La duchesse de Polignac

Il nous manque si peu !  

Je vais avoir les yeux explosés ! 

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Je vois surtout une espèce de monstre à corps d'oiseau et tête de gargouille qui grave une inscription sur le côté du mausolée ...  

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Si c'est de cette gravure dont tu parles, c'est tout simplement Saturne (Chronos pour les intimes   ) dieu du Temps et fatalement de la Mort qui aux temps modernes était représenté ailé, maigre, nu et barbu.  

Mais oui !   Merci, Reinette !!!     Il ressemble à la statue que tu nous proposes !
Sur la gravure, je ne voyais même pas ses jambes ...

Reinette a écrit:

Je vais avoir les yeux explosés ! 

Je renonce . Je n'y arrive pas !  

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Mais oui !   Merci, Reinette !!!     Il ressemble à la statue que tu nous proposes !
Sur la gravure, je ne voyais même pas ses jambes ...

Elles sont très maigres et très musclées. Pas jolies du tout !

l me semble que nous avions déjà décrypté ce qui est écrit sur cette gravure. Dans le sujet en question, je suppose.
Je vais essayer de le retrouver...

Ici nos précédentes tentatives de décryptage : https://maria-antonia.forumactif.com/t6p225-la-duchesse-de-polignac

C'est toi qui t'y étais esquinté les yeux !    

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Enfin, en zoomant un peu sur la gravure on peut lire au niveau de : Hommage de regret et de Reconnaissance mais plus à droite, la date : 1794.
Bien, ça colle tout ça !  

Je n'arrive pas à bien lire le texte qui suit (suis vieux...mes yeux ne sont plus ce qu'ils étaient  :pirat: ).
Je crois néanmoins déchiffrer à peu près : Antoinette et Louis furent mes bienfaiteurs, le sacrilège............causa bientôt la mort de leur fidèle amie. ......sur mon tombeau........de pleurs.........suspendu.......des couronnes de fleurs (on les voit accrocher à cet arbre ).

Est-ce l'épitaphe gravée sur le tombeau ?  

Un peu plus loin surtout, le baron :

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Je complète un peu....

Antoinette et Louis furent mes bienfaiteurs
Ce sacrilège...qui leur ôta la vie
Causa bientôt la mort de leur fidèle amie

...sur mon tombeau...repandre des pleurs
....de pleurer mon sort digne d'envie (?)
suspendre à ses.....des couronnes de fleurs

Ah, j'avais manqué ce cher Baron !    Je n'étais pas allée assez loin .
Donc, nous n'avions pas vu davantage à l'époque .
Pourtant nous escrimons-nous !!!  

Merci pour ces efforts conjugués !

Un très bel article sur la duchesse de Polignac:


Gabrielle De Polignac: Loyal Friend Or Greedy Social Climber?

Gabrielle De Polignac was Marie Antoinette's best friend. And just like the Queen's, her reputation too was completely destroyed. She was accused of being greedy, spendthrift, pleasure-loving, of using her friendship with the Queen to get favours for herself and her family, and of leading her royal friend into an extravagant and decadent lifestyle. But was this the real Gabrielle?

Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron was born in Paris on 8th September 1749, into a prestigious but impoverished family. When she was still a baby, her family moved to the family château of Noueilles, in the province of Languedoc in southern France. Her mother died when she was only three, so Gabrielle was entrusted to an aunt, Madame d'Andlau, who arranged to have her educated at a convent, as was customary at the time. Maybe it was here that Gabrielle's love for simplicity was born. She never wore perfumes or diamonds and preferred simple gowns. In her hair, she would often wear flowers.

Gabrielle grew into a charming and beautiful, but discreet, young woman. She had an angelic face, with fair skin, blue eyes, tilted nose and a high forehead. At 18, she married the Comte Jules be Polignac, a 22 year old captain in the Royal Pologne regiment. Because of his, the couple moved to Paris where they lived with the groom's father in the Louvre or at Claye. Gabrielle, who loved the country and the outdoor life, would have been content to spend all her life there, avoiding the court completely, but her sister-in-law had other ideas. Diane knew Gabrielle's simple tastes and easy-going manner would captivate the new young Queen of France. That's exactly what happened when the two women met.

