STUDY AND BOUDOIR An evocation of interiors from La Comédie humaine (The Human Comedy), with a juxtaposition of two worlds, two lifestyles that should have no intersections, public space vs. private space: a study and a boudoir. The study is as close as possible to the study of the lawyer Derville described in Le Colonel Chabert (Colonel Chabert). The same furniture decorates nearly all the studies of the lawyers, bankers, doctors and usurers that appear in La Comédie humaine. Thanks to his experience clerking for lawyers and notaries from 1816 to BOUDOIR 1819 and his high society acquaintances, Balzac positioned himself as a witness to social justice when it plays out in these private places, making us take on the eye OF FŒDORA of Justice – human or providential – in the tragic endings to his plots. Each apartment had a In contrast, the ideal boudoir is revealed. This interior borrows from the character of its own, as in wealthy English houses; boudoirs of La Comédie humaine: that of Paquita, La Fille aux yeux d’or (Girl with and the silken hangings, the Golden Eyes), the one at the beginning of Une fille d’Ève (A Daughter of Eve) the style of the furniture, and, more specifically Fœdora’s boudoir in La Peau de chagrin (The Wild Ass’s Skin) and the ornaments, even the most trifling, were all with its neo-Gothic furniture. Through the importance attributed to fabric, the subordinated to the boudoir merges with stage props: draped window and door curtains, festoons, original idea. In a gothic boudoir the doors were valances and curls, adorned with decorative trimmings. They share the same concealed by tapestried refinement, although the significance can change by the space occupied by the curtains, and the paneling boudoir in the apartments: its greater or lesser proximity to company spaces like by hangings; the clock and the pattern of the carpet the drawing room – such as Mme de Bargeton’s boudoir in Illusions perdues (Lost were made to harmonize Illusions) – defines its real level of privacy. with the gothic surroundings. The ceiling, with its carved cross-beams of brown wood, was full of STUDY OF LAWYER DERVILLE charm and originality; the panels were beautifully The office was a large room furnished with the traditional more important clients whose cases were juicily stewing at wrought; nothing disturbed stool which is to be seen in all these dens of law-quibbling. this present time. The dirty window-panes admitted but the general harmony of the The stove-pipe crossed the room diagonally to the chimney little daylight. Indeed, there are very few offices in Paris scheme of decoration, not of a bricked-up fireplace; on the marble chimney-piece were where it is possible to write without lamplight before ten in even the windows with several chunks of bread, triangles of Brie cheese, pork the morning in the month of February, for they are all left their rich colored glass. I cutlets, glasses, bottles, and the head clerk's cup of to very natural neglect; every one comes and no one stays; was surprised by the chocolate. The smell of these dainties blended so completely no one has any personal interest in a scene of mere routine- extensive knowledge of with that of the immoderately overheated stove and the -neither the attorney, nor the counsel, nor the clerks, odor peculiar to offices and old papers, that the trail of a fox trouble themselves about the appearance of a place which, decoration that some artist would not have been perceptible. The floor was covered to the youths, is a schoolroom; to the clients, a passage; to had brought to bear on a with mud and snow, brought in by the clerks. Near the the chief, a laboratory. The greasy furniture is handed down little modern room, it was window stood the desk with a revolving lid, where the head to successive owners with such scrupulous care, that in so pleasant and fresh, and clerk worked, and against the back of it was the second some offices may still be seen boxes of remainders, not heavy, but subdued clerk's table. The second clerk was at this moment in Court. machines for twisting parchment gut, and bags left by the with its dead gold hues. It It was between eight and nine in the morning. The only prosecuting parties of the Chatelet – a Court which, under had all the vague sentiment decoration of the office consisted in huge yellow posters, the old order of things, represented the present Court of of a German ballad; it was announcing seizures of real estate, sales, settlements under First Instance (or County Court). So in this dark office, thick a retreat fit for some trust, final or interim judgments, all the glory of a lawyer's with dust, there was, as in all its fellows, something romance of 