Part X Changes Under Louis XV
On Sunday, January 22, 1758, the King, feeling cold during his toilette in the Grand Bedchamber, requested that a tiled stove be installed to warm the room. By the next day, the stove was already in place and operational. However, the very letter informing Marigny (Head of the King's Buildings) about the royal decision also mentioned an unfortunate incident involving a similar stove in the antechamber of his sister, Madame de Pompadour. The pipe of her tiled stove caught fire, though fortunately, the flames were quickly extinguished.[200]
Nevertheless, on March 25, 1758, Gabriel, the King's chief architect, decided to add a new fireplace in the bedchamber instead.[201] The precise justification behind this decision is not explicitly stated, but it is likely that either aesthetic concerns or safety considerations—given the recent fire—prompted the change. The inability to find marble matching the existing one, which resembled Brèche Violette, led the administration to consider removing the old fireplace and replacing it with two new fireplaces of the same marble. The southern wall between the bedchamber and the Bullseye Antechamber had to be disassembled to accommodate the new chimney pipe, utilizing the existing chimney in the antechamber, which was also rebuilt in the process.[202]
Two provisional marble fireplaces were installed temporarily. On June 7, 1761, Marigny ordered their demolition and replacement with the new ones.[203]
Some drawings from the time of the project still exist (see fig.), yet no detailed work report regarding the various stages of the project has been found. However, records indicate that payments made to Trouard, the principal marble sculptor of the Crown, in 1761 significantly exceeded those of the preceding and subsequent years, suggesting substantial work at Versailles during this period.
10.2 Restoration and Enhancement of the Winter Set (Number 1881)
The Winter Set 1881 bed underwent its first recorded restoration in 1736, under the direction of Dutrou and Saillor. The embroideries were restored, and the fleur-de-lys crimson brocade used for the lining of the valances was replaced with crimson Gros de Tours, while the case curtain was entirely remade.[204]
On November 28, 1761, the Garde-Meuble diary recorded the second restoration of Set 1881. The embroideries were again restored, and those from the stools were transferred onto new crimson velvet. As in the previous restoration 25 years earlier, the embroidery work was carried out by Dutrou. Additionally, two new fire screen frames were commissioned, crafted by Foliot and gilded by Bardou, to match the new fireplaces.[205]
In 1765, Louis XV ordered a more comprehensive enhancement and restoration of the Winter Set, which had begun to appear outdated after 64 years of use. Several artisans were commissioned:
Chasblier for the embroidery
Bardon for the gilding of sculpted wood
Pitoin for the gilding of metal parts
The L’Héritier brothers for supplying golden braids and fleurets for the embroidery
Foliot for the wooden sculptures
The most notable addition during the 1765 enhancement was the incorporation of rich sculptural elements onto the upper canopy, mounted on carved joinery. Foliot, responsible for this work, provided a detailed description:
"To be used in the King’s Bedchamber at the Palace of Versailles: The crown of the Winter Bed, measuring three feet in height and seven and a half feet in length, composed in the middle of trophies of war, including banners, shields, weapons, and other instruments, enriched by laurel branches grouped together. The upper section consists of a piece of architecture featuring a lion’s head holding in its mouth a ribbon suspending the trophy. The corners are adorned with corsets of armor supporting the structure, flanked by palm branches. At the front of the crowned canopy, garlands of oak and laurel extend along the piece, forming festoons at the corners where the corsets of armor are located. The sculpture was carved from a ten-foot-long piece of wood, following the creation of a quarter-scale wax model."[206]
Foliot charged 6,400 livres for this work. The gilding was executed by Bardon, whose report provides additional details about specific sculptural elements:[207]
Three sculpted pieces adorned with shields, palms, and oak leaves
Some elements, such as banners, laurels, and the lion, mentioned in Foliot’s report, are not explicitly listed in Bardon’s work but were certainly included to maintain the harmony of the composition.