Louis XVI, who wanted to keep his wife away from politics and court intrigues, encouraged the friendship. During his grandfather's reign, it had often seemed like France was ruled by his mistress Madame de Pompadour, which had been strongly disapproved by the French. If Marie Antoinette, who was a foreigner (and one that came from a country that up until a few years ago had been an enemy of France), was even just thought to meddle into political affairs, she would have become very unpopular, with disastrous consequences for the image of the monarchy. The best thing, Louis believed, was to have her to become friends with "politically safe" people (unfortunately, as we know, this precaution was useless).




Life at Versailles was too expensive for the Polignacs, though. Gabrielle discreetly let the Queen know that. Complaining about "the injustice of wealth", Marie Antoinette turned to Louis, telling him how much she wanted her friend near her. So, the King gave a high office to Comte Julies. The Polignacs' debts were settled too.

Gabrielle and Marie Antoinette became inseparable. Gabrielle influenced the Queen to adopt simpler tastes and encouraged her to spend more time at the Petit Trianon, provided advice on marriage problems and child care and soothed the Queen in her most desperate moments (during the affair of the necklace it was Gabrielle that a sobbing Marie Antoinette summoned to comfort her). And, of course, they would gossip about the people at court. Marie Antoinette often visited the Polignac's home, claiming she felt at home there. Even the King visited their house once. It was the only private visit he made during his reign.



However, the Queen's friendship with the Polignacs and their circle of intimates, which included Besenval and Fersen, soon aroused the envy and jealousy of those who weren't part of it. Jealous courtiers started spreading all kinds of nasty and vicious rumours about Marie Antoinette and her friends. The most innocent amusement was turned into something cruel and lascivious. Gabrielle was accused of being Marie Antoinette's lover and wasting the people's money on expensive and extravagant whims.

Although this wasn't true, being a close friends of the Queen had many perks. Gabrielle, her family and connections received plenty of money and rewards. The Queen, for instance, gave the Polignacs 400,000 livres to pay off their debts, and another 800,000 as a dowry for their daughter. Some historians believe that Gabrielle was cunning and loved the extravagant and luxurious life at court more than she let on, while others see her as a helpless pawn of her family, who used her to gain money and favours for themselves. Truth is probably somewhere in the middle. In any case, it was normal for royal favourites, and their families, to receive money, titles, lands and offices. In fact, Cronin has calculated that Madame De Pompadeur, Louis XV's mistress spent in just one year what Gabrielle spent in her 14 years at Versailles!

Gabrielle also infuriated her critics when she was appointed Governess of the Children of France when the princess de Guemene, after the bankruptcy of her family, had to give up the position. Rather than give the appointment to a woman belonging to a more prestigious family as custom demanded, Marie Antoinette decided to entrust her children to her friend, herself a devoted mother of three sons and a daughter. Gabrielle was also given a 13-room apartment at Versailles, while previous governesses had to make do with only 4 or 5 rooms. Gabrielle, though, took her job seriously. Madame de Tourzel, when she took over the appointment in 1789, found that the children had been well-cared-for and well-educated.

Eventually Marie Antoinette began to tire of the Duchess de Polignac and the ambitions of her family. There are mentions of quarrels between the two friends. But when the Bastille was stormed, Marie Antoinette, fearing Gabrielle may be murdered, begged her to leave. The duchess refused. She wanted to be there for Marie Antoinette and Louis in their hour of need. But the Queen wouldn't have it. "Remember that you are a mother," she told Gabrielle. Two days later, on July 16, the Polignac family left Versailles. They went first to Switzerland, then to Venice and finally settled in Vienna.



