well not totally... Typically they followed the frame of the chair and extended to above the front legs. But paniers ladies! That just would not do. Instead the arms were shortened so that they did not extend as far as the front legs. Another demand was comfort and so the legs of the chair were shortened as well as the backs. Much more low key, yet fashionable and classy. Curves were in. The short curving arms of the chair and low back made it very comfy for men and ladies to rest their shoulders on, and most importantly, they would not mess up their hair!!!!

If that is not proof of fashion altering furniture, then I do not know what is! Are you kinda, possibly, slightly interested in reading more? I am not going to overwhelm you with details just yet, but if you are willing to wait for them, I have done my job! More to come in the future. Til then please lounge in your favorite chair patiently!

Birthday Give Away

My lovely assistant has helped me by drawing the name of a lucky commenter out of a fabulous recreation of an 18th century hat. So if the lucky Katie T would kindly contact me at MarieAntoinetteGossip@gmail.com, you will receive your Birthday Give Away prizeee!! Hurrah!
So congrats Katie T on the first Gossip Guide Give Away!

Who Even Uses a Sedan Chair??? .... Everyone!

"The sedan chair was one of the coquettish luxuries of the day, and these afforded an unusually fine surface for decoration. Fortunate indeed are those who can find one now."

Vic at Jane Austins World has written a wonderful post on the sedan chair called Sedan Chairs: An Efficient Mode of Transportation in Georgian London & Bath. It is full of interesting facts and fun quotes - did I mention great images? Focusing on the use of the chairs in England, her post is not to be missed! But honestly, who was using Sedan chairs in ye olde France??

Everyone! And why wouldn't you? You hire two good looking men to tote you around town, from one pub to the next and you never get the underside of your gown dusty!

The sedan chair was used in France until the revolution, and even after (it was used more in the smaller towns after). A certain Duchess of Nemours was noted for taking a 12 day journey in her sedan chair, with a troop of forty carriers, and a howler. First of all, she needed the 40 carriers, and they would rotate carrying her chair. If that doesn't cause the attention grabbing scene you are after then believe me, you do not want to go anywhere in your sedan chair without a howler, or aboyeur. He is the boy (chose a cute one if you so desire) that runs ahead of your troop and shouts out, "make room for madame la marquise" or whatever other line you want him to say. The only way to make an entrance into any small town/village!


Little Po , a.k.a. the duchesse de Polignac, knew how to use the sedan chair in a most fashionable way.You remember this style right? Little Po took a victory of the French Navy to a new level. She had a mast with sails built right onto a sedan chair...imagine something like this... She proudly got in it and was paraded through Paris, in celebration of course!


I saw in a fiction book about Marie Antoinette, that one winter day she was riding in a Sedan Chair. It was a chair built for two, and Louis was along with her. He however did not ride alongside her in the chair, but walked next to her keeping pace with the chairmen. Perhaps alluding that he was too heavy for the chair!


Even Louis XV had fun in his sedan chairs. When he attended certain parties thrown by the, "tradesmen, milleners, and semptresses," of Versailles he would arrive in black domino. (ooo mysterious man in black, who could THAT be?) But more fun than that- he would come in a sedan chair, only wheel barrel style! ...en brouette. He would arrive with two wheels on the chair, just rolling along! Don't worry though, he made sure to have 15 or 20 of his men arrive to the party before him so that there was no lack of quality company along the tradesmen... oh that Louis...


Be sure to check out the post at Jane Austin's World!

Marie Antoinette's Birthday

Today is the day, 2 November 1755, that lovely Marie Antoinette was born. She was the youngest girl of 14. When Maria Theresa went into labor she was working, and had to put her work down for a bit while Antoinette was born! The birth was so easy it reminds me of the unnatural manner Scarlett O'Hara had her children (way too easy!)

In celebration, Joy has arranged a party via the Internet! Participants are posting things they have created inspired by Marie Antoinette and the 18th century. A full list of links to these delightful items can be found here. There are participants from all over the world!!!



So here are my items! Small tins for holding your jewelry, trinkets and diamonds. All inspired by some 18th century gossip girls. There are six tins, two feature Marie Antoinette, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, Elizabeth Farren, Duchesse de Polignac, and Bess Foster. They are decorated with little jewel, ribbon and pearl details.

I am going to give away my Marie Antoinette tin with the blue ribbons and flowers (Top image). I suppose it is a la Trianon style! So... if you want to participate in this Birthday Give-Away, leave a comment on this Birthday post and your name will be drawn by my assistant (you might know her) and the lucky winner will win the tin! Aren't birthday's fun??

If you have not participated in Joy's Birthday Celebration but have made something fabulous inspired by the 18th century please share it with all of us!!

Well enjoy your Sunday!


*** Entries for the Birthday Give Away have been gathered now. The winner will be announced November 4th! Thanks!!