Showcasing the master of French furniture in a storied castle
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A leading French furniture maker of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, André Charles Boulle was best celebrated for perfecting the writing desk, translating it into an opulent symbol of power. He worked for the royal family and French nobility—from King Louis XIV to the Duchess of Burgundy—creating slender, curved, decorative designs that would endure across France, shaping the trajectory of furniture design.
Château de Chantilly’s exhibition is the first ever in France solely dedicated to Boulle’s life and work. The desks on show demonstrate his high technical perfection—particularly in metal-and-tortoiseshell marquetry and gilt-bronze mounts—accompanied by bookcases, consoles, chandeliers and much more.
The exhibition is curated by Mathieu Deldicque, lead heritage conservator and director of the Musée Condé, in collaboration with Sébastien Evain and William Iselin, celebrated experts in French 18th-century furniture and objets d’art.
Image: Boulle’s works at the Château de Chantilly. Credit: Sophie Lloyd – Galerie des Batailles.
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