Gabrielle wasn't well. She was devastated by the news that kept arriving from France and the ordeals her friends were put through. And she had cancer too. Her conditioned worsened when she was told of Marie Antoinette's execution. According to Madame Vigee Le Brun, "her grief changed her to such an extent that her pretty face became unrecognisable, and every one foresaw that she had not much longer to live". Gabrielle died in Vienna, the city where Marie Antoinette was born, on 9th December 1793, exactly one month and a half after her friend. On her tomb these words are inscribed: "Dead from suffering' on December 9th, 1793."

Gabrielle was a loyal friend of the Queen. She, and her family, did benefit from the relationship, but not more than any other royal favourite did. When you rose, so did your family. It was a common, normal occurrence. What wasn't normal was the time Gabrielle lived in and the situation France was in at the end of the 18th century. Political enemies used calumnies to bring down the monarchy and Gabrielle, as a close friend of the Queen, became one of their victims too. Those lies were so disgusting and widespread that eventually people believed that Gabrielle had done something to deserve her reputation as a greedy and lewd lady. She didn't. Gabrielle wasn't perfect. But she deserves to be judged on her own merits and faults, not on the lies that still haunt her.


source: un site très bien fait et très documenté: http://historyandotherthoughts.blogspot.be/2013/10/gabrielle-de-polignac-loyal-friend-or.html#.UtuAmBBKHIU

Un beau petit site consacré à Madame de Polignac. Ca part du film de Coppola, mais aboutit à des informations intéressantes sur la duchesse de Polignac.   
http://yolande-gabrielle-de-polastron.tumblr.com/

Encyclopédie en ligne sur Madame de Polignac:
http://pt.cyclopaedia.net/wiki/Yolande-Martine-Gabrielle-de-Polastron

L'article de wikipédia consacré à notre duchesse préférée a été rebaptisé:

Gabrielle de Polignac
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_de_Polignac

Je me demande ce qui a fait que les rédacteurs ont opté pour ce prénom-là.

Merci pour toutes ces informations très intéressantes sur madame de Polignac.

Bonjour, Grem!   Je n'avais pas encore vu ton message!   

Voici une biographie qui va te faire plaisir, à toi... et à tous ceux qui aiment bien Madame de Polignac:
http://www.madamegilflurt.com/2013/09/notable-birthdays-duchess-of-polignac.html

J'adore votre avatar Grem   

Comment résister à cette description de Madame de Polignac donnée par Louise Elisabeth Vigée Lebrun?


Il n'est point de calomnie, point d'horreurs que l'envie et la haine n'aient inventées contre la duchesse de Polignac; tant de libelles ont été écrits pour la perdre, que, joints aux vociférations des révolutionnaires, ils ont dû laisser dans l'esprit de quelques gens crédules, l'idée que l'amie de Marie-Antoinette était un monstre. Ce monstre, je l'ai connu: c'était la plus belle, la plus douce, la plus aimable femme qu'on pût voir.

Quelques années avant la révolution, la duchesse de Polignac vint chez moi, et j'ai fait plusieurs fois son portrait de même que celui de sa fille, la duchesse de Guiche(1) Madame de Polignac avait l'air si jeune qu'on pouvait la croire soeur de sa fille, et toutes deux étaient les plus jolies femmes de la cour. Madame de Guiche aurait parfaitement servi de modèle pour représenter une des Grâces; quant à sa mère, je n'essaierai pas de dépeindre sa figure; cette figure était céleste.




La duchesse de Polignac joignait à sa beauté vraiment ravissante, une douceur d'ange, l'esprit à la fois le plus attrayant et le plus solide. Tous ceux qui l'ont connue intimement peuvent dire que l'on s'expliquait bien vite comment la reine l'avait choisie pour amie, car elle était véritablement l'amie de la reine; elle dut à ce titre celui de gouvernante des enfans de France: aussitôt, la rage de toutes celles qui désiraient cette place ne lui laissa plus de repos; mille calomnies atroces furent lancées sur elle. Il m'est arrivé souvent d'entendre discourir les personnes de la cour qui lui étaient opposées, et j'avoue que je m'indignais d'une méchanceté si noire et si persévérante.

