Marie Antoinette: The Trendsetter and Her Domain
The Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette’s former domain, is a masterpiece neoclassical architecture situated in the grounds of the magnificent Chateau Versailles. Whenever I visit this part of France, I’m reminded how this charming piece of architecture is as celebrated today as it was hundreds of years ago. It is an exemplar of the history of taste and of the arts in the 18th century as a page of France social and political history that went through a glorious renovation in 2006, with the help of a generous $6 Million donation from their sponsor Montres Breguet. I can talk quite a bit about this little gem of a place.
Marie Antoinette whose full name was Josepha Johanna von Habsbourg-Lothringen, Archduchess of Austria, Imperial Princess, Royal Princess of Hungary and Bohemia, Dauphiness of France, Queen of France and Navarre
Where do I start? How about the château itself, which was designed so that the royals could avoid the presence of their servants, or the troupe l’oeil wood panelling which were used for the less important rooms as a cost-saving measure? Everything about the Petit Trianon embodies the pefection of an era and society, its style and technical expertise. While Versailles represents power and splendor, the Petit Trianon represented serenity and privacy.
Let’s talk briefly about the lady who once occupied this house, Marie Antoinette. So much has been written about her, but little ever mentioned about how as a member of royalty, she was without a doubt THE trendsetter of her time. She was a lady who valued her privacy, and dressed skillfully but casually for a woman in her position. She craved independence and often dressed like a maid or shepherdess. Whether she was with her close friends and sometimes in front of her real maids, she imitated lives that were so different from her own. Her straw hats adorned with flowers was so different from the demands of traditional fashion that they appeared scandalous to those who would have certainly liked to see less of a simple woman and more of a Queen. This kind of defiance certainly didn’t help her case, and she began to slowly lose favor with the French people. Marie Antoinette’s quest for beauty and her aspiration to reach a form of authenticity and purity eventually led her to develop a lifestyle that would leave its mark on the history of trend setting.
Le Trianon
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