Rectangular back shepherd's chair made of cream... Lot 339

Rectangular back shepherd's chair made of cream relacquered wood and rechampi gold, the armrests supported by detached balusters topped by balls, the belt arched, it rests on baluster feet with rings and arched. Stamped Jacob D rue Meslée it has an old label " Mobilier de M le duc de Frioul, inv 27, passage du salon du rez de chaussée " Empire period Iron mark of the Tuileries palace under the restoration (chips) H : 97 - W : 63 - D : 56 cm Géraud Christophe Michel Duroc, appointed Grand Marshal in 1804, accompanied Napoleon during the most prosperous periods. The only great civil officer of the crown to reside permanently close to the emperor, his responsibility is considerable: The Grand Marshal must ensure Napoleon's safety wherever he resides (imperial palaces, simple bivouacs in the countryside or castles placed at the disposal of the imperial suite). He was also responsible for the upkeep of the imperial residences: their maintenance, embellishment and furnishing in liaison with the Intendant General of the Emperor's Household. He also distributes accommodation to members of the imperial family, guests, and all members of the imperial court, and is also in charge of serving the food. If the Crown Estate is administered by the Intendant General, the works, embellishments and furnishings are also his responsibility, but the verification of the final result is the responsibility of the Grand Marshal of the Palace. Imperial etiquette gives him great power in matters of furnishing. But in reality, the emperor alone decides. All furnishings (tapestries, hangings, furniture), embellishments or new constructions in the palaces were carried out solely on his orders: when the Grand Marshal intervened, he merely relayed Napoleon's instructions. His letters to the Intendant General almost always began with "His Majesty wishes". The work in the Crown Estate having been considerable, Napoleon was very demanding. He dictated his wishes to Duroc: the letter of 3 January 1805 written by the Duke of Frioul and addressed to Claret de Fleurieu attests to this: "His Majesty wishes to know what stage has been reached in the furnishing of the Château de Fontainebleau? How far along are the works at Meudon, either those for the gardens or those which she ordered for the stables? How far have the works and furnishings of Laeken progressed? What has happened to the work and furnishing of Stupini? Her Majesty instructs me to repeat the request she made of you for information on the small park of Versailles to know how much land has been alienated and to whom it belongs? 1 He participated fully in the administration of the House of the Emperor With a budget of 15 million francs, including more than 3,000 servants and nearly 200 officers, this institution multiplied its activities in order to magnify the new power. The services of the Grand Marshal cost three million francs a year. The entire expense was financed by Napoleon's Civil List, his personal income of 25 million francs a year paid from the Treasury. The emperor was obliged to finance the imperial pomp from his own funds. Napoleon said of him: "His service was exact and regular; it was only when my day was entirely closed and finished, when I was already resting, that his began. Duroc was pure, moral, completely unselfish in receiving, extremely generous in giving. He was a remarkable fighter and an excellent diplomat, inseparable from Napoleon's personal adventure, of whom he was one of the closest military collaborators, from the army of Italy to his tragic death on 22 May 1813. 1- AN O2150, folio 87