Every attempt has been made to replicate the original as printed.
Some typographical errors have been corrected; a list follows the text.
Illustration markings have been moved from mid-paragraph for ease of
reading. The printed French has not been corrected or modernized.
(etext transcriber's note)
CHANTILLY
[Illustration: _Mary Stuart at the age of nine years from the drawing in
the Musée Condé at Chantilly._]
CHANTILLY
IN HISTORY AND ART
BY LOUISE M. RICHTER
(MRS. J. P. RICHTER)
WITH PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1913
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
TO MY DEAR FRIEND
MRS. LUDWIG MOND
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED
PREFACE
My first visit to Chantilly was in April 1904, when the Exhibition of
the French Primitives at the Pavillon Marsan, following close on that at
Bruges, raised interest and comment far outside the boundaries of
France. I visited the Musée Condé with the intention of studying some
more examples of the French fifteenth-and sixteenth-century art which
had so much attracted me in Paris.
The high expectations I had conceived were not disappointed, and the
result was that my studies in that marvellous collection were prolonged.
Weeks grew into months. The Limbourgs, Jean Fouquet, and the Clouets
held me in their spell; the Château of Chantilly, with the history of
its famous owners, aroused my interest more and more.
Through the great courtesy of the late M. Anatol Gruyer and of M.
Gustave Macon, Directors of the Musée Condé, I was given access to all
the art-treasures within its walls and I was allowed to while away my
time with the famous miniatures and drawings and with the pictures in
which I was so much interested. Tranquil and undisturbed, often quite
alone, meeting now and then only the furtive glance of one or other of
the Museum attendants, who were always ready at hand to be of service,
I was enabled to pursue my studies without interruption, owing to the
great kindness of my friend M. Macon. The excellent Library, too, was at
my disposal, as well as the manuscripts in the Cabinet des Livres.
Nor was that all. When at the end of the day the Museum doors were
closed I could walk in the vast park of the Château along its shady
avenues and watch the swans gliding on the silent waters, whilst the
autumn leaves were the sport of the varying breezes. In that unbroken
solitude Time, now long past, brought before me once more kings and
queens, courtiers and warriors, ladies of beauty and fame: and amid my
reveries I seemed to recognise the well-known faces whose
representations I had just left in the galleries within. For was it not
here, in these woods and on these lakes, that they had lived and feasted
in the manner recorded in the chronicles of their time?
Thus, irresistibly attracted by degrees, I conceived the idea of writing
about the history and the art at Chantilly: and I undertook a task which
grew gradually in my hands to dimensions that at first I had not
anticipated.
My chief study, as mentioned above, was intended to be on the French
fifteenth-and sixteenth-century artists which the Duc d'Aumale so
successfully collected. To the Italian and the Northern Schools and the
later French periods at the Musée Condé I have purposely given but a
passing mention, since they are equally well or better represented in
other galleries.
The Bibliography which I have appended shows that much has been written
on early French Art in France, especially during the last fifteen years;
and I feel greatly indebted to authors such as Comte Leopold Delisle,
Comte Paul Durrieu, MM. George Lafenestre, Anatol Gruyer, Louis Dimier,
Gustave Macon, Moreau Nelaton, Sir Claude Phillips, Mr. Roger Fry and
others, by whose works I have greatly profited, as also by my husband's
expert knowledge. But no book exactly covering this ground has as yet
been written in the English language.
More than special acknowledgment and thanks are due to Mr. Robert H.
Hobart Cust for his help and valuable suggestions. In the arduous task
of revising the proofs of this book he was assisted by my son Mr. F. J.
P. Richter. I have also great pleasure in expressing my deep gratitude
to my dear friend Mrs. Ludwig Mond, whose constant encouragement was of
inestimable value to me.
I am indebted to Mr. Murray for the personal interest he has so kindly
shown in the many details which this work entails.
LOUISE M. RICHTER.
_London, October 1913._
CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE.....vii
AUTHORITIES CONSULTED.....xxv
FIRST PART
_CHANTILLY AND ITS HISTORY_
CHAPTER I
CHANTILLY AND ITS OWNERS: THE MONTMORENCYS
The Origin of Chantilly; the Gallo-Roman Cantillius; the Seigneurs of
Senlis; the Orgemonts; the Montmorencys; the Great Constable of France;
he builds the Petit-Château; the architects Jean Bullant and Pierre
des Iles; the fair Charlotte de Montmorency; Henri IV madly in love
with her; the last Montmorency condemned to the scaffold by Richelieu;
Chantilly becomes the property of the French Crown.....3
CHAPTER II
CHANTILLY AND THE CONDÉS
The origin of the Condés; their adherence to the Protestant Faith;
Eléonore de Roy, Princesse de Condé, a staunch Huguenot; the two
brothers, Antoine de Navarre and Louis I de Bourbon Condé; Catherine
de Medicis sides with Condé in order to counterbalance the ascendancy
of the Guises; she succeeds in estranging him from his wife; severe
censure of Calvin; premature death of the Prince de Condé; his son
Henri de Bourbon succeeds to the title; he sends all his family