A crucial note in Capin’s report describes the new canopy shape as ‘bulging’, indicating its convex architectural form. This explains why Chasblier had to entirely remake the valances to match the revised canopy structure:
"The great valances at the front and sides were almost entirely re-embroidered [...]. The embroidered fringe follows the contour of the new crowned canopy."[208]
Finally, the 1775 General Inventory of the Garde-Meuble provides another significant detail not previously mentioned. The description of Set 1881, which had been reassigned inventory number 116 in the embroidery chapter, states:
"The canopy of gilded and sculpted wood, featuring at its front a cartouche bearing the coat of arms of France."[209]
The gilding of the canopy was initially imperfect, as a 1766 report notes that a new order was issued on November 3, 1766, for craftsmen to fix the gilding on-site at Versailles.
9.2.2 – The Armchairs and Stools
In his 1765 report, Capin mentioned the presence of two armchairs, twelve stools, and a third armchair listed as being acquired “by augmentation.” This term, used by the Garde-Meuble, referred to alterations that extended beyond mere restoration, often involving the addition of new elements or the reassembly of upholstery onto a different wooden structure. A notable precedent is set 1379, which was created by augmentation of set 867.
Given the intent to modernize the Grand Bedchamber, particularly the bed, which was deemed somewhat too sober for its prestigious setting, it is plausible that the original 1701 armchairs were also replaced on this occasion with more contemporary designs. The work detailed in Capin’s report describes standard upholstery procedures, including the application of gold braids and gold nails, which further aligns with this hypothesis.
If we accept this assumption, their creation can potentially be traced to a 1765 work report by Foliot the Elder. On August 2, 1765, the same date his son was commissioned to sculpt the canopy ornaments for the King’s bed, Foliot the Elder was entrusted with crafting a bulging canopy frame for Versailles[210]. His next recorded order, on August 7, concerned the creation of two armchairs.
It is worth noting that Foliot the Elder habitually included seats immediately following beds in his work reports—an example being his Polish-style bed frame, executed following the October 4 order, which, like his son’s commission, was later supplemented with two armchairs and eight regular chairs. These pieces are subsequently mentioned by Capin in relation to their upholstery. Based on this pattern, it is reasonable to assume that the two armchairs mentioned immediately after the canopy commission in August 1765 were indeed intended for the Grand Bedchamber.
The upholstery work carried out by Capin in 1765 did not constitute a full restoration of the embroideries. This is evident from the fact that the armchairs and stools were sent to the Garde-Meuble on May 28, 1766,[211] necessitating a comprehensive refurbishment of the embroidery a year later. Aleau was tasked with this embroidery work,[212] and several notable modifications emerge from the associated report:
The twelve stools, originally adorned with campanes, were now embellished with gold fringes.
The two armchairs now featured armrests, with no further mention of campanes or fringes, strongly suggesting a stylistic transition away from the Louis XIV aesthetic. The structure was likely revised so that the seat was now fully enclosed by a visible wooden frame.
Finally, the woodwork, much like that of the canopy, was re-gilded and repaired by Bardou, following an order dated November 3, 1766.[213]
As previously noted, the 1701 fireplace was removed on November 28, 1761, and replaced with two new fire screens, executed by Foliot and gilded by Bardou. The textile panels of these screens repurposed the velvet of the tablecloth, which was destroyed in the process. Much like the seating elements, the embroideries on these velvet panels were later restored by Aleau in 1766.[214]
[200] AN O1/1796, item 528; a copy of that letter can also be found in AN O1/1811.
[202] AN O1/1797, item 156.
[204] AN O1/3312, f⁰ 49 v⁰.
[205] AN O1/3317, f⁰ 130 v⁰.
[206] AN O1/3617 – Foliot’s work report.
[207] Ibid. – Bardon’s work report.
[208] Ibid. – Chasblier’s work report.
[209] AN O1/3345, f⁰ 237 v⁰ - 238 r⁰.
[210] AN O1/3617 – Foliot the Elder’s work report.
[211] AN O1/3346, p. 383.
[212] AN O1/3618 – Aleau’s work report.
[213] Ibid. – Bardou’s work report.
[214] Ibid. – Aleau’s work report.