Ce qu'aucun courtisan ne pouvait croire, quoique ce fût l'exacte vérité, c'est que madame de Polignac n'avait point envié la place qu'elle occupait: il se peut que sa famille se réjouit de l'y voir élevée; mais elle-même n'avait cédé qu'à son respect pour le désir de la reine et aux instances réitérées du roi; ce qu'elle ambitionnait avant tout, c'était sa liberté, au point que la vie de la cour ne lui convenait nullement; indolente, paresseuse, le repos aurait fait ses délices, et les devoirs de sa place lui semblaient le plus lourd fardeau. Un jour que je faisais son profil à Versailles, il ne se passait pas cinq minutes sans que notre porte s'ouvrît; on venait lui demander ses ordres, et mille choses qu'il fallait pour les enfans.

«Eh! bien, me dit-elle enfin d'un air, accablé, tous les matins ce sont les mêmes demandes, je n'ai pas un instant à moi jusqu'à l'heure du dîner, et le soir d'autres fatigues m'attendent.»

Au château de la Muette, dans lequel elle passa la belle saison, elle jouissait d'un peu plus de liberté. Les enfans de France s'y plaisaient extrêmement, et elle y donnait de petits bals sans prétention où l'on s'amusait beaucoup. C'est là qu'elle est accouchée du comte Melchior de Polignac, en même temps que sa fille accouchait du duc de Guiche actuel.

Peu de temps avant la révolution, elle supplia le roi d'accepter sa démission qu'il ne voulut pas recevoir; toutefois, sa santé l'obligeant à se soigner, elle obtint d'aller prendre des bains renommés en Angleterre, et elle partit, dans la ferme intention de quitter sa place à son retour; mais j'ai su positivement que le roi, effrayé du chagrin qu'allait éprouver la reine, se mit à ses genoux pour obtenir qu'elle restât gouvernante des enfans de France. On sent bien qu'une faveur aussi éclatante, aussi soutenue, excitait la fureur des envieux. Un redoublement de haine s'éleva contre la favorite; il servit merveilleusement la révolution qui s'avançait, et qui vint bientôt frapper et les Polignac et leurs ennemis.

La plupart de ces portraits, notamment celui que j'ai fait au pastel de la duchesse de Guiche, sont chez madame la comtesse de Vaudreuil.

Extrait du livre :
Souvenirs de madame Louise-Elisabeth Vigée Lebrun
Edition : Librairie de H. Fournier - Paris 1835
http://www.femmespeintres.net/pat/textes/vigee13-10.htm

C'est toujours aussi vivant quand ça vient de mémoires des contemporains, j'adore!

Petite biographie très bien faite de notre duchesse préférée!   


Yolande de Polastron (1749-1793)


Yolande Martine Gabrielle, known as Gabrielle, was born in Paris on 8 September 1749 and was the daughter of were Jean François Gabriel, count of Polastron, and Jeanne Charlotte Hérault de Vaucresson.

Although the Polastron family were of aristocratic lineage, however their fortunes had changed by the time of Gabrielle’s birth, and they were deeply in debt so did not have a luxurious lifestyle. When Gabrielle was an infant her family moved to the château of Noueilles, in the province of Languedoc in southern France, where Gabrielle’s mother died. Gabrielle was taken care of by her aunt who arranged for her to be educated in a convent.

At the age of seventeen, Gabrielle married Jules François Armand, comte de Polignac, on 7 July 1767. The Polignac family were as equally noble as their new Polastron in-laws, but they were also facing a similar financial hardship and the couple were reliant on his salary from the Régiment de Royal Dragons. The couple had a daughter, Aglaé, and three sons, one of whom, Jules, would become prime minister of France in 1829.





