Paul et Virginie or Paul and Virginia in Decorative Arts

Sèvres plate from the Marli d'or service, given by the Emperor Napoleon to Prince Schwarzenberg, ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, in 1812

Paul carrying Virginie across a torrent

Paul And Virginia by Charles Paul Landon

Paul and Virginia is a title of a romance novel by Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, first published in 1787 and an instant bestseller of great popular appeal. Paul and Virginia is one of my favorite romance novel's although it's not just a romance novel. The book touches on, Social classes, slavery, Love, religion and the Enlightenment. It is the story about a boy and girl who grow up together on a paradise island entirely according to nature's laws and fall in love with each other. The book echo beliefs of the Enlightenment and ideals of philosophers like Jean Jacques Rousseau. One interesting thing about the book is that the writer Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre writes himself in the book as the observer telling the story of Paul and Virginia. Saint-Pierre is depicted often in Engravings from the story lurking behind the scenes observing Paul & Virginia. If you have not read the book you should.

Paul and Virginia was very popular in it's day. French Queen Marie Antoinette owned a copy. It was the favorite book of Napoleon Bonaparte who said it spoke to his soul. During the last decade of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century Paul & Virginia inspired decorative arts in France, England & America. Scenes from the story were engraved in the late 18th century and from theses engravings artist created panting's, French hand blocked panoramic wallpaper was design, Porcelain figures of the subjects, Marble and bronze statues, Toile de Jouy fabric, painted and transferred scenes from the story show up on porcelain and pottery. Victor Massé wrote a very successful opera on the subject in 1876. During the Romantic period the rich evocation of exotic nature in the tropical setting of Mauritius and overly sentimental subject of the story was perfect for the arts in Louis Philippe France and early Victorian England & America. In modern times Paul and Virginia provided the inspiration for the film The Blue Lagoon, a hit song by Celine Dion and even a chain of luxury hotels on Mauritius, the island on which the tale takes place. We will explore some of the decorative arts of the 18th & 19th century that tell the great, classic story of Paul and Virginia.

                                                                                

Old Paris porcelain tray with painted grisaille of Paul et Virginie

Set of 18th century engravings In anéglomisé gilt-painted glass mat in giltwood frames

Paul et Virginie in grisaille wallpaper by Dufour 1824

Paul et Virginie Toile de Jouy

Paul et Virginie 1806 engraving

Paul et Virginie French clock ca 1800

Marie Françoise Caroline Vallée (active Paris, 19th Century) Reading from 'Paul et Virginie'

Pair of Charles X Paris porcelain vases finely painted after Bernardin de Saint Pierre's novel 'Paul et Virginie', the characters in tropical landscapes

Pair of Empire Paris porcelain vases one painted with Paul and Virginia in a cradle, the other with the infants standing by a well before there mothers

Pair of Copeland Parian Figures of Paul and Virginia, ca 1850

Pair of reverse paintings on glass “Paul and Virginia”, c.1840

NICOLAS-RENE JOLLAIN (PARIS 1732-1804) Paul et Virginie au berceau

Empire clock the figures on base of this clock are based on the novel 'Paul et Virginie'

18th & 19th c Paul et Virginie books from my collection

18th & 19th c Paul et Virginie books from my collection detail of miniature book

Carved marble mantle with scenes from Paul et Virginie by Fisher and Bird, New York, 1851

Carved marble mantle with scenes from Paul et Virginie by Fisher and Bird, New York, 1851

Carved marble mantle with scenes from Paul et Virginie by Fisher and Bird, New York, 1851

  Gilt brass Girandoles set with scenes from Paul et Virginie Possibly Corneliuss & Co., Philadelphia, ca 1851

                                                                                                                                                             

America's first yacht, Cleopatra's Barge 1816

1818 painting of Clepatra's Barge by George Ropes

Benjamin Crowninshield Jr. (1782–1864)Benjamin Crowninshield Jr. (1782–1864)

Cleopatra's Barge was the first American-built ocean-going luxury yacht, built in the year 1816 in Salem, Massachusetts for George Crowninshield Jr. (1766–1817), The fancy of America's 2th generation of wealth after the American Revolution. The 191-ton brig was 23-feet breadth, 83-feet waterline length, 140-feet sparred length, with a square stern, and two decks. Retire Becket designed her as a pleasure yacht for George Crowninshield and was fitted out in the grand style of a small palace at a cost of $50,000 to build and $50,000 in luxury furnishings, about three millions in today's money. A year ago this month I was in the reconstructed main cabin of the yacht in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.

reconstructed main cabin of the yacht

                                                      Reconstructed main cabin of the yacht

 Named after Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII's pleasure barge and based on a play "Antony & Cleopatra". In 1817, the luxury yacht Cleopatra's Barge was launched and sailed to 16 ports in southern Europe and the Mediterranean . Up to 8,000 visitors would come out on a single day, just to feast their eyes on the opulent splendor of this extraordinary vessel. In Marseilles the ship was repainted and redecorated.


