Henriette Bouvier bequeaths her collection to Museum
© CC0 Paris Musées / Musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris
The collection bequeathed by the Parisian antiquarian Henriette Bouvier (1887-1965) to the Carnavalet-History of Paris Museum contains a wide array of 18th century Parisian decorative art and pieces of furniture. Comprising over 300 works, it is presented here in its entirety by means of a virtual exhibition.
After being received by the museum in 1966, the Bouvier collection was first shown to the public in 1968. It occupied an enfilade of approximately 15 rooms devoted to the museum’s permanent exhibition, which were refurbished for the occasion. The collection perfectly reflects the creativity and variety of 18th century French decorative art.
With its over 300 works, the collection furnished rooms decorated with 18th century wood panelling, turning them into actual period rooms, meaning rooms that create the indoor atmosphere of a particular historical era. It included splendid pieces of wooden furniture (chairs, console tables, mirrors made from natural or painted wood) and cabinetry (tables, desks, writing desks or veneered chests of drawers), as well as European and Asian ceramics, small sculptures, luminaries, textiles, all of which immersed viewers in the sophisticated décor of an 18th century “Parisian” interior, recreated in the 20th century.