Author: Sarah Gibbons

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Designs for metal pieces. Upper center, a sconce with a young boy with fire on his head standing among six branches, three on each side, with candles at the tips. Lower left, an andiron with adorsed sphinxes crouching on either side of an urn. Lower right, an andiron with adorsed griffins crouching on either side of a flame-topped altar.
The Bet on the Bagatelle
Each of the objects depicted in this drawing was designed specifically for the Pavilion de Bagatelle in the Bois de Boulogne, in Paris, a royal pleasure palace. Though the andirons bear Queen Marie Antoinette’s initials these objects were not made for her, but rather for her brother-in-law, the Comte d’Artois. In 1777, in a one...
Read Time
2 minutes
Posted By
Sarah Gibbons
Date
May 8, 2013
Center, beneath crown, are two initials- a superimposed N and M encircled by stars and a wreath of roses. Upper center, two entwined wreaths - one of laurel, and the other of a chrysanthemum-like flower. Upper corners, oak sprigs; lower corners, floral sprigs. Lower center, the Napoleonic eagle. The Legion of Honor medallion hangs below the eagle.
Napoleon’s Other Wife
Though most people only know of his first wife Joséphine, Napoleon I of France was married twice during his lifetime. Napoleon and Joséphine were married on March 9, 1796. Their marriage was a strained one, due to Napoleon’s extensive travel and their inability to have children. Though their correspondence shows that they had once cared...
Read Time
2 minutes
Posted By
Sarah Gibbons
Date
March 11, 2013