François Etienne Villeret

signed and dated Villeret 48 lower right

Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, London

London, Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, Interiors, November 6-December 11, 1981, no. 637

Charlotte Gere, An Album of Nineteenth-Century Interiors, Watercolors from Two Private Collections, exh. cat., The Frick Collections, New York, 1992, p. 160.

Colors are fresh; original paper is laid down at corners to card, the visible areas of which have been watercolored light purple.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the mid nineteenth century, François Etienne Villeret painted a number of exquisitely decorated Parisian interiors including the Lobau Palace and Princess Wittgenstein's residence in the Place Vendôme. While the present interior has yet to be indentified, the opulent furnishings and decorations suggest the wealth and taste of the owner, while the many jars, vials, brushes, hand mirrors and porcelain water pitchers are among the many items required for a beauty regime (perhaps of the elegant woman pictured in the hanging portrait).  The overall design scheme is largely in the Louis XIV and Rococo styles typical of the eclectic taste of  French interior decoration of the period.  The extensive use of vine-patterned textiles to cover the walls and ceilings is a particularly striking element in the room's décor. This technique was popularized by Empress Josephine, who hired architects Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine to redecorate Malmaison.  Decades later, tented ceilings continued to recall Napoleon's campaign tents, while mirroring contemporary interest in the Classical decadence of the ancient Romans and the exotic allure of the Middle East.