Mademoiselle de Fontanges remains famous in the history of fashion for having inadvertently launched one of the 17th century’s most iconic hairstyles. During a royal hunt in the Forest of Fontainebleau around 1679, her hair came undone; she hastily tied it up at the crown of her head using a ribbon from her garter. Charmed by this spontaneous, elegant disarray, Louis XIV asked her to keep the hairstyle. By the very next day, all the ladies of the court rushed to imitate the royal mistress, transforming this improvised gesture into a genuine fashion phenomenon that dominated Europe for over two decades.
A large, stately cage-style chandelier from late 18th-century Italy. Built around a central shaft of carved, gold-leafed wood retaining its original patina, the chandelier is distinguished by the refinement of its wrought iron structure. Sinuous metal arms with a patinated finish sweep upward in elegant scrolls, creating an airy, highly decorative cage form.
An important glazed earthenware (majolica) dinner service featuring scalloped edges. Each piece is hand-painted with a design of blue pleated ribbons—accented with small dots—alternating with delicate garlands of yellow flowers and green foliage against a creamy-white background.
This delicate Baroque cabinet painting stands firmly within the tradition of the 17th-century Bolognese School, reflecting the immense influence of its leading figure, Guido Reni. The work embodies the master’s aesthetic ideals: the Virgin’s face with its perfect oval shape and alabaster complexion, her gently lowered eyelids conveying a sense of melancholy, and her hair swept up and held simply by a diaphanous veil.
Charming polychrome glazed terracotta sculpture depicting a dog seated on an elegant blue cushion adorned with a gilt trim. The sculpture displays a remarkable attention to realism, as evidenced by the finely modelled fur and the particularly lifelike expression of the animal. The flowing treatment of the coat lends the composition a natural sense of movement and vitality. The dog wears a delicate yellow collar, emphasizing its domestic character while adding a subtle touch of colour to this decorative piece.
Elegant French fashion doll dating from the second half of the 19th century, featuring a polychrome papier-mâché head with finely hand-painted facial details. Its expressive face is enhanced by large fixed eyes and an open mouth revealing two small teeth, a characteristic feature of high-quality French dolls of the period. The body is fully leather-covered with articulated limbs, allowing for remarkable flexibility and posing. Offered without clothing, this doll is a fine collector’s piece. It recalls the productions of the great French doll makers of the late 19th century, although no firm attribution can be made in the absence of a maker’s mark.
*Capipote* This term, of Catalan origin, literally means “head and foot” (*cap i pota*) and perfectly describes the very structure of this type of religious sculpture. The Virgin’s head, hands, and feet are finely carved and polychromed, while the body consists of a simplified torso extending into an original blue gown; the figure is designed as a mannequin intended to be dressed in rich garments and ornaments suited to various liturgical feasts.
The inscription appears to read “À Monsieur / Marquet…” (“To Monsieur Marquet…”), a traditional pictorial detail serving to identify the patron or the intended recipient of the role symbolized by the young man.
This touching group portrait from the Restoration period depicts three young boys from a prominent bourgeois or aristocratic family, identified by an old label on the back as the children of the Prévôt Renaud de Saint-Lézin family. The composition is skillfully arranged within a restrained interior featuring a parquetry floor, set before a large frosted-glass door.