Re: Burglary at Empress Eugénie's Chinese Museum in Fontainebleau Archived Message
Posted by Arthur  on March 3, 2015, 1:16 am, in reply to "Re: Burglary at Empress Eugénie's Chinese Museum in Fontainebleau"
Yes, Joye, this is this Castle.
The Grand Staircase in the shape of a horseshoe dates back to the Renaissance and has given its name (or rather one of its names) to the large rectangular courtyard in which it is located ('Cour du Fer-à-cheval', i.e. Horseshoe Courtyard). This courtyard is also named 'Cour du Cheval Blanc' (Courtyard of the White Horse), from a statue of a horse once standing in the middle of the courtyard.
This Horseshoe Staircase was the direct source of inspiration for the Horseshoe Staircase of Monaco's Princely Palace:
In 1814, Napoleon I signed his (first) abdication in the Castle, then paid a moving farewell to his troops assembled in the Horseshoe Courtyard, before leaving France for exile on the island of Elba, off the Toscan shores. Therefore, the Horseshoe Courtyard (aka the Courtyard of the White Horse) was also romantically named 'Cour des Adieux' (the Farewell Courtyard) or 'Cour des Larmes' (Tear Courtyard)!
Antoine Alphone Montfort (1802-1884), Napoleon's farewell to the Imperial Guard in the Cheval-Blanc (White Horse) courtyard of the Palace of Fontainebleau
The Chinese Museum is located on the groundfloor of the so-called 'Gros Pavillon' (Big Pavillion, on the left of the following picture):
The embassy sent to Napoleon III in 1861 by the King of Siam was a marking event of the reign of the Emperor. The Siamese ambassadors were received in the large Renaissance Ballroom of the Castle of Fontainebleau. The crown which was stolen on Sunday can be seen on this painting at the bottom right:
Jean-Léon Gérôme, Reception of the Siamese ambassadors by Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie in Henri II's Ballroom in Fontainebleau on 27th June, 1861. Painted in 1864, displayed at the Museum of the Château de Versailles.
And, to drive the discussion back to "classic" jewellery, Empress Eugénie wore for this reception of the Siamese ambassadors her Greek-meander Tiara, topped with the splendid 140-carat 'Régent' Diamond:
(Credit: all pictures, except the last one, from Wikipedia Commons)
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