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Marie Antoinette Manuscript Document Signed ("Marie Antoinette"). ...
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Description
Marie Antoinette directs the Treasury Administrator to issue a payment for her wardrobe expenses in the early months of the French Revolution
Marie Antoinette Manuscript Document Signed ("Marie
Antoinette"). One page, 9 3/8 x 14 inches (sight), [Tuileries
Palace]; November 20, 1789.A manuscript document directing the Treasury Administrator, Marc Antoine Francois Marie Randon de la Tour, to "pay in cash to our Dame d'Atour the sum of seventy-nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven livres." Marie Antoinette signs at the conclusion, and the document is countersigned by her secretary, Pierre-Jean Baptiste Augustin Beaugeard.
"Dame d'Atour" was the title given to the lady-in-waiting responsible for the Queen's wardrobe. The position was one of the highest-ranking roles within the Queen's household and involved overseeing the selection, care, and presentation of the Queen's clothing and accessories. Genevieve D'Ossun held the position from 1781 until the dissolution of the French monarchy.
The French Revolution began in July 1789, marked by the storming of the Bastille on July 14. Marie Antoinette's financial management and personal expenses were closely scrutinized and criticized during this period, contributing to the revolutionary sentiment against the monarchy. The Queen's extravagant lifestyle, including her elaborate wardrobe and lavish spending, was seen as a symbol of the monarchy's detachment from the struggles of the common people.
Economic grievances and severe food shortages were motivating factors for the Women's March to Versailles on October 5 and 6, 1789. Thousands of women marched from Paris to Versailles, demanding bread and bringing their grievances directly to the monarchy. The March compelled the royal family to relocate to the Tuileries Palace, where they were kept under strict supervision. It is from the Tuileries Palace that Marie Antoinette signs this payment directive six weeks later.
The document is matted and framed to an overall size of 16 1/2 x 21 5/8 inches, with a decorative ribbon at top right.
Condition: Flattened folds with minor creasing. Light toning along the margins, and scattered staining. Traces of pencil notations in the top margin. Small repair to the top right corner, and two small holes in the lower left quadrant. Some wear evident along the horizontal folds, suggesting possible reinforcement or adhesive on the verso.
Auction Info
2024 July 25 Historical Platinum Signature® Auction #6294 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
July, 2024
25th
Thursday
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