Marie Antoinette’s boudoir, Chateau Fontainebleau (1786)*

Artist/Designer: Pierre Rousseau

Project Location: France

Figure 1: Marie Antoinette's Boudoir at Chateau Fontainebleau. Source: Melanie, Pompeii Inspiration Grotesques. 2010, Digital Image. Available from Classical Addiction. ( Source | Accessed : December 23, 2013 )

Figure 2: Marie Antoinette's Boudoir at Chateau Fontainebleau. Source: Wikipedia Commons, Fontainebleau Boudoir de la reine. 2006, Digital Image. Available from Wikipedia Commons. ( Source | Accessed : December 23, 2013 )

Figure 3: Marie Antoinette's Boudoir at Chateau Fontainebleau. Source: Treasure for Your Pleasure, Marie Antoinette Blog. 2012, Digital Image. Available from Tumblr. ( Source | Accessed : December 23, 2013 )

Style/Period(s):
Neoclassical

Primary Material(s):
Wood, Paint

Function(s):
Residential Structure

Related Website(s):

Museum's Website | Accessed : February 17, 2018

Significant Date(s):
18th Century, 1786

Additional Information:
Project Description:
Completed in 1786 under the order of Marie Antoinette, this boudoir at Chateau Fontainebleau is thought to exemplify the former Queen's tastes. It also exemplifies the duration of feminine spaces despite the shift from rococo to neoclassical design. Though the neoclassical design is characterized by a certain lightness of form and linearity not present in Rococo design, Marie Antoinette still used gilt detailing and an abundance of mirrors to create a luxurious and highly-reflective space. A small relief above the door depicts two women playing musical instruments, one of them playing the harp. The delicate, melodious strains of a harp - not the pounding of a drum - are captured in the sumptuous, feminine boudoir's interior.

Publications/Text in Print:
Boyer, Marie-France. The Private Realm of Marie Antoinette. London: Thames & Hudson, 1996.

Picon, Guillaume. A Day at Château de Fontainebleau. Paris: Flammarion, 2016.

Terrasse, Charles. Fontainebleau: Le château, les appartements, les jardins et la forêt (Collection "Voir en France"). Editions Sun, 1985.

Building Address:
77300 Fontainebleau, France

Tags:
Marie Antoinette, Palace of Fontainebleau, Chateau Fontainebleau, France, neoclassical, gilt, Louis XVI

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