The Ornamented Being

Marie Antoinette by Heinrich Lossow

“Parure, consisting of a necklace with a pendant, a bracelet and a pair of ear-rings. Enamelled and chased-gold links uniting sixteen enamelled miniatures, fourteen inscribed on the reverse with the identities of the figures portrayed.

The inscriptions on the backs of these enamelled miniatures identify the portraits as following: on the necklace from left to right, Mme de Parabere (mistress of the Regent, the duc d’Orléans), Princess de Lamballe (Marie Antoinette’s closest friend;), Mme Elizabeth (sister of Louis XVI), Henriette d’Angleterre (sister of Charles 11 of England, wife of the Dauphin, Philippe d’Orléans), Mme Dubarry (mistress of Louis XV from 1769); Marie Antoinette (Queen of France) on the pendant.. The back of the miniature on the clasp is covered but the portrait appears to be that of Mme de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV for twenty years (1744 - 64). On the bracelet, from left to right the portraits are of Mlle de Lavaliere (presumably Louise de la Valiere, mistress of Louis XIV), Marie Antoinette, Marquise de Sévigné (mistress of Louis XIV), Mme de Montespan (also a mistress of Louis X1V). The inscription on the clasp is again covered, but the sitter may be Madame de Maintenon, last mistress of Louis XIV, whom he married in 1685. The earrings have Mme Elizabeth, the Princess de Lamballe, and Marie Antoinette twice; the upper miniature on the right shows her as Archduchesse d’Autriche, before she married Louis XVI.”

Portrait of Marie Antoinette and her children by Charles Leclercq. This painting was owned by the Comtesse de Provence.

Portrait of the Princesse de Lamballe 1788 Anton Hickel

The shoes of marie Antoinette at Musee Carnavalet 

Sounds like a brilliant idea! 

When I saw this at the British Museum my roommate didn’t quite understand why I fell silent and closed my eyes. This gold locket contains the hair of Marie Antoinette.

I was browsing through Selfridges with my mum about a month ago and we ran across the Marie Antoinette candles and wax bust in the Cire Trudon store. 

We couldn’t justify spending £56.50 on a candle that we would never light and a wax bust that we wouldn’t do anything with but it’s beautiful to look at!

“Cire Trudon has lit the gilded halls of Versailles as well as the face of its most iconic Queen, Marie Antoinette. Cire Trudon in return presents the new Wax Bust collection, including this ivory bust, featuring enchanting wax portraits in the memory of men, women and children who have marked our history. Cire Trudon has brought back to life the lovely tradition of wax sculptures to be collected rather than consumed.”

Guess I’ll be booking a train to Versailles when I get back to London: “Marie-Antoinette, Madame Campan and their lady’s maid, all three wearing paper costumes, will bring to life the magnificent livingroom of the queen of France who, without a doubt, left the most lasting impression. The figures will be in a setting reworked by Isabelle de Borchgrave, in paper and trompe l’oeil. This will be a permanent exhibition at the Palace of Versailles and will open in November.”

“Marie-Antoinette, Madame Campan and their lady’s maid, all three wearing paper costumes, will bring to life the magnificent livingroom of the queen of France who, without a doubt, left the most lasting impression. The figures will be in a setting reworked by Isabelle de Borchgrave, in paper and trompe l’oeil. This will be a permanent exhibition at the Palace of Versailles and will open in November.”

Paper costume of  Queen Marie-Antoinette, realised for The High Museum of Atlanta (summer 2008) with the costume of  King Louis XVI. medium: paper. artist: Isabell de Borchgrave

It’s so awful but … I love it.