jewels to Queen Elizabeth to help the Huguenot cause; Charlotte de la
Trémoille his second wife; his death; his son Henri II is heir to the
Crown until the birth of Louis XIII; he is imprisoned for political
reasons by Richelieu; his release; Louis XIII on his deathbed gives
back Chantilly to its rightful owners.....16
CHAPTER III
THE GRAND CONDÉ
The Duc d'Enghien; his _mariage de convenance_ with Claire-Clemence;
his attachment to Marthe de Vigeau; Richelieu appoints him General
of the French army; the Hero of Rocroy; after his father's death he
assumes his title but is styled the Grand Condé; his victories at
Fribourg, Nördlingen, and Lens; he puts down the Fronde and brings the
boy-king Louis XIV back to Paris.....33
CHAPTER IV
CLAIRE-CLEMENCE, PRINCESSE DE CONDÉ
The enmity between Mazarin and Condé; the latter and his brother
Conti are arrested; the courageous efforts made by Claire-Clemence
to liberate her husband; her flight from Chantilly; Turenne escorts
her to Bordeaux where she is received with great enthusiasm; Paris
clamours for the release of Condé; the Queen is obliged to send Mazarin
with an unconditional order for this purpose; his entry into Paris;
he expresses his gratitude to the Princess his wife; new difficulties
arise; Condé's alliance with Spain; he leaves France and goes over to
the enemy.....47
CHAPTER V
CONDÉ'S ALLIANCE WITH SPAIN
Condé is defeated by Turenne at Dunkirk; the Peace of the Pyrenees is
signed; Condé is reinstated in all his rights; he returns to Chantilly
and lives there in retirement; Le Nôtre lays out the gardens and park;
Condé invents a hydraulic machine to receive the waters of the Nonette;
Mansart arrives at Chantilly and begins his alterations to the old
feudal castle.....59
CHAPTER VI
FESTIVITIES AT CHANTILLY
The marriage of the Duc d'Enghien with Anne of Bavaria; Claire-Clemence
is neglected by her husband; her health breaks down; a mysterious
affair; she proclaims her innocence; she is banished to the fortress of
Châteauroux; great festivities at Chantilly; Louis XIV and his Queen
Maria Theresa visit Chantilly.....69
CHAPTER VII
THE GRAND CONDÉ A WARRIOR ONCE MORE
Louis XIV after the death of Philip IV of Spain asserts the Flemish
rights of his wife; he suddenly declares war, and summons the Grand
Condé and Turenne to lead the French army; Condé conquers Franche-Comté
and the King makes Lille a French town; William of Orange inundates
the whole of Holland to save it from invasion by the French; the
Grand Condé is wounded; he returns to Chantilly; not yet recovered,
he is summoned back by the King; Turenne is confronted by Montecucoli
and meets his death near Salzburg; Condé by his brilliant operations
preserves Turenne's army and shuts out Montecucoli from Alsace, thus
terminating this great campaign; Madame de Sevigné, Bossuet, Corneille,
Racine, and Molière at Chantilly; death of the Grand Condé.....78
CHAPTER VIII
THE LAST CONDÉS
Succession of Henri Jules de Bourbon; he carries out his father's
wishes with regard to Chantilly; he is succeeded by his son Louis III,
who outlives him but a short time; Louis Henri de Bourbon inherits the
title when only eighteen; he builds the great stables; Louis XV visits
Chantilly and is magnificently entertained; the Prince de Condé is made
Prime Minister of France in 1723; influence of the Marquise de Prie
over the Prince; after her death he marries a princess of Rhinfeld; the
young châtelaine of Chantilly is greatly admired by Louis XV; he pays
frequent visits to the Château; his death; the succession of the infant
Louis Joseph de Bourbon in 1740; he marries Charlotte de Rohan-Soubise;
their only son Louis Henri Joseph marries at the age of sixteen a
Princess d'Orléans; Marie Antoinette visits Chantilly as Dauphine;
the Comte and Comtesse du Nord at Chantilly; a famous hunting party;
Princesse Louise de Condé and the Marquis de Gervaisais; an able speech
in Parliament by the Duc d'Enghien when only sixteen years of age; the
Revolution breaks out; the Condés leave France.....89
CHAPTER IX
CHANTILLY DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION
Chantilly deserted; the Château devastated and used as a prison for
political offenders; the so-called Black Band razes the Grand Château
to the ground; Chantilly becomes State property under Napoleon; the
Prince de Condé head of the French emigrés; he and his regiment
subsequently find refuge in Russia; his arrival in England; his simple
home at Wanstead; the tragic death of the Duc d'Enghien; the collapse
of the French Empire; the Prince de Condé returns to Chantilly; he
restores his ancestral mansion, and dies; the last of the Condés
selects his nephew, Prince Henri d'Orléans, as his heir.....106
CHAPTER X
THE DUC D'AUMALE AND LORD OF CHANTILLY
The Duc d'Aumale owner of Chantilly; Chantilly the French Epsom; the
heir of the Condés at Algiers; his victory at La Smalah; his marriage
with Princess Caroline de Bourbon, daughter of the Prince of Salerno;
Chantilly the home of the newly married pair; their son and heir named
Prince de Condé; Louis-Philippe pays a visit to Chantilly; the Duke
takes the command of the French Army in Algeria; the Duc d'Aumale in
exile; his home at Twickenham; death of his eldest son; death of the
Duchess; the Duke returns to Chantilly after the fall of the Second
Empire; sudden death of the Duc de Guise, his only surviving son; the
architect Daumet undertakes to rebuild the Grand Château; visit of the
Prince and Princess of Wales to Chantilly; the Republic pronounces
