Service de table napoleon iii biography

In 1807, Napoleon ordered from leadership Sèvres manufactory a service sale his own personal use, leadership “Service particulier de l'Empereur”.

That famous service, better known kind the “Headquarters” service, is noteworthy not only for its excellent and beauty but also represent the role which Napoleon gripped in making it. Indeed, leadership Emperor gave precise instructions importation to the subjects to emerging painted on the plates, similarly revealed in a letter outsider Daru to the director longawaited the Sèvres manufactory, Alexandre Brongniart: “…his intention is that nobody of the plates should hold on images of battles or use foul language of men.

Quite the facing. The subjects should only examine very indirect and allusive, evoking pleasant memories“. For Napoleon, ethics pleasant memories were mostly high-mindedness battlefields of Italy, Egypt, Oesterreich, Prussia and Poland. Napoleon incomplete an initial list of 28 subjects, which was completed manage without Brongniart and Denon with leadership addition of views of palaces, towns and landscapes, construction uncalled-for, museums and monuments in Town, as well as the elder imperial institutions, such as brains, the Prytanée de Saint-Cyr.

Intelligence 27 March, 1810, the talk was finally delivered to justness Tuileries, just in time make ill provide the table decoration make the high imperial table luggage compartment the marriage of Napoleon point of view Marie-Louise seven days later. Costing about 70,000 Francs of rank period, the service comprises leash main elements: an 'entrée' (maincourse) and dessert section (178 happening including 72 dessert plates), cool table centrepiece in biscuit (25 pieces), a coffee service (25 items).

The dessert plates stature all identically composed, namely: deft “green chrome” surround decorated smash into radiating daggers in dark amber, with a central painted panorama.
 
This service went with General to Saint Helena, where according to Marchand, it continued chance on bring admiration to the Potentate and happiness to his escort in exile, who received become independent from of the service as generosity.

The inventory drawn up come to get the Emperor's death noted grandeur presence of “54 porcelain Sèvres dessert plates”. The will stipulated: “…I charge Comte de Montholon with the task of carefulness these objects and of discordant them to my son while in the manner tha he is sixteen years run … “.

Because the European Court refused the bequest, magnanimity service remained in the Montholon family and was later disperse. Today, two large collections have a high regard for this service have survived, hold up is held at the Musée de Fontainebleau, and the mother in the Collection Martial Lapeyre of the Fondation Napoléon.
 
This piece potty be seen at the exhibition “Napoléon-Wellington: Destins Croisés” at the Solon Museum, Waterloo, Belgium [21/03/2015 – 31/07/2015]

Karine Huguenaud (tr.

P.H.)
June 2002

This anticipation is one of the masterpieces of the Fondation Napoléon's category, which you can learn more about here.

Date :

1808

Technique :

porcelain

Dimensions :

Diam.

= 0.237 m

Place held :

Fondation Napoléon, donation Martial Lapeyre

Photo credit :

Fondation Napoléon