Anne-Aymone Giscard d’Estaing Is Selling Part of Her Collection

Mrs. Giscard d’Estaing, why did you decide to sell part of your collection? After my husband died, the house where we lived on rue Bénouville in the 16th arrondissement of Paris was too big for me to live there alone. My children picked the furniture and paintings they wanted to keep, and I took what could fit into my new apartment. I’m attached to things, but there comes a time when reality catches up with you and you have to make choices. For example, my imposing Garnier desk and cartonnier would look out of place in a modern home. I like them very much and I’ve had them all my life. They were in the Château de Fresne, where I grew up in Touraine. My husband and I lived there for ten years after getting married. Our children were brought up there. Family lore has it that my great-grandfather bought the desk, which is said to have belonged to the Duke de La Vallière, during the siege of Paris in the Franco-Prussian War. Your collection is made up of family heirlooms and items you’ve purchased. The sale catalog shows that you’ve bought back furniture and objects that belonged to your family. My husband was very attached to family heirlooms, and while we might make the decision to buy them together, he sometimes did it alone. He didn’t always ask my advice—sometimes to my surprise! An example is the Rochette Louis XV chest of drawers with lacquer panels…