sentence of banishment on all claimants to the throne of France; the
Duc d'Aumale included in this decree; he returns to England; his home
at Wood Norton; he publicly announces his intention to leave Chantilly
with all its forests, parks and art-treasures to the French nation;
President Carnot signs a decree that France will welcome him back; he
returns to Chantilly amid great rejoicings of the people; the sculptor
Dubois is commissioned to erect his statue at Chantilly.....116
SECOND PART
_THE MUSÉE CONDÉ_
CHAPTER XI
THE ART TREASURES OF THE MUSÉE CONDÉ
The Duc d'Aumale joins the ranks of the great European collectors; his
pronounced taste as a bibliophile; he purchases the Standish Library
in 1851; the _Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry_ are acquired in
1855; the Reiset Collection of 380 drawings is bought in 1861; an
exhibition is organised at Orleans House; Disraeli's speech; the first
French drawings acquired from the Utterson sale; the Pourtales Vase
and the Minerva; the Madonna of the _Maison d'Orléans_; the Sutherland
collection of French drawings is purchased; the portrait of _Antoine de
Bourgogne_; the Carmontelle Collection is added; the Reiset Collection
of paintings acquired; Victor Hugo addresses a letter to the Duc
d'Aumale on his election as member of the Institut de France; Raphael's
_Three Graces_ purchased from the Earl of Dudley; over 300 French
drawings are acquired from Lord Carlisle; the Duc d'Aumale makes his
last important acquisition--the forty miniatures by Fouquet from the
_Book of Hours_ of Etienne Chevalier.....129
CHAPTER XII
FRENCH ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPTS AT CHANTILLY
A note in the _Inventory_ of the Duc de Berry mentions Pol de Limbourg
and his brothers as the authors of the _Très Riches Heures_; Fouquet
mentioned by François Robertet, Secretary to Pierre de Beaujeu Duc de
Bourgogne; the Cabinet des Livres of the Duc d'Aumale; the _Psalter_ of
Queen Ingeburge; the _Breviary_ of Jeanne d'Evreux; the _Très Riches
Heures du Duc de Berry_ discovered at a villa near Genoa.....154
CHAPTER XIII
THE _TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY_
This work marks an important epoch in the history of French Art; the
_Calendar Months_ by Pol de Limbourg (the eldest brother); the scenes
from the _Life of Christ_ joint work of the three brothers; _the
Zodiac_; _the Plan of Rome_; the Duc de Berry a collector of medals;
his sudden death interrupts the completion of his _Livre d'Heures_;
Jean Colombe, half a century later, undertakes the painting of the
remaining miniatures; his mediocre workmanship.....165
CHAPTER XIV
JEAN FOUQUET OF TOURS
Court-Painter to Charles VII and Louis XI; inspired by the work of the
Limbourgs; a similar inclination for landscapes in his backgrounds;
Etienne Chevalier, Treasurer of France, his patron; the forty
miniatures by Fouquet at Chantilly; Fouquet well known in Italy as
a painter; commissioned to make a portrait of _Pope Eugenius IV_;
mentioned by Vasari; his impressions in Italy shown in the miniatures
at Chantilly and in the MS. of the _Antiquitates Judæorum_; his strong
individuality; his sense of humour and other characteristics.....179
CHAPTER XV
JEAN PERRÉAL AND BOURDICHON
Bourdichon's name found upon cartridge-cases made out of old accounts
and contracts; the _Prayer-Book_ of Anne de Bretagne and its
ornamentation of flowers; Perréal painter to the Duc Pierre de Bourbon;
studies Fouquet's work at Moulins; the miniatures of the MS. of _St.
Michel_ in the Bibliothèque Nationale attributed to Perréal by Durrieu;
affinity between the angels in the MS. and those in the triptych
at Moulins; why the original drawings of the _Preux de Marignan_
are likely to be by Jean Perréal rather than by Jean Clouet; the
handwriting of Perréal identified on the back of a drawing attributed
to him; the Tournois tapestries; Perréal mentioned in the Royal
Accounts as Architect and Sculptor; his medals representing _Louis XII_
and _Anne de Bretagne_ in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, and in the
Wallace Collection.....196
CHAPTER XVI
JEAN CLOUET
Migrates to France; settles at Tours; marries Jeanne Boucault;
his portrait of _Oronce Finé_ exists only in an engraving; his
craftsmanship of a more elaborate nature than that of Perréal; the
_Duc de Guise_ and the unknown man at Hampton Court; his portrait
of _Francis I_ in the Louvre; _Queen Claude_ and her sister
_Renée_; numerous drawings to be attributed to Jean Clouet; his
characteristics.....211
CHAPTER XVII
FRANÇOIS CLOUET AND HIS FOLLOWERS
Favoured by Francis I; he adheres at first to parental teaching;
_Mary Stuart_ in her girlhood by Germain le Mannier; _Mary Stuart_ as
Dauphine and as Queen of France; _Francis II_; _Charles IX_ by François
Clouet; his exquisite drawing of _Margot de France_ at Chantilly;
portrait of _Pierre Quthe_ at the Louvre; the portrait of _Odet de
Coligny_ at Chantilly; _Catherine de Medicis_ as a collector; her
handwriting identified on the margins of drawings at Chantilly, and
elsewhere; Corneille de Lyon and the _Dauphin François_; Jean de Court
court-painter to Henri III; Carron and the brothers Lagneau; Daniel
Dumoustier; his portrait of _Henri, Duc de Guise_; the Quesnels,
court-painters to the first Bourbon Kings; the painting of Gabrielle
d'Estrées and her two sons at Chantilly.....227
CHAPTER XVIII
FROM NICOLAS POUSSIN TO COROT
_Dr. Fagon_ by Mathias le Nain; Nicolas Poussin; his drawing of
_Daphne_; Gaspar Poussin; Claude Lorraine; Mignard and his portrait
