Celebrate Bastille Day with Luxurious French Art
In honor of the French Revolution, we look at the extravagance of French monarchs through the ages
Garniture of Three Vases (vases des âges), 1781, shape designed by Jacques-François Deparis, at least one vase modeled by the répareur Etienne-Henry Bono, reserves painted by Antoine Caton, gilded by Etienne-Henri Le Guay, enamel jeweling by Philippe Parpette, after engravings by Jean-Baptiste Tilliard, after designs by Charles Monnet, Sèvres Manufactory. Soft-paste porcelain, beau bleu ground color, polychrome enamel decoration, enamel imitating jewels, gilding, and gold foil. Getty Museum
Louis XVI purchased a garniture of five vases (of which Getty owns three) for his library at Versailles due to the set’s depiction of The Adventures of Telemachus, one of the king’s favorite books.
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Joyeux quatorze juillet! That’s “Happy July 14” in French.
On this date in 1789, a crowd of Parisians stormed the Bastille, a medieval fortress-turned-prison in the center of the city that served as a symbol of the monarchy’s unchecked power. This event kicked off the French Revolution and today is celebrated as la fête nationale (or Bastille Day, for English speakers).
Prise de la Bastille, le 14 Juillet 1789 (Capturing the Bastille, July 14, 1789), about 1793, Charles Thevenin. Etching on cream laid paper. Art Institute of Chicago
French rulers, like most rulers, loved luxury—whether for themselves, their families, their loyal courtiers…or their mistresses. And eventually, this love of expensive, beautiful objects (while 98 percent of the country struggled) got them into trouble. So, in the spirit of rising up to overthrow an out-of-touch government, we’ve gathered eight objects from the Getty Museum collection that showcase the opulence of French rulers through the ages.
If you’re eager to know more about French art and culture, you’ll love If Objects Could Talk, our podcast for art lovers of all ages. Season 2, which launches in September, focuses on objects drawn from Getty’s sculpture and decorative arts collection, including many made in France. If you simply can’t wait until fall, check out season one, featuring twelve ancient objects!
Now, without further ado…here is some royally impressive French art!
Louis XII of France Kneeling in Prayer, Accompanied by Saints Michael, Charlemagne, Louis, and Denis (1498/1499)
Louis XII of France Kneeling in Prayer, Accompanied by Saints Michael, Charlemagne, Louis, and Denis, 1498/1499, Jean Bourdichon. Tempera and gold. Getty Museum
Not only is this page from Louis XII’s book of hours (a daily prayer book) beautifully ornate, it also establishes the king’s powerful lineage. He kneels in his post-coronation parade armor, surrounded by four of the most important saints in France: Michael, the patron saint of the royal chivalric order; Charlemagne, the saint French kings claimed descendance from; Louis, the king’s namesake; and Denis, the patron saint of the French royal household.
Hercules Pendant (about 1540)
Hercules Pendant, about 1540, French. Gold, enamel (white, blue, and black) and a baroque pearl. Getty Museum
You can’t talk about luxury without jewels! Hercules raising the pillars at Cadiz was not a popular scene at the time this pendant was made, but King François I adored the theme. With its odd subject and form, curators suspect this jewel was commissioned for a male royal. Why this story? The implication was that the wearer reflected Hercules’s strength and courage—a clear choice for a king!
Writing Table (about 1670–75)
Writing Table, about 1670–75, French. Oak veneered with ivory, blue-painted horn, ebony, rosewood, and amaranth, with drawer of walnut; gilt-bronze moldings; brass; iron; modern velvet. Getty Museum
Kings didn’t just treat themselves to fancy things. This writing table was likely used by Madame de Montespan, Louis XIV’s mistress. The blue-and-white marquetry was meant to imitate Chinese porcelain. In fact, Madame de Montespan’s house on the grounds of Versailles was entirely decorated with tiles and furniture in that same color scheme.
Pair of Girandoles (about 1680–1700)
Pair of Girandoles, about 1680–1700, French. Gilt bronze, rock crystal, and glass. Getty Museum
What do you do when your candles are too fancy for candelabra? You get girandoles, of course! Girandoles use hanging crystals to intensify the light from candles—though it’s hard to imagine the resulting luxurious image was accidental. The fleur-de-lis, a three-petaled emblem signifying French royalty, at the top of each example indicates a member of the French royal family may have commissioned the pair.
Compound Microscope and Case (about 1751)
Compound Microscope and Case, about 1751, micrometric stage invented by Michel-Ferdinand d’Albert d’Ailly, 5th duke of Chaulnes, gilt-bronze mounts attributed to Jacques Caffieri. Gilt bronze, enamel, shagreen, and glass; wood, tooled leather, brass, velvet, silver galon, and various natural specimens. Getty Museum
Some aristocrats strove for more than just a life of luxury, however, and pursued scientific inquiry as well. They would store their tools and specimens in a cabinet de curiosités. This microscope utilizes the latest technology of the time with its ocular micrometer. It was also very fashionable, made with Rococo swirls, gilt bronze, silk velvet, and even sharkskin! King Louis XV was believed to own a microscope of this same model in his observatory.
Bottle Cooler (1804–5)
Bottle Cooler, 1804–5, Sèvres Manufactory. Hard-paste porcelain, enamel, and gilding. Getty Museum
A decade after the execution of King Louis XVI, France was briefly ruled by an emperor—Napoleon Bonaparte. This bottle cooler, one of 116 pieces in the porcelain dessert service of his wife, Empress Joséphine Bonaparte, depicts plants from her garden. The Sèvres porcelain manufactory artists replicated the plants from engravings, which themselves were made after watercolors published in three botanical treatises. After all, Joséphine’s garden was a marvel, with 250 rose varieties, a 165-foot-long heated greenhouse for tropical plants, and an exotic menagerie that included kangaroos, emus, and zebras. She was the socialite of the time, throwing lavish parties and hosting salons, with her incredible hospitality skills serving as the cornerstone for Napoleon’s political marketing.
Interior of the Tomb of Louis-Philippe and the Orléans Family (1845)
Interior of the Tomb of Louis-Philippe and the Orléans Family, 1845, François-Marius Granet. Pen and brown ink over graphite. Getty Museum
All “good” things must come to an end. While not exactly an example of luxury, this drawing by François-Marius Granet depicts the final resting place of the last French king. Louis-Philippe was forced to abdicate the throne during the French Revolution of 1848. He lived in exile in the United Kingdom until his death two years later. Emperor Napoleon III succeeded Louis-Philippe, becoming the last monarch of France before also dying in exile in England after being dethroned. Just as Bastille Day shows us, you can’t live in extreme luxury forever—whether that’s because of a political uprising, or simple human nature.
Bonus: Purrquoise
Cat, porcelain about 1700–1750; mounts about 1750–55, Chinese and French. Cat in porcelain with eyes in glass; cushion and stool in gilded bronze. Getty Museum
OK, this one isn’t totally French, but who can resist that smile? This 18th-century porcelain cat statuette was made in China, then exported to France. Once there, artisans added its glass eyes and gilt-bronze stool. This combination of art styles made it highly desirable, and it ended up in the collection of the Marquise de Pompadour, King Louis XV’s official chief mistress (who knew mistresses could be official?). Fun fact: the Marquise de Pompadour was a serious cat lady; this example was just one of dozens of cat figurines catalogued in the inventory taken at her palace after her death.
To hear more about—and from!—this cat (Getty’s social media followers voted to name it Purrquoise), listen to the teaser for season 2 of If Objects Could Talk. And check out the listening guide there for some Bastille Day–related activities. Happy listening!
