The Remarkable Redouté

Nicknamed "The Raphael of flowers", Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840) was an artist entranced by the beauty of nature.  Born to a family of painters, Redouté began his career as a religious artist, travelling around Europe decorating various churches. Eventually he made his way to Paris, concentrating his talents on botanical illustration. His beautiful renditions of roses, lilies and other "specimens" elevated work of scientific accuracy and classifications to the realm of magnificent art which is still enjoyed today.

Redouté became an official court artist and the personal art teacher of Marie Antoinette, painting the gardens of Le Petit Trianon.  In 1798, Empress Josephine became his patron and the gardens of her beloved Malmaison one of his subjects. 

A designer for the French Academy of Sciences as well as the Professor of Plant Iconography at the Royal Gardens, Redouté lived a long and active life.

I've always had bits of Redoute's work gracing my RL home and so I was delighted to learned of their connection to Marie Antoinette and the court of France. With the long Canadian winter approaching I know that I will be turning my eyes to his wonderful roses as a promise of the summer to come.

I can recommend The Roses: The Complete Plates (Taschen 25th Anniversary) as a wonderful way for you to bring the garden indoors!

And for your enjoyment in SL, I have a new set of china based on the "Service aux Liliacées". Originally manufactured by Sévres in 1802 for Josephine it reflects one of Redouté's greatest works, the eight volume collection "Les Liliacée".  You can find this sculpted china collection at my store inworld or at the SL Marketplace: Josephine Malmaison China I .

I always marvel at the magic of Redouté and I hope that you enjoy it as well!

Perfume fit for a Queen

Jean-Louis Fargeon  (1748-1806), Marie Antoinette's official perfume maker, treated her to numerous perfumes and scents many of which where for her exclusive use.  From perfumed gloves to sweet smelling sachets and toilet waters, the French Queen used this extension of her love of flowers to enhance her daily life.  She truly believed that perfume helped to keep both her body and spirit healthy.

A Scented Palace: The Secret History of Marie Antoinette's Perfumer by Elisabeth de Feydeau recounts the life of Faregon, from the day of his birth to his final escape from the guillotine.  Along the way, we also learn intmate details of Marie Antoinette's life and of the court that surrounded her.  Of particular interest to me is the creation of Parfum du Trianon, a custom scent meant to capture the atmosphere of her beloved Petit Trianon.

It seems that Eleas LeRoux  (Eli Zephaniah) is now following in Fargeon's footsteps.  A medical student, apothecary, and herbalist in the Duché de Coeur (Second Life®) Monsieur LeRoux has just introduced a line of perfumes fittingly called Eau de Coeur ~ Parfums Exotiques.  While there are a number of scents available to the public, I was delighted to commission one especially for myself. 

Here is the description of "Duchesse de Provence":

A unique and lingering floral scent for the duchess herself.

This is a complex and uniquely French distillation 'soliflore', i.e. relying primarily on the scent of a single variety of flower, in this case those of carefully harvested Provençal orchids Ophyrys afpifera and Serapias cordigera. This type of scent is notable for its pure and pronounced fragrance notes. Top and middle notes, the head and heart of the perfume, resemble those of the source flowers, with enduring base notes of essential floral oils and calamus.

Given the rarity of the natural ingredients, large scale production is out of the question.

What a wonderful way to bring a bit of the luxury that Marie Antoinette enjoyed to us in Second Life®!

Tatiana's Tea Room: Now Online in SL Marketplace

I'm delighted to announce that Tatiana's Tea Room is now available online in the new SL Marketplace!

Though it took me a while to get eveything shipshape (why oh why did I use so much BBCode on XStreet that couldn't be translated over?!), I'm quite please with the results & I hope that you like them as well.  All in all, It seems to me that the SL Marketplace is actually a much better shopping experience than XStreet. This is very exciting and I plan to be added more to my online store in the days to come!

I've also given my twitter page, Tatiana's Tea Room on Twitter a fresh new look. If you would like to follow me there I would love to reciprocate, just give me a shout.

Many thanks for your continued support!

September Coeur Fair - Grape Stomp

It's been a lazy summer for me in the Coeurs but now that September is here, it's time to get back to work!

Stormy, MariaLouisa & I certainly didn't waste any time before starting the traditional "Grape Stomp" at the September Coeur Fair. We predict that this year's vintage is going to be particularly good!!