of _Molière_; the portrait of _Louis XIV_ by Rigaud; Largillière and
his portrait of a _friend of the Condés_; he painted _Liselotte as a
Naiad_; the _Princesse de Condé_, wife of Louis Joseph, by Nattier;
Desportes and Oudry; a copy by Boucher of a portrait of _Watteau_ by
himself; the relations between Crozat and Watteau; Lancret adopts
Watteau's style; _Madame Adelaide de France_ by Latour; the portrait
of _Georgette_ by Greuze; the small portraits of the Royal Bourbons
and of the _Bourbon Condés_ by Fragonard; Ingres; Delaroche and
Eugène Delacroix; Descamps represented by no less than ten paintings;
Fromentin's _Arab Chiefs hawking in the Sahara_; Meissonier and his
great pupil Detaille; Corot and the Barbizon School; the tomb of the
Duc d'Aumale by Dubois.....248
INDEX.....279
LIST OF PLATES
PLATE
I. MARY STUART IN HER GIRLHOOD _Frontispiece_
_Germain le Mannier, Musée Condé._
FACING PAGE
II. GUILLAUME DE MONTMORENCY 4
_Attributed to Perréal, Musée Condé._
III. THE CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY 6
IV. ANNE DE MONTMORENCY 8
_François Clouet, Musée Condé._
V. HENRI II DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ 12
_School of François Clouet, Musée Condé._
" GENEVIÈVE DE BOURBON 12
_Beaubrun, Musée Condé._
VI. ANTOINE DE BOURBON 16
" CHARLOTTE DE LA TRÉMOILLE 16
_School of Francois Clouet, Musée Condé._
VII. LOUIS I DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ 18
" HENRI I DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ 18
_School of François Clouet, Musée Condé._
VIII. FRANCIS II 20
_François Clouet, Bibliothèque Nationale._
IX. JEANNE D'ALBRET, QUEEN OF NAVARRE 22
_François Clouet, Musée Condé._
X. CATHERINE DE MEDICIS 26
_Attributed to Corneille de Lyon, Musée Condé._
" HENRI II 26
_François Clouet, Biblothèque Nationale._
XI. THE GRAND CONDÉ 36
_David Teniers, Musée Condé._
XII. THE VIRGIN AS PROTECTOR OF THE HUMAN RACE 42
_E. Charonton and Vilatte, Musée Condé._
" THE TOMB OF THE DUC AND DUCHESSE DE BRETAGNE IN
THE CATHEDRAL AT NANTES 42
_Executed after Designs by Perréal._
XIII. CHANTILLY BEFORE 1687 50
XIII. CHANTILLY IN THE TIME OF THE GRAND CONDÉ 50
XIV. ANTOINE DE BOURGOGNE, CALLED LE GRAND BÂTARD 62
_Memling, Musée Condé._
XV. MOLIÈRE 84
_Mignard, Musée Condé._
XVI. CHARLOTTE DE ROHAN SOUBISE, PRINCESSE DE CONDÉ 96
_Nattier, Musée Condé._
XVII. LOUIS JOSEPH DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ 104
_Madame de Tott, Musée Condé._
XVIII. LOUIS HENRI JOSEPH DE BOURBON, LAST PRINCE DE CONDÉ 114
_Danloux, Musée Condé._
XIX. HENRI D'ORLÉANS, DUC D'AUMALE 124
_Léon Bonnat, Musée Condé._
XX. THE "MINERVA" OF CHANTILLY 136
_Greek Bronze, Musée Condé._
XXI. THE "MADONNA" OF THE HOUSE OF ORLÉANS 140
_Raphael, Musée Condé._
XXII. A GAME OF CHESS 144
_Carmontelle, Musée Condé._
XXIII. THE MYSTIC MARRIAGE OF ST. FRANCIS 146
_Sassetta, Musée Condé._
" PORTRAIT OF SIMONETTA VESPUCCI 146
_Piero di Cosimo, Musée Condé._
XXIV. THE THREE GRACES 148
_Raphael, Musée Condé._
XXV. THE STORY OF ESTHER 150
_School of Sandro Botticelli, Musée Condé._
XXVI. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
PLAN OF ROME 152
_Pol de Limbourg and his Brothers, Musée Condé._
XXVII. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
JANUARY 154
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXVIII. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
FEBRUARY 156
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXIX. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
APRIL 158
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXX. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
MAY 160
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXXI. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
JUNE 162
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXXII. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
JULY 164
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXXIII. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
AUGUST 166
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXXIV. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
OCTOBER 168
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXXV. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
DECEMBER 170
_Pol de Limbourg, Musée Condé._
XXXVI. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
THE ZODIAC 172
_Pol de Limbourg and his Brothers, Musée Condé._
XXXVII. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
THE PROCESSION OF THE MAGI 174
_Pol de Limbourg and his Brothers, Musée Condé._
XXXVIII. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
THE FALL OF THE REBEL ANGELS 176
_Pol de Limbourg and his Brothers, Musée Condé._
XXXIX. THE "TRÈS RICHES HEURES DU DUC DE BERRY":
THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN 178
_Pol de Limbourg and his Brothers, Musée Condé._
XL. ETIENNE CHEVALIER AND HIS PATRON SAINT 180
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLI. THE VIRGIN WITH THE INFANT CHRIST 181
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLII. THE MARRIAGE OF THE VIRGIN 182
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLIII. THE ANNUNCIATION 184
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLIV. THE VISITATION 186
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLV. THE BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST 188
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLVI. THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI 190
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLVII. THE ASCENSION 192