The design of the vessel was based upon Becket’s earlier design of the privateer America IV built for the Crowninshields in 1803. She was constructed with the finest craftsmanship and materials available and outfitted with fine furnishings in the late Federal and neo-classical styles with all the accoutrements of royalty. George Crowninshield’s intention was to sail her to Europe with the hope of marrying a European princess and hosting Napoleon himself on board and becoming the toast of the continent. By the time the yacht sailed former Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte was exiled on Saint Helena island. It was thought that Mr. Crowninshield was planning to take former Emperor Napoléon back to America. They did visit several of Napoleon's supporters and relatives on the island of Elba where Napoléon had escaped in 1815. In Rome they met with Napoleon's mother Letizia Ramolino, and siblings Prince Lucien and Princess Pauline. They took on board the captain of the ship on which Napoleon escaped Elba and his doctor, along with souvenirs such as a pair of Napoléon's boots and an gold & stone incrusted imperial snuffbox. Mr. Crowninshield returned home that year only to die unexpectedly the following year aboard the ship planning his next adventure.

Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte

The finest room on the yacht the main cabin it was 19 feet by 20 feet and was paneled with the finest flamed mahogany wood trimmed with birds-eye maple. The Custom made mahogany and birds-eye maple classical furniture, a pair of card tables and large pair of settees by Boston's finest cabinetmaker Thomas Seymour was covered with red silk velvet trimmed in gold lace. They featured inlayed birds-eye maple,brass, gilt ormolu mounts, stenciled gold leaf detail and the lyre or harp as the principal decorative element and were the most expensive made in America at the time. The settees have hooks upon the back legs that were probably to hold the settee to the wall in bad weather. There was custom made silver, porcelain, linens and cut glass for this vessel. Rare for this time the luxury yacht had indoor plumbing. In December of 1816 the yacht was open for public tours as this was a wonder in America, a show palace. On January 14, 1817, the Salem Gazette reported:

"The elegant equipment of this vessel, by Mr. Crowninshield, for a voyage of pleasure, as it is an entire novelty in this country, has excited universal curiosity and admiration."

English Regency gilt brass whale oil chandelier

Open card table by Thomas Seymour

Gold leaf mirror and card table by Thomas Seymour

Large settee by Thomas Seymour

Detail of gilt ormolu, birds-eye maple inlay and gold stenciling on the mahogany

Detail of gilt ormolu, birds-eye maple inlay on the mahogany

                                                   After his death, China traders purchased the vessel. They brought her to the Sandwich Islands in 1821 where she was sold to Liholiho (King Kamehameha II) for $80,000 of sandalwood. The Hawaiian wood was highly prized in the Orient by the Chinese artisans for its clear grain, texture, and sweet smell. Liholiho cherished the yacht and renamed her Ha'aheo o Hawaii (Pride of Hawaii) and thus she became the first Hawaiian “Ship of State.” The royal court traveled frequently aboard her as they sailed between the islands and foreign visitors often mentioned the King’s brig in their diaries and letters to friends. On April 6, 1824 in Hanalei Bay, on the northern coast of Kauaʻi island Haʻaheo o Hawaiʻi ran the aground on a shallow reef.
 

Paris porcelain Cabinet cup that might have been bought in Marseilles when ship was redecorated

     French pier table and ormolu clock in the corner that might have been bought in Marseilles when ship was redecorated                                                                                                                                         

Keeping cool in the Deep South!

From my collection,Old Paris porcelain classical pitcher circa 1820's, French pressed crystal beaker circa 1840, on a English Victorian Rococo Revival silver plate tray circa 1840's.

                                                                                 
After living away from the deep South for five years, the heat and humidity has taking some getting use too in Mobile, Alabama. August in Baltimore is a lot different, the weather cools down by this time. Here in Mobile August is one of the hottest months plus we still have a few more hot months to go as the Deep South does not have a Fall. I have been keeping cool by methods used in the deep South well over a hundred years ago. By keeping my house dark during the day time. Cross ventilation, staying inside during the hottest part of the day and cool refreshing food and drink. I love lemons and have been making Southern Lemonade as a tasty and refreshing way to stay cool Southern style. I have also been thinking about how Southerners stayed cool in the Antebellum South during the Summer months. I'm working on a blog about this that I will post in the up and coming days. Stay Cool!!!

        Southern Lemonade         
About 10 Lemons

2 cups of Sugar

1 gallon of water

 

First, juice your lemons. Our target is about 2 cups of lemon juice. So if you reach 2 cups before juicing all of your lemons, you can stop early :) You'll also make your juicing arm stronger :)




Tip: It helps to roll (with pressure) your lemons on the counter before cutting an juicing - this helps soften the interior for faster/easier juicing.



Next, fill your pitcher with 1 gallon of filtered water (but not to the top - leave a little room for later). Then, pour off about 1 cup into a large saucepan and add two cups of sugar.



While continuously stirring over medium heat, bring your sugar water to a boil. At first the sugar won't dissolve, but with a slow application of heat - all of your sugar will dissolve. Never stop stirring.



Once the sugar mixture comes to a boil, continue stirring and boil for about a minute or so. The mixture will become thicker and it will start to turn a yellowish color. This is a sign that its done. Add your lemon juice immediatly and bring to a boil.



