Le Parc De Groussay : Aquarelles D'alexandre Serebriakoff

Charles de Beistegui revealed Alexandre Serebriakoff (1907-1995) as an exceptional interior painter by commissioning him to paint views of Groussay, which today testify to the elegance and refinement of his house.

However, Beistegui's passion for building was not limited to the château. Alongside the work to embellish the building, he undertook other work in the park, where he had buildings constructed in the purest taste in vogue in the 18th century. Between 1950 and 1969, a dozen buildings were built in the garden - a Tartar tent, an aviary, a Palladian bridge, a column, a temple of love, a Chinese pagoda, etc. As with the interiors of Groussay, Beistegui asked Sébriakoff to produce watercolour views of these follies.

In this book, which completes the cycle of study of the collaboration between Charles de Beistegui and Alexandre Serebriakoff begun with the publication of Groussay and then Le Palais Labia in Venice, Pierre-Arizzoli-Clémentel studies the history of the fabriques of the Groussay park. His research on their origins, the sources of inspiration for Charles de Beistegui and the evolution of the various projects are illustrated with watercolours by Alexandre Serebriakoff and numerous archive documents. The unrealized or abandoned projects are also studied, many of which are still unknown to the public.