Submitted by Sir Joshua, Mar 20, 2008 10:55

An excellent article. I knew that the French sold off the contents of Versailles - as they did of many noble hotels in Paris, etc., to finance the Revolution, much like the Russians in 1918 - but then they spent alot of time furnishing the Palace after repeated ravishings, particularly that of the Nazis in WW II. A walk through the ground floor 'Royal' apartments is something like a walk through a well panelled barn, it has actually got a bit scruffy, and the lack of furniture belonging to former occupants is very obvious. I suppose we must register the fact that each generation brought their own menuisiers and upholsters, from Louis XIV to Napoleon III, but that still leaves a chill in the air. The idea of bringing together Marie Antoinettes furniture from the various royal palaces is quite a chore. I suppose the development of the art history industery during the 20th Century has helped to locate a number of strayed pieces, but still the chore is daunting. This is an excellent article. Enough to make one wonder if it will cross the pond after it's stint in the Grand Palais. Fingers crossed.

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