Exhibition "The sources of Neoclassicism: the incredible furniture of Mr Lalive de Jully" at the Château de Chantilly

The bureau-cartonnier of Ange-Laurent Lalive de Jully, who introduced ambassadors to the court of Versailles, is one of the most legendary pieces of furniture from 18th-century France. Executed by cabinetmaker Joseph Baumhauer and bronzemaker Philippe Caffieri to designs by Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain, it is one of the milestones of the change in taste and period, adopting for the first time the lines and decor inspired by antiquity, particularly the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Lalive de Jully's bureau-cartonnier has been restored thanks to the support of the Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (C2RMF) and the Friends of the Musée Condé. Its restoration coincides with the reappearance on the art market of an astonishing piece of shell furniture that accompanied it in Lalive de Jully's Cabinet. For the first time since the 1770 sale, the bureau-cartonnier and the coquillier have been reunited. This exceptional presentation accompanies the publication of a reference work devoted to Lalive de Jully's patronage.