LA VOYEUSE DE MADAME ÉLISABETH À MONTREUIL Lot n° 22

Moulded natural wood voyeuse, the tapered and fluted legs surmounted by dice with rosettes, executed for the billiard room of Madame Elisabeth at the Château de Montreuil (Versailles) and delivered with another in April 1789. Stamped by Jean-Baptiste SENÉ (1748-1803), received master in 1769. Bears a handwritten label on which is inscribed "for the service of Madame / Elizabeth in Montreuil / n° 54 / Salle de Billard". Louis XVI period, circa 1789. Blue velvet upholstery with floral motifs. Two crosspieces redone. H. 95 x W. 50 x D. 50 cm. Provenance - Princess Elisabeth of France, known as Madame Elisabeth (1764-1794), sister of kings Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X, at the Montreuil estate (Versailles). - French private collection. - Aguttes sale, March 31, 2016, lot 224. - French private collection. History The Château de Montreuil was owned by the Prince and Princess of Rohan-Guémenée, who decorated and furnished it around 1776-1780. Following their resounding bankruptcy in 1783, Louis XVI bought the castle for his young sister, Madame Elisabeth. She liked it and decoration works were undertaken in 1788-89, in order to rejuvenate the existing fabrics, replace or complete the existing furniture (which came from the Guémenée family). Sets of seats were then ordered from Séné (sometimes completing the series previously made by Jacob), generally painted in white or grey and covered with tapestry executed by Madame Elisabeth and her ladies.