Photos
The armchairs around the majestic desk come from the Royal Manufactory of Beauvais, founded in 1664 by Colbert. If you look closely, you can see that they illustrate various fables by La Fontaine, including The Fox and the Stork, The Monkey and The Wolf and the Lamb.
Les dessus de portes du grand salon sont l’œuvre de Piat Sauvage. Il s’agit d’un peintre du XVIIIe particulièrement réputé pour ses décors en trompe-l’œil. Agréé par l’Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture en 1781, il est ensuite nommé premier peintre du Roi Louis XVI. Il réalise le réputé Portrait de Marie-Antoinette, le plafond de la chapelle du château de Saint-Cloud et participe aux travaux de décoration de Versailles, du Petit Trianon, des châteaux de Fontainebleau et Rambouillet.
This is yet another example of the close links between Hautefort and Versailles. As its name suggests, this style of parquet was first used in Versailles to replace marble floors, which were too fragile. It is made up of different pre-assembled square wooden panels, each made up of diagonally-spaced strips of wood that intertwine like a braid. Here at Hautefort, three types of wood intertwine under your feet: red oak, light oak and walnut.
Located above a chest of drawers on the left as you enter the grand salon, this painting was acquired by Baroness de Bastard, who had an eye for the great technical mastery demonstrated by the painter, although he had not yet been identified at the time. It turns out that she was right, as an expert appraisal carried out in 2011 confirmed that it was an authentic Fragonard! Here, the French master of the rococo style delivers a genuine technical feat in all its simplicity: a young shepherd followed by his dog, running after his flock.
Situé face à vous en entrant dans le grand salon, le portrait du sculpteur Pajou par son fils fait partie des œuvres de la collection de la famille David-Weill qui ont été saisies par l’armée allemande en 1940. Il a ensuite été exposé au château de Neuschwanstein où s’opérait la sélection des œuvres qui avaient vocation à intégrer le musée d’Hitler. A ce titre, le tableau présente encore aujourd’hui au dos de son châssis les références d’inventaire allemand.
A history of the Revolution The pyre illustrates the impact that the Revolution had on the history of the château, with several prisoners [...].
The games table This mahogany secretary could also be used as a games table: the tric-trac, very popular [...].
A secret desk: daytime bliss This type of secretary is traditionally reserved for ladies, with its many drawers and [...].
The fables of La Fontaine The armchairs around the majestic desk come from the royal Beauvais factory, founded [...].
Four cardinal virtues Destroyed in the fire of 1968, the two chimneys were rebuilt identically by the Compagnons du [...].
The cannon foundries Initiated by Jacques-François de Hautefort, the project to create foundries to supply cannons to the French [...].
The bedroom in the 17th century Borrowed from the Latin word 'camera' meaning 'room', the bedroom in the 17th century was a room [...].