If you'll be drinking everything within a few days, it's not necessary to boil your lemon/syrup mixture - boiling just ensures nothing will spoil for a somewhat longer stay in your ice box



Remove your pot from heat and pour in the remaining water. Stir well. Now, slowly pour back into your gallon pitcher. You may have some leftover ade that won't fit in your pitcher. You can immediatly drink this (with ice) or just pour it off.

The Derby-Beebe Summer House 1799

The Derby-Beebe Summer House (1799)

One year ago this month I was standing in front of The Derby-Beebe Summer House (1799) a one-room masterpiece of Federal style pavilion architecture designed by American architect Samuel McIntire (1757-1811). One of only two surviving summer houses designed by McIntire, with flush board front it has beautifully carved Corinthian pilasters, a delicate frieze of swags under the eaves, and a balustrade with Neoclassical urns around the edge of the roof. This little Roman temple in New England is an American adaptation of the Neoclassical, Roman, or Adam style popular in Britain in the late eighteenth century. The scale and proportions of this building is amazing!

The summer house would have been used as a stylish setting for its wealthy owners to take light afternoon meals or tea. Copying European aristocracy in a American fashion. The structure was originally located on the Beebe Farm owned by the family of Lucius Beebe, which was located on the eastern shore of Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield. It was later moved to Salem, Massachusetts, where it is now owned and maintained by the Peabody Essex Museum as part of their collection of historic architecture.

Detail of Corinthian pilasters, and frieze of swags under the eaves

                                    Balustrade with Neoclassical urns around the edge of the roof
 
 

Samuel McIntire Peabody Essex Museum

                                            Pastel portrait attributed to Benjamin Blyth, Salem.






Samuel McIntire an innovative architect, craftsman,wood carver and skilled artisan. He was one of Americas earliest architects working in the Federal style. McIntyre taught himself the Palladian style of architecture from pattern books of the day. In 1792, he entered a proposal in the competition for the United States Capitol. After 1797, McIntyre worked in the style of Boston architect Charles Bulfinch, who had made fashionable on the East Coast the neoclassical manner of Scottish architect Robert Adam. Unlike Bulfinch, however, whose designs were featured across the East Coast, McIntyre built almost exclusively in New England. His wooden or brick houses were typically 3 stories tall, each with 4 rooms around a central hall. In the style of the great architect Robert Adam McIntire designed buildings & architectural details, fittings as well as interior design and furniture. Unlike Adam who was skilled with the pen, McIntire was more hands on then just designing as he could actually build buildings and furniture by hand, rare in America at that time! His genius for carving exquisite details on furniture, buildings, and sailing vessels is one of the great untold stories in American decorative art.

Chair carved by Samuel McIntire circa 1795-1800

                                      Derby Summer House, or McIntire Tea House 1793-1794
                                    

McIntire's other summer house, the Derby Summer House, or McIntire Tea House, was designed and built in 1793-1794 for Elias Hasket Derby of Salem. The house was located on Derby's farm, located in what is now the city of Peabody. In 1901 the building was moved four miles to Glen Magna Farms in Danvers, where it was again used as a garden pavilion. Glen Magna Farms, with the McIntire Summer House, is now a historic property managed by the Danvers Historical Society.
                                                                               

Antebellum vignette

Antebellum vignette

I bought a few little antebellum items at a estate sale here in Mobile for my birthday. I have grouped them together. In the back ground is a late 18th century Italian engraving framed in the 1850's in a mahogany & gilt frame. I love theses engravings as many old antebellum homes in the Deep South had them in just about every room. Oil Portraits and paintings were costly in the 19th century as framed engravings were much cheaper then original artwork.

On right side of the engraving is a Rococo Revival Old Paris porcelain vase with apple green body with a detailed portrait of Madonna and child after Raphael's Madonna della sedia. I bought this vase over 10 years ago at a antique shop in the South of France. Next to the vase is a paneled sided Old Paris porcelain cup and saucer circa 1850. Large Paris porcelain cups like this are rare and were used for Café au lait. The cup has in gilt letters "Love the giver". Most of theses cups with inscriptions were given as gifts as presentation pieces.

Next to the Café au lait cup is a very rare 1840's gold colored bohemian cut glass finger bowl. Cut and etched, finger bowls like this was filed with water, usually with lemon or flower petals, placed at the front of each dinner plate which is used for rinsing one's fingers in between courses in a multiple course meal. Originally finger bowls were made and sold in sets but are very heard to find today in sets dating from this period but sometimes show up as pairs are sets of two.

Mint Julep for my birthday

I have recently discovered Mint Juleps, a old Southern favorite. I had never had one before attending a Mint Julep party at a historic 1833 Greek Revival house called Oakleigh in Mobile about a month ago. I have never been much of a bourbon whiskey drinker but I love sweet drinks. Mint Juleps have become my new favorite drink as it is mixed with simple syrup! I have had one just about every day and celebrated my birthday Aug 2 with this traditional Southern drink!