Soieries Impériales Pour Versailles : Collection Du Mobilier National

Exhibition at the Grand Trianon, Château de Versailles, 19 March - 23 June 2024

In February 1810, Napoleon I, who wanted to redecorate Versailles, placed an order with the silk manufacturers in Lyon. At a time of economic crisis for the factories, the silk manufacturers in Lyon delivered no less than 80 km of fabric to the Imperial Furniture Guard in the space of 2 years.

As it was not possible to install these textiles before the fall of the Empire, more than 18,000 pieces remained in the Garde-Meuble. Some pieces were used during the Restoration, the July Monarchy and the Second Empire, but many of the new strips were never used.

This exhibition catalogue highlights the sumptuousness and variety of the fabrics ordered in 1810, illustrating in an original way the major projects that the Emperor wanted for his installation in the palaces of Versailles and Trianon, and placing them in their historical, economic and technical context. The book brings together a unique collection of 120 silks that have remained in an exceptional state of preservation.