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLVIII. ALL SAINTS' DAY 194
_Jean Fouquet, Musée Condé._
XLIX. SEIGNEUR DE LA PALISSE 202
" COMTE DE LIGNY 202
_Attributed to Perréal, Musée Condé._
L. ERASMUS 204
" JUST DE TOURNON 204
_Attributed to Perréal, Musée Condé._
LI. FRANCIS I 206
_Perréal, Musée Condé._
" MINIATURES OF FRANCIS I AND CÆSAR 206
_After Perréal, British Museum._
LII. LOUIS XII 208
" ODET DE FOIX 208
_Attributed to Perréal, Musée Condé._
LIII. MEDALS OF LOUIS XII AND ANNE OF BRITTANY 210
_After Designs by Perréal, Victoria and Albert Museum._
" MEDAL OF JEAN CLOUET 210
_Victoria and Albert Museum._
LIV. THE DAUPHIN FRANÇOIS 212
_Jean Clouet, Antwerp._
LV. MONSIEUR DE NEVERS 214
_Jean Clouet, Musée Condé._
" DUC DE GUISE 214
_Jean Clouet, Musée Condé._
LVI. FRANCIS I 216
_Jean Clouet, Louvre._
LVII. QUEEN CLAUDE OF FRANCE 218
_Attributed to Perréal, Musée Condé._
" RÉNÉE DE FRANCE, DUCHESS OF FERRARA 218
_Attributed to J. Clouet, Musée Condé._
LVIII. THE DAUPHIN FRANÇOIS 220
" HENRI D'ORLÉANS 220
_Jean Clouet, Musée Condé._
LIX. MADAME VENDÔME D'ALENÇON 222
" JEANNE BOUCAULT 222
_Jean Clouet, Musée Condé._
LX. MADAME L'ESTRANGE 224
_Jean Clouet, Musée Condé._
LXI. JEANNE D'ALBRET IN HER GIRLHOOD 226
_Jean Clouet, Musée Condé._
" MADAME MARGUERITE, SISTER OF HENRI II 226
_Attributed to François Clouet, Musée Condé._
LXII. FRANCIS I 228
_Jean Clouet, Louvre._
" MARGUERITE, QUEEN OF NAVARRE, SISTER OF FRANCIS I 228
_Attributed to François Clouet, Musée Condé._
LXIII. CHARLES IX 230
_François Clouet, Vienna._
LXIV. MARY STUART AS QUEEN OF FRANCE 232
_François Clouet, Bibliothèque Nationale._
LXV. ELISABETH OF AUSTRIA, QUEEN OF FRANCE 234
_François Clouet, Bibliothèque Nationale._
" JOSSINE PISSELEU 234
_François Clouet, Musée Condé._
LXVI. PIERRE QUTHE 236
_François Clouet, Louvre._
LXVII. MARGOT OF FRANCE 238
_François Clouet, Musée Condé._
LXVIII. DIANE DE POITIERS 240
_François Clouet, Musée Condé._
LXIX. MARY TUDOR 242
_Copy after Perréal, Musée Condé._
" MADAME DE BOUILLON 242
_Attributed to J. Clouet, Musée Condé._
LXX. THE DAUPHIN FRANÇOIS AT THE AGE OF TWENTY 244
_Corneille de Lyon, Musée Condé._
LXXI. HENRI DE GUISE 246
_Dumoustier, Musée Condé._
" MARÉCHAL DE VIELVILLE 246
_François Clouet, British Museum._
LXXII. DAPHNE METAMORPHOSED INTO A LAUREL TREE 250
_Nicolas Poussin, Musée Condé._
LXXIII. LOUISE-HENRIETTE DE BOURBON CONTI 254
_J. M. Nattier, Musée Condé._
" A FRIEND OF THE CONDÉS 254
_Largillière, Musée Condé._
LXXIV. JOSEPH AND POTIPHAR'S WIFE 258
_Prud'hon, Musée Condé._
" THE GUITAR PLAYER 258
_Watteau, Musée Condé._
LXXV. YOUNG GIRL 262
_Greuze, Musée Condé._
LXXVI. ARAB CHIEFS HAWKING IN THE DESERT 272
_Eugène Fromentin, Musée Condé._
LXXVII. THE GRENADIERS AT EYLAU 274
_Détaille, Musée Condé._
LXXVIII. CONCERT CHAMPÊTRE 276
_Corot, Musée Condé._
LXXIX. TOMB OF THE DUC D'AUMALE 278
_P. Dubois, in the Cathedral at Dreux; cast at Chantilly._
AUTHORITIES CONSULTED
DUC D'AUMALE:
Histoire des Princes de Condé pendant le XVI et le XVII siècle. 7
vols. Paris: Calman Levy, éditeur; _Recueil Anglais Philobiblon
Miscellanies_.
BERENSON, BERNHARD:
A Sienese Painter of the Franciscan Legend, Stefano di Giovanni,
called Sassetta, _Burlington Magazine_, 1903.
Amico di Sandro, _Gazette des Beaux Arts_, 1899.
The Study and Criticism of Italian Art. London: George Bell & Sons,
1901-1902.
BOUCHOT, HENRI:
Les Primitifs Français, Librairie de l'Art Ancien et Moderne.
Les Clouets et Corneille de Lyon, Séries "Artistes Célèbres."
COLVIN, SIR SIDNEY:
Catalogue of Drawings at the British Museum.
Selected Drawings by Old Masters in the University Galleries and in
the Library at Christ-Church, Oxford.
CUST, LIONEL:
Some Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, _Studio_, 1897.
Notes on the Authentic Portraits of Mary Queen of Scots. John
Murray, 1903.
The Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace and Windsor, with an
Introduction and Descriptive Text. 1906.
CUST, ROBERT H. HOBART:
The Life of Benvenuto Cellini. A New Version. George Bell & Sons,
1910.
DELISLE, COUNT LEOPOLD:
Les Livres d'Heures du Duc de Berry, _Gazette des Beaux Arts_,
1884.
Le Cabinet des Livres au Château de Chantilly, _Revue de l'Art
Ancien et Moderne_, 1900.
Les Heures du Connétable de Montmorency, etc.
DILKE, LADY:
French Painters of the Eighteenth Century.
French Engravers and Draughtsmen. George Bell & Sons.
DIMIER, LOUIS:
French Paintings in the Sixteenth Century. London: Duckworth & Co.
DURRIEU, COUNT PAUL:
Heures de Turin avec 45 feuillets à Peintures des "Très Belles
Heures." Paris: 1902.
Les Débuts de Van Eyck, _Gazette des Beaux Arts_, 1903.
Les Aventures de deux Splendides Livres d'Heures ayant appartenu au
duc Jean de Berry, _Revue de l'Art Ancien et Moderne_, 1911.
FRIEDLÄNDER, MAX:
Die Votivtafel des Etienne Chevalier von Fouquet, _Jahrbuch der
Königl_. _Preussischen Kunstsammlungen_, 1896.
Die Brugger Leihaustellung, _Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft_.
FRY, ROGER:
The Exhibition of French Primitives, _Burlington Magazine_, 1904.
French Painting in the Middle Ages, _Quarterly Review_, 1904.
English Illuminated MSS. at the Burlington Fine Arts Club, 1908.
GRUYER, ANATOLE:
La Peinture au Château de Chantilly.
Les Quarante Fouquet.
LABORDE, MARQUIS LÉON:
Renaissance des Arts à la Cour de France.
Les ducs de Bourgogne.
Études sur les Lettres, les Arts et l'Industrie pendant le XV
Siècle.
LAFENESTRE, GEORGE:
Les Primitifs à Bruges et à Paris, 1900, 1902, 1904, _Librairie de
l'Art Ancien et Moderne_.
