21/07/2025
Last week we had the pleasure of viewing the Dernier Sacre exhibition at the Galerie des Gobelins, Paris.
Starting with the death of Louis XIII in 1824, the exhibition documents the preparations and enacting of the coronation of Charles X in 1825, the last coronation of a French King.
Using objects from France’s vast state collections, including some pieces that have not been seen since the coronation day itself, the decorative and informative show was a feast for the eyes. The richness and detail of the fabrics, metalwork and furniture illustrated the vividness of the day and captured the essence of the message Charles X was trying to convey, the stability of the Bourbons restoration and that they were here to stay…a message that in the end only lasted 5 years. Charles X was deposed in the July Revolution of 1830 in favour of his cousin, Louis-Philippe, Duc de Orléans, an event which itself produced an iconic artwork in Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People.
Our connection to this exhibition is more than just historical interest, Stair Sainty Gallery has the privilege of presenting the first version of the coronation portrait of Charles X by Baron François Gérard. Started in advance of the coronation and finished in the same month, May, it was exhibited at a special exhibition at the Louvre before being gifted by the King to the Prince de Talleyrand. Housed in an enormous bespoke frame, it remained in the Talleyrand family for many generations. The irony being that despite the Prince de Talleyrand being instrumental in the Bourbon restoration, he was also a pivotal player in the overthrow of Charles X.
For more information on the painting, visit our website.
