Beautiful View

 

I’m very excited to announce the upcoming expansion of the Provence Coeur Estate!

A new region will soon be added to the east side of the Jardin Français (Provence Coeur Est2) and will be home to the Châteaude Bellevue, Madame de Pompadour’s elegant home with its beautiful view of the Seine River.

My version will be based on the 1750 plan as originally championed by the Marquise and though it will be simplified for Second Life (I’ve learned more than a few lessons from my never-ending building journey with the Petit Trianon) I hope it will evoke some of the atmosphere of the original.

More details to follow.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for some fascinating reading check out BetweenWorlds: The Biography of Madame de Pompadour's Boudoir Turc a “biographical account of her Turkish boudoir at Bellevue examines its implications of personal and private life, class and gender, and the role of exoticism in eighteenth-century architectural interiors“.

 

Image: The Château de Bellevue, in the time of Madame de Pompadour, from the courtyard to the west on Wikipedia

Tatiana's Tea Room: Take Two

Tatiana's Tea Room has move to the Petit Trianon

A new chapter is beginning for Tatiana's Tea Room and I couldn't be more excited!

Renovations on the Petit Trianon have finally reached the point where it was possible for me to start setting up shop.  I've been busy setting tables, arranging flowers and researching new artwork.  In other words, I've been living my SL decorator's dream :)

Petit Trianon: Views & Plans

As many of you know, I'm slowly re-creating this beautiful gem of a palace in SecondLife® and I thought it was about time that I dedicated a blog page to summarize my adventures during this journey.  You can navigate to it from the tabs at the top of this Home Page or go directly to Petit Trianon.  I will repeat the page's introduction here.  Following the introduction, you will find more information including Petit Trianon specific links and a SL Project Timeline.

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From its inception, Trianon was distinguished by its dedication to a lady, usually a young and beautiful one: by the magnificence of its flowerbeds and sophistication of its gardens: and by the official order that walking through the gate was by invitation only.*

Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV's maîtresse-en-titre, was indeed the beautiful lady behind what is now considered among the most perfect buildings in France, the Petit Trianon.  Pompadour, encouraging the king's passion for botanical gardens, had already been instrumental in the development of this little piece of Trianon land including the addition of the French Pavilion in 1750.

This marvelous little chateau was designed at Pompadour's request by Ange-Jacques Gabriel and constructed from 1762 to 1768.  Marie Antoinette took possession in 1774, working her own magic on the palace, gardens and surrounding estate.

Hailed as a masterpiece, at first glance the Petit Trianon appears deceptively simple, a modest cube with no grand flourishes.  Further inspection reveals a wealth of wonderful details and an excellent use of proportions that have kept me charmed & fascinated for many years now. 

My adventures re-creating the Petit Trianon in the virtual world of SecondLife® are absolute pleasures.  I know that I will never be able to do justice to the original but this is truly a case where the journey and not the destination is the point of the exercise.  I invite you to follow along with me!

*Quoted from Marie-Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles.

Ange-Jacques Gabriel: Louis XV's Premier Architect

Ange-Jacques Gabriel by Jean-Baptiste Greuze

Ange-Jacques Gabriel (October 23, 1698 – January 4, 1782) was born into a family of great architects, succeeding his father, Jacques Gabriel, as the premier architect of France in 1742. 

During his tenure he oversaw the transition from the ornate Rococo period to the order & simplicity of Neoclassicism driven by the belief that progress depends upon reason and discipline.

His love of symmetry and classical proportion is reflected in many of his creations from the minute French Pavilion (completed 1750) to the enormous Château de Versailles (including extensive palace renovations starting in 1735 & the addition of the Royal Opera 1769-1770).

For me, one of the many delights of re-creating his buildings are discovering the false doors which have been placed "just so" to maintain the symmetrical appearance of a room.  Equally fascinating are the "secret" doors that are blended into the walls for the same reason. I stumbled upon this technique for the first time while constructing  The Billard Room of the Petit Trianon.

The Château de Compiègne seen from the garden (Wikipedia)

His major works included the Château de Compiègne (1750+) and a number of hôtels particuliers in the Place de la Concorde.

The Petit Trianon (1762-1768) is perhaps his most celebrated achievement.

Petit Trianon: The French Pavilion SL

The French Pavilion - My SL Virtual Rendition

As recounted in my post regarding the real life (RL) version, (Petit Trianon: The French Pavilion RL) the French Pavilion (le pavillon français) was designed by the Louis XV’s chief architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel at the instigation of Madame Pompadour. This miniature palace was intended as a summer gaming room with an attached salon frais or summer dining room. Thirty years later, Marie Antoinette would also use it for private concerts given by lantern light.

My virtual re-creation of the French Pavilion for Second Life ® was a true labour of love. It took me almost three months to painstakingly create the textures and to piece together all of those 45 degree angled walls!

Petit Trianon: The French Pavilion RL

The French Pavilion 2009.  Photo by Stefan of ArchitectDesign™

The French Pavilion (le pavillon français) which now stands as the central gem of the Petit Trianon’s formal French Gardens was actually completed in 1750, a few years prior to the building of the Petit Trianon itself.

The French Pavilion 2009. Photo by Stefan of ArchitectDesign™

Designed by the Louis XV’s chief architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel at the instigation of Madame Pompadour this miniature palace was intended as a summer gaming/dining room. Thirty years later, Marie Antoinette would also use it for private concerts given by lantern light.

The main salon is octagonal with an inlaid marble floor and is surrounded by four cabinets in a cruciform arrangement. The walls are gilded with cherubs highlighting each entrance. Cherubs & birds are also featured on the circular cornice which is supported by eight Corinthian columns. Four arched French doors provide light, exterior views and access

French Pavilion Floor Plan from Views and Plans of the Petit Trianon at Versailles

 The cabinets are each unique according to their purpose. Three of the cabinets (boudoir, café & wash closet and antichamber) can be entered from the main salon. The fourth cabinet, originally the kitchen and therefore the domain of the staff, is partitioned off from main salon. Each cabinet contains two exterior French doors as well as a set of casement windows.

I had an absolutely wonderful time studying and then re-creating this magical pavilion in Second Life® as you can see in Petit Trianon: The French Pavilion SL.

I was inspired and aided by Stefan's The French Pavilion as well as  Views and Plans of the Petit Trianon Versailles and Marie-Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles.

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Petit Trianon: The French Pavilion RL by Tatiana Dokuchic on 2011-10-02
Designed by the Louis XV’s chief architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel at the instigation of Madame Pompadour this miniature palace was intended as a summer gaming/dining room.

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