Jehan Fouquet, "Les Artistes de tous les temps." Séries B.
MACON, GUSTAVE:
Château de Chantilly et le Parc, _Revue de l'Art Ancien et
Moderne_.
Chantilly et le Musée Condé, _Librairie Renouard_.
MANTZ, PAUL:
La Peinture Française du IX Siècle à la fin du XVI; Alcide Picard
and Kaan, éditeur.
MAULDE, DE LA CLAVIÈRE:
Jean Perréal; Ernest Leroux, éditeurs.
MOREAU-NELATON, ETIENNE:
Les Le Mannier, Peintres officiels à la cour des Valois, _Gazette
des Beaux Arts_, 1901.
Les Clouet, Peintres officiels des Rois de France.
Le Portrait à la cour des Valois et les Crayons français du 16ième
siècle conservés au Musée Condé à Chantilly, _Librairie des Beaux
Arts_, rue Lafayette.
NOLHAC, PIERRE DE, et ANDRÉ PÉRATÉ:
Le Musée National de Versailles; Braun, Clément & Co.
PHILLIPS, SIR CLAUDE:
Impressions of the Bruges Exhibition, _Fortnightly Review_.
Masterpieces of French Art in the Eighteenth Century in Possession
of the Emperor of Germany.
TURNER, P. M., and C. H. COLLINS-BAKER:
Stories of the French Artists from Clouet to Delacroix. London:
Chatto & Windus, 1909.
WILLIAMS, H. NOEL:
The Love-affairs of the Condés. Methuen & Co.
FIRST PART
_CHANTILLY AND ITS HISTORY_
CHAPTER I
CHANTILLY AND ITS OWNERS
THE MONTMORENCYS
The Château of Chantilly, now known as the Musée Condé, the magnificent
gift so generously bequeathed to the French nation by the late Duc
d'Aumale, has experienced great changes and passed through many
vicissitudes.
At a very early date a Gallo-Roman, by name Cantillius, fixed his abode
upon an isolated rock, in the midst of wild forest and marshland; hence
the name of Chantilly.
In the ninth century we find established here the Seigneurs of Senlis,
who bore the name of _Bouteillers_, from their hereditary task of
wine-controllers to the Kings of France--an honorary post which they
held for some centuries. But the last scion of that sturdy race, having
seen his castle pillaged during the Jacquerie of 1358, died without
issue.
After changing hands through three decades, Chantilly in 1386 became the
property of Pierre d'Orgemont, Chancellor to Charles V of France, who
laid the foundations of an imposing feudal fortress, flanked by seven
stately towers.
Several centuries later a change again occurred in the ownership of
Chantilly. By default of male issue it passed into the possession of
Jean II, Baron de Montmorency, who married Marguerite, sole heiress of
the Orgemonts; and with this illustrious family Chantilly emerged from
comparative obscurity into historical fame. Henceforth it became a
favourite centre for the leading men of France, and within its
hospitable walls kings and princes found sumptuous entertainment.
Matrimonial alliance in the beginning of the seventeenth century brought
the property into the family of the Condés, a younger branch of the
Bourbons; and later still, by the marriage of the last Prince de Condé
with Princesse Bathilde d'Orléans, and the tragic death of their only
son, the Duc d'Enghien, Chantilly passed into the possession of its last
private owner, Prince Henri d'Orléans, Duc d'Aumale.
The family of the Montmorencys was well known and famous in France
during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, but became extinct under
Richelieu, who, for reasons of state, sent the last scion of that race,
Henri de Montmorency, to the scaffold.
[Illustration: Plate II.
Photo. Giraudon.
GUILLAUME DE MONTMORENCY.
Attributed to J. Perréal.
Musée Condé.]
Guillaume, son of Jean de Montmorency, who married the heiress of
Chantilly, joined in an expedition to Italy under Charles VIII of
France. There are portraits of him in the Louvre, and at Lyons, whilst a
fine crayon drawing representing him in his younger days is to be found
in the portfolios of the Musée Condé. He it was who, in 1515,
constructed the Chapel of the Château, obtaining from Pope Leo X a bull
for its foundation. He married Anne de Pot, and their eldest son was the
famous Anne de Montmorency, known as the _Grand Connétable_. Queen Anne
of Brittany held him at the baptismal font, conferring upon him her own
name, and he was educated with the Duc d'Angoulême, afterwards King
Francis I.
Anne de Montmorency in early youth distinguished himself by artistic
taste, probably acquired at the Court of Louise of Savoy, mother of
Francis I. No sooner had he succeeded his father as Lord of Chantilly
than he endeavoured to create a mansion more in accordance with the
refined taste of his time. Without demolishing the fortifications and
the stately towers of the Orgemonts, he succeeded in introducing more
light into the mediæval chambers by piercing their walls with large
windows. He hung the interior of the castle with tapestries, and
furnished it richly with the artistic spoils of his expeditions into
Italy. He also commenced the formation of the famous Library,
subsequently continued by the Condés until it reached the fame which it
enjoyed under its latest owner, the Duc d'Aumale.
Under the Grand Connétable's directions were executed the forty-four
painted glass windows still at Chantilly. They illustrate the legend of
_Cupid and Psyche_ after cartoons by the school of Raphael, and were
produced in France about 1546 by Jean Mangin and Leonard Gautier.
Montmorency's artistic tastes, however, did not prevent him from being
the greatest warrior of his time. Together with his maternal uncles,
Gouffier de Boissy and Gouffier de Bonnivet, he was numbered among the
so-called _Preux_ who fought victoriously by the side of King Francis I,
at the Battle of Marignan. He followed the King to Pavia, where he was
made a prisoner with his Royal master, and in 1530 he was at Bayonne, to
negotiate the release of the young Princes of Valois, who had been kept
as hostages by the Emperor Charles V. After the Peace of Madrid he again
fought against the Imperial troops in Picardy, and it was upon this
occasion that he received the title of "Great Constable" of France.
