T he biannual sale Style - Mobilier et Objets d’Art is a tribute to the decor of the great Parisian stately homes, comprising not only important furniture and objets d’art with prestigious provenance but also more accessible and charming pieces. It is precisely this combination that brings character to these interiors, where beauty is the watchword.
La Rochefoucauld family history is entwined with that of this imposing building, which has dominated the Charente for a thousand years; from the first stronghold built in the Middle Ages to the present day castle. François I de La Rochefoucauld received King François I there in 1516, Charles V stayed there a few years later and in the 16th century, under the impetus of Anne de Polignac, the famous library was built. The lords of Verteuil rallied around the Protestants and all along kings and queens were welcomed to the castle: Henri IV, Catherine de Medici’s, Louis XIII, Anne of Austria.
The château survived the Revolution and Hippolyte de La Rochefoucauld, minister during the Restoration, turned it into a romantic haven that was perpetuated through the 19th century, which conserved its interior decoration borrowed from earlier eras. It is this spirit that is reflected today in the pieces to be offered at auction. The provenance, collection of La Rochefoucauld from the Château de Verteuil, is indicated for each lot, allowing new buyers to appropriate a small part of the rich history of this extraordinary place.
