THE URBAN MANSION IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY PARIS: TRADITION, INVENTION AND SPECTACLE By LINDA D. STEVENSON A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2011 1 © 2011 Linda D. Stevenson 2 To my family, friends and colleagues, with gratitude 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS One of the most rewarding parts of this research project was the opportunity to work with a talented group of mentors and advisors. I was very fortunate to have such a committee, composed of four individuals with a broad range of knowledge and insights. The committee was chaired by Roy Eugene Graham, FAIA, Beinecke-Reeves Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for World Heritage Research and Stewardship, University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning. Margaret Portillo, PhD. chairs the Department of Interior Design at the University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning, and is the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Interior Design. Carol J. Murphy, PhD., Professor of French, is the Director of the France-Florida Research Institute and was honored with a Chevalier dans l’ordre de la Légion d’honneur. Susan Tate, AIA, LEED AP, is a Preservation Architect and Professor Emeritus, Department of Interior Design at the University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning. I am most grateful for the guidance provided by each committee member. Professor Graham’s expertise in French classical architecture guided my understanding of the depth and influence of this tradition throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, both in Europe and in the Americas. I am grateful for his consistent encouragement to develop clear interpretations and conclusions from the gathered data and to persevere during the course of this work at the University of Florida. The philosophical approach to this inquiry was developed from studying research methods with Dr Portillo. Her deeply insightful guidance inspired a rigorous approach to identifying and mining data sources, refining the research methodology and developing the appropriate analytical tools to evaluate and interpret the findings. This in turn required an ongoing 4 examination of my own construct of history and led to the development of the research methodology diagram included in Appendix A. Dr. Murphy provided great insight into the overarching cultural themes of the period of study, ( 1850s to 1880s), including the emphasis on the great flow of wealth, resources and people facilitated by the physical, social and political realms of the Second Empire. In her suggestion to review pivotal works of period French literature, the novel La Curée by Émile Zola, provided a trove of contextual data in the depictions of the glittering architectural and urban world of the upper classes. In addition to these detailed descriptions of social mores, grand mansions and opulent interior spaces, the moral dimension of the period was brought into a sharply critical focus. Professor Tate was instrumental in the selection of this dissertation topic, as it all began with her invitation to participate on her research project documenting the restoration of the eighteenth-century State Apartments in the Hôtel de Talleyrand for the United States Department of State. She completed the book, Concorde, in 2007, which was presented at the grand opening of the restored State Apartments in commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Marshall Plan. During our investigative work for this project, the opportunity for additional research into the nineteenth-century design modifications on the building’s exterior and interior fabric, and the obscurity of the intriguing architect for this highly compatible and skillfully executed nineteenth- century addition, piqued my interest. Colleagues from both sides of the Atlantic graciously shared their knowledge. Fabrice Ouziel, architect for the restoration project of the eighteenth-century Hôtel de Talleyrand State Apartments, was an excellent role model. His meticulous research methodology and his deep 5 knowledge and love of French eighteenth- and nineteenth-century architecture were invaluable assets in developing my understanding of the period of study. I am indebted to Didier Repellin, Architecte-en-chef des Monuments Historiques and historic architect for the recent restoration of the Hôtel Baronne Salomon de Rothschild, who was, as always, very generous in sharing his deep knowledge of French historic architecture and in opening doors for me in research institutions. Through his assistance, I was able to visit the site during the restoration work and meet art historian Pauline Prévost-Marcilhacy, whose expertise regarding the architectural works of the Rothschild family is unparalleled. François Braun, principal of F.S. Braun & Associés, architects for renovations to the Hôtel de Talleyrand, graciously invited us to visit the project site and shared his knowledge of the building. Michel Borjon, director of GRAHAL, was very generous in sharing his firm’s research work on the Hôtel Baronne Salomon de Rothschild, in his willingness to answer my numerous questions and in suggesting ideas and sources for further research. In the United Kingdom, the Rothschild Archives was an invaluable source for research. I would like to thank Justin Cavernelis-Frost, archivist, for scouring the files for sources of information. Claire Amandine-Soulié kindly assisted in establishing contacts at the Archives Nationales in Paris to assist with my research in that institution’s archives. At Waddesdon Manor, director Pippa Shirley provided access to the archives and to the property. Access to both institutions was facilitated by Dr. Ulrich Leben, Professor at Bard College, who provided detailed insights into the role of the Rothschild collections within the interiors of their grand residences. At the Château de Ferrières, Mireille Munch, arranged for access, which allowed me to roam through the mansion and grounds of James de Rothschild’s country estate. The visit took 6 place on a wonderful December day, lit with a lemony-pale winter light on snow covered lawns, with deer the only other occupants in the park. I had the sense that this was an experience much like the family might have enjoyed when they lived on the property. In France, several archivists and historians facilitated access to their collections and provided suggestions of sources for further research. In particular I would like to thank Patrick Lapalu, archivist for the Archives départementale du Val d’Oise and François Paget, a scholar knowledgeable on the history of the ville de Saint-Gratien. My friend and colleague Pascal Filâtre, Architecte du Patrimoine, deserves special mention for his hospitality during my extended stay in France. I am grateful for his generosity in sharing ideas, contacts and connections with the historic architecture community and his passion for historic French architecture. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................11 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................18 ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................19 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................21 An Inventive Spirit .................................................................................................................21 Case Study: The Urban Mansion of the Baronne Salomon de Rothschild .............................22 Research Focus .......................................................................................................................25 Project Development .......................................................................................................25 Research Questions .........................................................................................................26 Organization of the Document ........................................................................................28 Notes .......................................................................................................................................31 2 “IN PARIS ONLY ELEGANCE COUNTS.” ROTHSCHILD MANSIONS: VANGUARD OF THE RISING HAUTE BOURGEOISIE ...................................................33 Rise of the Haute Bourgeoisie ................................................................................................33 In Paris, Only Elegance Counts” 1811-1830 ..........................................................................34 Urban Mansions for the New Haute Bourgeoisie: 1830-1851 ...............................................36 Tradition and Invention in the Urban Mansion: 1852-1870 ...................................................40 A Tradition Continues: 1870-1890 .........................................................................................42 Building the Client’s Self-image ............................................................................................46 A New Century .......................................................................................................................47