PARIS.- On June 17 and 18, Christie's will present in Paris two exceptional sales dedicated to the Collections of the Château de Tournay. Assembled with exceptionally fine discernment by their owner, they reflect a demanding vision deeply representative of the grand French taste. They bring together a remarkable ensemble of classical decorative arts as well as a richly endowed library. According to Hippolyte de la Féronnière, Director of the Furniture and Works of Art Department and Head of Sale: it is quite rare to find a collection of classical decorative arts paired with a bibliophile's library. The current owner fully restored the château to house his collections in a refined and coherent setting, with a library perfectly integrated into the décor.

Quintessentially French in taste, the Château de Tournay was once the residence of Voltaire, in the canton of Geneva. Tapestries and furniture, works of art and silver, paintings by major Old Master, Impressionist and Modern artists form a harmonious ensemble enhanced by prestigious provenances.

The library, equally remarkable, brings together nearly 200 precious volumes dating from the 18th to the 20th century. Exquisite bindings and illustrious provenances — including Marie-Antoinette, Madame de Pompadour and Marie-Louise — punctuate this selection destined to appeal to the most discerning collectors. Comprising some 220 pieces acquired between the 1960s and the 1990s, the collection reflects a highly refined appreciation for French decorative arts and stands as a dazzling tribute to the craftsmanship of master artisans and to the excellence of the royal manufactories of the 18th century.

Royal Provenances

Among the major pieces is a pair of fauteuils à la reine in remarkable condition, stamped by Georges Jacob. Delivered in 1786 for the Château de Fontainebleau, they are recorded in Le Mobilier royal français by Pierre Verlet (former Chief Curator of Works of Art at the Louvre) (€300,000–500,000). A Régence period flat desk in kingwood veneer with gilt-bronze ornamentation, formerly in the collection of James de Rothschild (€150,000–250,000), as well as a Savonnerie screen, a comparable example of which is held at the Musée Nissim de Camondo (€8,000–12,000), complete this selection destined for collectors drawn to exceptional provenances.

Luxury of Materials

Highly prized across Europe, particularly in Italy from the seventeenth century onward, garniture sets composed of matching decorative objects embody a refined art of living and stand out here for the nobility of their materials : Egyptian or Swedish porphyry, as well as richly coloured marbles and granites, all celebrate mineral preciousness. An ultimate symbol of luxury and erudition, porphyry worked in Rome rarely left Italy except for the greatest collections. An Obelisk clock, illustrating the late eighteenth century taste for the Antique (€50,000–80,000), offers a striking example of this tradition. A pair of neoclassical pots pourris (€7,000–10,000) and a library table veneered in porphyry (€30,000–50,000) complete this ensemble of rare distinction.

The art of the table also holds a privileged place in the collection, notably with several services from the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, including one commissioned by King Louis Philippe I for the Château d'Eu (€20,000–30,000), and another acquired in 1839 by the Duke of Nemours (€15,000–25,000).

A section devoted to Old Master, Modern and Contemporary paintings completes the ensemble. It includes, among other works, a majestic View of Paris dated around 1670 (€80,000–120,000), a vibrant view of the Port of Algiers painted in 1921 by Albert Marquet (€40,000–60,000), a pastoral scene, A Meadow in Saint-Briac, signed by Émile Bernard (€50,000–70,000), and a work by François Rouan in which his signature weaving technique is expressed through the interplay of pattern and color (€60,000–80,000).

An Exceptional Library

On 18 June, the sale of a selection of books from the library promises to offer a true synthesis of the great bibliophilic taste and eighteenth century refinement. The Château de Tournay collection echoes Voltaire's famous words that he lived there with “one foot in France and the other in Switzerland.” The philosopher naturally holds a place of honour, with his Œuvres bound with the arms of Maria Feodorovna (€12,000–18,000), as well as the celebrated “Kehl” edition in contemporary morocco (€10,000–15,000).

Exploring this library means encountering the greatest names in literary history, alongside the most prestigious provenances: from Montaigne to Marie Louise, from Madame de Pompadour to Picasso, and from La Fontaine to Léger. Lovers of modern books will also be delighted, with numerous carefully chosen copies bound by Paul Bonet, Pierre Legrain or Rose Adler.

All these volumes are offered in excellent condition, as Vincent Belloy, specialist in the Books & Manuscripts department, points out: the collector had impeccable taste and an exceptionally sharp eye for the condition of the books, a decisive criterion for bibliophiles.