1827, perfumed office. Behind the head clerk was an enormous room, of repulsive to the clients – something which made it one of by the exotic flowers set in which each division was crammed with bundles of papers the most hideous monstrosities of Paris. their stands. with an infinite number of tickets hanging from them at the ends of red tape, which give a peculiar physiognomy to law HONORÉ DE BALZAC HONORÉ DE BALZAC papers. The lower rows were filled with cardboard boxes, Le Colonel Chabert (Colonel Chabert) La Peau de chagrin yellow with use, on which might be read the names of the (The Wild Ass’s Skin) Public sale notice Rural Scene H. de Balzac Print Works Oil on canvas, 19th c. Facsimile based on an original Donated by Dr. Henry Du Buit notice from 1828, conserved at (1988) the Balzac Museum (BZ Saché, Balzac Museum, 1999.2.189) BZ 1999.2.553 Desk Undetermined wood (alder?), Views of Paris ca. 1815 Lithographs with watercolour On loan from the Mobilier National, light, from the book Paris dans GME 170 sa splendeur. Monuments, Louis XVIII must have been very vues, scènes, Charpentier, attached to this desk since we 1861. Saché, Balzac Museum, BZ Panel section can see him sitting at it in his 1999.1.533-539 study at the Tuileries, as pained Sculpted, painted oak, by Baron Gérard and exhibited ca. 1790. On loan from the at the 1824 Salon. Delivered by Mobilier National, the cabinet-maker Clément in Clock GME C 269 1815: “a walnut office table « Héro and Léandre » Panel section from the Palais Pierre-François FEUCHÈRE tinted mahogany, table feet de la Conciergerie in Paris. The (1737-1823) with sheaths [...], around the presence of a compass Gilded, patinated bronze, ca. circumference a moulding with indicates Masonic symbolism. 1820. On loan from the Mobilier a lip...”. Furniture comprising a On both his paternal and divan, two corner benches, National, GML 243 maternal sides, Balzac’s family four armchairs and two were staunch Freemasons. Writing case with accessories chairs Fireplace rack Gilded, patinated bronze, ca. Wood, leather desk blotter, 1st Amarinthine speckled maple, Cylinder secretary desk 1840 Empire period. ca. 1830. On loan from the Pierre ROUSSEL Paris, Mobilier National, Hôtel Gouïn museum collection, Mobilier National, GMT 31102, Mahogany and gilded copper, GML 390 Tours, HG 935.010.0001, from the 31103, 31104 and 31105 ca. 1785. On loan from the Acquired in 1841 from Nicolle et stores of the Société Archéologique This set was acquired by the Mobilier National, Finbert, then located at 64 rue de Touraine. Mobilier National in Paris, from GME 13343 Amelot in Paris. It bears two Hôtel Drouot, on 14 June 1996. A piece of furniture that Chocolate cups and saucers The divan appears at the marks from the Tuileries. For became widespread after 1770 Balzac, like many of his Sarreguemines earthenware, homes of Canalis, Mme and that offered the benefit of contemporaries, the greyhound China model, XIXe siècle. Hôtel Moreau, Beatrix, Lucien de securing one’s papers by was associated with the Gouïn museum collection, Tours, Rubempré, the Duchess of means of a rolling quarter aristocracy. It is even the title of a HG 2002.014.72/73/74/78, from Langeais and more. A “square cylinder. Like with roll top chapter in Les Paysans (The the stores of the Société divan in the centre of the secretary desks, a portion Peasants), and its death with its Archéologique de Touraine. salon”, ancestor to the round serves as a secure box for throat cut announced the end of sofa, is even included in Une papers or money. Balzac Fille d’Ève (A Daughter of Eve). a certain nobiliary lifestyle. describes one of these in Carpet Orient Boukahara, 20th century. Derville’s study (Le Colonel Draperies made by the tapestry Chabert / Colonel Chabert), at On loan from the Mobilier National, GMT 2860. workshop Le Crin et la Plume Braulard’s home (Illusions perdues / Lost Illusions), and with the support of two are mentioned in the office Lamp of Bellona Argan oil lamp, 19th century. of banker Adolphe Keller (Cesar Property of the Indre-et-Loire Birotteau) and the financier Claparon (Un Homme d’affaires Departmental Council Pair of Medici vases / Man of Business). Sèvres porcelain, 1814 Office chair On loan from the Mobilier National, Mahogany, ca. 1820 Filing cabinet GML 883/1 and 2 Mahogany, 19th century On loan from the Mobilier National, Model gifted by Alexandre- GMT 10707 On loan from the Mobilier National, Théodore Brongniart in 1806. It Young Balzac wrote of an GME 11828 seems to only have been made “armchair made of oak painted This type of furniture is in the size of 32 cm. Balzac in mahogany, covered in described in certain interiors frequently referenced Sèvres.