In spite, however, of his great prowess he fell into disgrace with the
King through the intrigues of Madame d'Estampes. As in the case of the
Connétable de Bourbon, Francis I, ever fickle in his friendships, became
so jealous of Montmorency's fame that the latter was obliged at last to
retire to Chantilly; where he employed his time in improving this
favourite abode. He constructed on an island close to the older feudal
castle, the fine Renaissance palace known as the Petit-Château, which by
some miracle has remained almost intact to this day. It is probable that
Jean Bullant, the architect of Ecouen, was consulted with regard to this
Petit-Château at Chantilly, for the style of its architecture marks
the transition between the mediæval Gothic and the period of the
French Renaissance, and ranks it with buildings such as the châteaux of
Chambord, Chenonceaux, d'Azay le Rideau, and Langeais.[1]
[Illustration: PLATE III.
THE CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY.]
This style, according to Viollet-le-Duc, grew up like the beech-trees
and the willows near the Loire, and--as in the case of Chantilly--is
often found side by side with feudal castles of a much older period; the
owners of which, apparently unwilling to demolish their ancestral homes,
preferred at the same time to occupy more modern and commodious
residences.
The chief distinction between the French and Italian Renaissance is that
the former is less conventional and offers less regularity of style in
its building. It is a style that reached its climax in the châteaux of
Blois and Chambord, each of which preserves some characteristics of the
nobles who erected them, although the names of the actual architects, in
spite of their undoubted creative skill, remain for the most part
unknown. Such is the case with the Petit-Château of Chantilly.
Anne de Montmorency was an intimate friend of Diane de Poitiers, the
friend and mistress of Henri II. This lady was owner of the Château of
Clemonceaux, which no doubt served as a model to Montmorency when
erecting his own new palace. The complete absence of documents with
regard to this structure is greatly to be regretted, but the
supposition that Jean Bullant, who was in constant relation with Pierre
des Iles, known as "Maçon" of Chantilly, had a hand in its erection, as
stated above, is by no means unreasonable. It is an architectural gem,
and provoked the admiration of Leonardo da Vinci and Benvenuto Cellini,
who both enjoyed hospitality within its walls.
Anne de Montmorency was created Duke by Henri II, and after the sudden
death of that King he succeeded in securing the goodwill of Francis II
and Charles IX. Queen Catherine de Medicis cordially disliked him, but
nevertheless endeavoured to use him as a tool against the Huguenot Louis
I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé.
In 1562 he won the battle of Dreux against Condé and Coligny, and he
routed them again in 1567 at Saint-Denis, though at the sacrifice of his
own life; for he was severely wounded, and died shortly afterwards in
Paris.
Anne de Montmorency at various stages of his life is presented in a
series of French drawings, dating from 1514, as a _Preux de Marignan_,
down to his old age. There also exists a drawing of his wife Madeleine
de Savoie. By a fortunate coincidence these drawings--of which we shall
speak later on--have found their way back to Chantilly. In the
stained-glass windows of the chapel, painted in 1544, may be seen
portraits of his numerous children executed by Bardon after
still-existing cartoons by Lechevallier Chevignard. In order to complete
the family the Duc d'Aumale commissioned the artist Guifard to add on
the walls of the same chapel portraits of the great Constable and his
wife.
[Illustration: Photo. Giraudon.
ANNE DE MONTMORENCY.
François Clouet.
Musée Condé.]
After the death of Anne de Montmorency, his eldest son François became
Lord of Chantilly. He married Diane de France, whose portrait is also
amongst the drawings in this collection. She was a natural daughter of
Henri II, and widow, at the early age of eighteen, of Orazio Farnese,
Duca di Castro. Brantôme says of her that it was not possible to see a
lady mount on horseback like her, nor with better grace. The woods of
Chantilly offered great opportunities to her passion for the chase, and
it was probably for this reason that, in the company of her
mother-in-law, Madeleine of Savoy, she made it her principal residence.
Diane, so called after her godmother Diane de Poitiers, was a great
favourite with her royal brothers, and after the death of her husband
became known by the title of "Duchesse d'Angoulême." Since she was
childless, François de Montmorency was succeeded by his brother Henri,
who distinguished himself as one of the strongest opponents of the
_Ligue_. He, too, was created Constable, and subsequently assisted Henri
IV in the reconquest of his kingdom. His second wife, Louise de Budos,
died at the early age of twenty-three, soon after giving birth to a son
and heir, called Henri after his father. Their elder child, a daughter,
Charlotte, was renowned for her beauty; and Lord Herbert of
Cherbury--who in his _Memoirs_ describes Chantilly at that
period--expressed a wish for her portrait in order that he might show
it to the Queen of England. Invited by Henri de Montmorency to make a
lengthened stay at Chantilly, he was so enchanted that he calls it "an
incomparably fine residence, admired by the greatest princes of Europe."
He relates that the Emperor Charles V was received by the first Duc de
Montmorency, Anne, the _Grand Connétable_, whilst on his way across
France from Spain to the Netherlands; and that after that monarch had
examined the castle with its moats, bridges, and extensive forests, he
was so overcome with admiration that he said he would gladly give one of
his provinces in the Netherlands for this unsurpassable residence.
Lord Herbert further discourses upon the hangings of silk adorned with
gold, and of the pictures, statues, and works of art in the sumptuous
chambers of the Château. He also mentions the huge carp and trout in the
ponds, and the merry hunting parties attended along the avenues by packs
of hounds.
Another great admirer of Chantilly was Henri IV, who was on terms of
intimate friendship with Henri de Montmorency. This King was even
accustomed to visit Chantilly during the absence of its owner, and had
his own apartments there and his own garden, the so-called _Jardin du
Roy_, of which he enjoyed superintending the arrangements.
There was, however, another reason for his numerous surprise visits: no
less an object than Charlotte, Duke Henry's beautiful daughter. Bereft
of her mother, as we have seen, at an early age, she was presented at
the French Court by her aunt, the Duchesse d'Angoulême, and her beauty,
as described by Bentivoglio, seems to have been of so irresistible a
charm that it made a deep impression on the fancy of the gallant King.