In 1775, Gabrielle was invited to a formal reception at Versailles where she was presented to Marie Antoinette who invited her to live at Versailles. Gabrielle knew life at Versailles would be too expensive and she declined the queen’s offer, stating her husband did not have the finances to relocate the family to court. Undaunted, Marie Antoinette arranged to clear the couple’s debts and found a suitable appointment for Jules at court.

At court, Gabrielle quickly became a favourite of the king who was pleased by her calming influence over his wife, but there were many courtiers who were jealous of her new position and resented the queen’s patronage. In 1780, Jules was given the title of duc de Polignac which incensed Parisian nobility even further. Pamphlets began to appear claiming Marie Antoinette was involved in a sexual relationship with Gabrielle and although the claims were unfounded, they did a lot of damage to both of their reputations.

In 1782, Gabrielle was made Governess to the Children of France by Marie Antoinette, the appointment provoking outrage at court due to Gabrielle’s low social status. Due to her new position, Gabrielle was given a thirteen-room apartment at the palace and a small cottage in the Hameau de la reine, built in the 1780s on the grounds of the Petit Trianon.

Gabrielle’s marriage to Jules was typical of the time in that it had been an arranged one with political alliances in mind, however they couple seemed to have maintained a cordial if not loving relationship. There have been significant rumours that Gabrielle was intimately involved with the captain of the Royal Guard, Joseph Hyacinthe François de Paule de Rigaud, comte de Vaudreuil, but no evidence exists to support the suggestion they were anything other than friends.

However, by 1785, Gabrielle’s influence over the queen was beginning to fade and Marie Antoinette’s dislike of Vaudreuil may have contributed. Aware of the queen’s displeasure, Gabrielle decided to travel to England to visit her close friend, Georgiana, duchess of Devonshire, who was a prominent member of London society.

After a suitable cooling period, Gabrielle returned to France where she resumed her close friendship with the queen, however a storm of discontent was gathering pace over France and Gabrielle soon found herself drawn political intrigue. The king’s youngest brother and his political cronies used Gabrielle’s influence over the queen to promote royalist interests. Marie Antoinette was persuaded to act against Jacques Necker, the minister of finances, and his dismissal provoked the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789.

Afterwards, Gabrielle and her family were forced into exile to Switzerland where she maintained correspondence with Marie Antoinette. Gabrielle’s health began to deteriorate alarmingly and when she heard of her beloved queen’s execution, she collapsed and died in December 1793. Gabrielle’s family claimed she had died of heartbreak but historians generally believe she was suffering from cancer or tuberculosis as her health had been poor for a number of years.

Although she died young, Gabrielle left a considerable legacy as her son, Jules, became prime minister of France in 1829 under Charles X. Gabrielle’s great-great grandson, Pierre de Polignac, was the father of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and she also has descendants in Russia and France.

Profile
Name: Gabrielle
Father: Jean François Gabriel, count of Polastron
Mother: Jeanne Charlotte Hérault de Vaucresson
Born: 08 Sep 1749
Died: 09 Dec 1793
Spouse: Jules François Armand, duc de Polignac

Children
Name: Aglaé
Born: 07 May 1768
Died: 30 Mar 1803
Spouse: Antoine Louis Marie de Gramont

Name: Armand
Born: 11 Jan 1771
Died: 01 Mar 1847

Name: Jules
Born: 10 Nov 1780
Died: 30 Mar 1847
Spouse 1: Barbara Campbell
Spouse 2: Mary Charlotte Parkyns

Name: Camille
Born: 27 Dec 1781
Died: 02 Feb 1855
Spouse: Marie Charlotte Calixte Alphonsine Le Vassor de la Touche
http://www.painted-veil.net/yolande-de-polastron-1749-1793/

Bonjour,

Je vous poste une étrange gravure que j'ai trouvée dans un livre et qui représenterait Mme de Polignac.



madame antoine

Je ne la connaissais pas

J'ai tout de même du mal à la reconnaître il faut avouer Merci pour cette gravure!

Je la trouve très bizarre aussi. La coiffure, elle craint...