So great indeed was the admiration which he displayed for the young
Charlotte de Montmorency that it became a matter of public notoriety,
and throws a curious light upon the famous personages of that period and
their morals.
Although Charlotte had not yet attained her fifteenth year, a marriage
had been arranged for her with the brilliant Bassompière, at that time a
great favourite with the King. His Majesty had given his consent to the
marriage; but he nevertheless one day made the following proposals to
Bassompière: "Listen! I wish to speak to you as a friend. I am in love
with Mademoiselle de Montmorency, and that even madly. If you marry her
and she loves you, I should hate you; if she loved me, she would hate
you. Now, for the sake of our mutual friendship, it would be better that
this marriage should not take place, for I love you with real affection
and inclination. I have therefore resolved to arrange a marriage between
Mademoiselle de Montmorency and my nephew the Prince de Condé in order
to keep her near me. She will thus be the consolation of my old age. To
my nephew, who prefers the chase to the ladies, I shall give 100,000
francs a year and claim nothing for it in return but the affection of
the newly-married couple!" After this confession, poor Bassompière
understood that he had better comply with the King's wishes, and the
fair Charlotte was therefore married to Henri II de Bourbon, third
Prince de Condé. The wedding was celebrated at Chantilly with much pomp,
and the King lavished splendid jewels and rich dresses upon his new
niece, making no secret of the admiration he cherished for her. He spoke
of it as only a fatherly affection; but in spite of his good intentions
his fancy took the character of so violent a passion that he could not
control it. Condé, not insensible to what was going on, purposely
retired to his remotest country-seats so as to protect his wife from the
gallantries of the King; but, unable to endure her absence, Henri
appeared disguised as a falconer at one of the hunting parties,
whereupon Charlotte, who was present, fainted on recognising him. His
distress at being separated from his "_bel ange_" was so great that even
the Queen, Marie de Medicis, took pity on him, and entreated Condé to
return with his charming wife to Court, and Malesherbes sang the amours
of the King in glowing love-poems. Condé, considering the honour of his
young wife at stake, carried her off instead to the Netherlands, on a
visit to his sister the Princess of Orange. When the King heard of this
he was furious, and asserted that the charming Princess had been
compelled to leave her country by force. He sent a captain of his own
Guard to explain the matter to the Archduchess Isabella, at that time
Governess of the Netherlands, whilst Chaussé, a police official, was
ordered to follow up the fugitives and prevent their reaching Belgium.
Chaussé actually overtook the Princess, who, having been obliged to
leave her carriage near the River Somme, had broken down after a fifteen
hours' ride on horseback.
[Illustration: PLATE V.
HENRI II DE BOURBON, PRINCE DE CONDÉ.
GENEVIÈVE DE BOURBON.
_Musée Condé._]
But we cannot digress here to pursue this love-affair of Henri IV and
Charlotte de Montmorency. Suffice it to say that, transferred to foreign
territory, it immediately became a _cause célèbre_, and even threatened
for a time to create serious political disturbances between France and
Spain. The fact that the Regent of the Netherlands, in order to please
both parties, allowed the Princesse de Condé to prolong her visit to the
Princess of Orange but at the same time ordered her husband to leave the
Netherlands within three days, was severely commented upon by the
Marchese Ambrogio di Spinola, at that time representative at Brussels of
the Spanish Court.
This valiant captain, originally a Genoese merchant, had equipped 9,000
men at his own cost, and with them had succeeded--where so many had
failed--in confronting Prince Maurice of Nassau and terminating the
siege of Ostend. Reduced after this exploit to comparative inactivity,
he hailed an opportunity likely to bring about a conflict between
personages of such importance as Henri IV of France and the King of
Spain.
There was, moreover, another motive for Spinola's pertinacity in
retaining the Princesse de Condé in the Netherlands in spite of the
most urgent entreaties of the gallant King. He himself was also
suspected of having become enamoured of that dangerous beauty, and he
alleged that it was quite against Spanish etiquette that Henri II de
Bourbon, Prince de Condé, a Prince of the Blood Royal of France, should
not have received the honours due to his rank while passing through the
Netherlands. Condé, who, leaving his young wife with the Princess of
Orange, had already departed to Cologne, was therefore recalled. He saw
his wife, and received a gracious welcome from the Archduchess and the
Prince and Princess of Orange; and then, accompanied by his secretary,
in a violent snowstorm and under Spanish escort, he left for Milan,
secretly determined to seek the assistance of Philip II, King of Spain,
against the grievous wrong done to him by Henri IV.
The gallant King enjoyed the _rôle_ of Lancelot, and the fair Charlotte
was rather proud of his attentions, so that their amours became a
subject of discussion and comment throughout the whole of Europe. It was
even alleged that Henri IV was preparing for war against the Netherlands
to obtain by force the return of the Princesse de Condé, held in bondage
by the Archduchess Isabella in Flanders. This, however, was in truth but
a pretext on the part of the King; for in spite of the libertinism in
which His Majesty indulged on this occasion, and which seemed for the
moment to overcloud his sense of right and wrong, we must remember that
Henri IV always proved himself a patriot, and one whose constant
endeavour it was to advance the welfare of France. We may, therefore,
surmise with the late Duc d'Aumale that it was chiefly his desire to
liberate Europe from the Austrian yoke, and thus give to France the
position he wished her to hold--not merely the _beaux yeux_ of the
Princesse de Condé--which actually induced him to prepare for war.
Nevertheless he so successfully frightened the Archduchess Isabella that
she agreed to let the Princess depart at last.
In the midst, however, of all these unsolved problems Henri IV was
suddenly struck down by the hand of Ravaillac, and as soon as the news
reached Condé, who was already on his way to Spain, he immediately
returned to France and made a temporary truce with the Regent, Marie de
Medicis. But to his wife he seemed unforgiving, requesting her father,
Henri de Montmorency, to keep her at Chantilly.