Name/Title
Table, Pedestal PortraitContext
The center table in the middle of the NCHM French Parlor dates to the 1880s and is made of ebonized wood with ornate brass trim and a circular top adorned with Sèvres porcelain medallions. This is an unusual piece. Center tables were popular, as were medallions of different miniatures of ladies of the court. What is unusual is the choice to place the Madame du Barry (1743-1793), mistress of Louis XV, in the middle of the table. That space was typically reserved for a king or a figure from ancient history or mythology. It is likely, as a result, that this center table was commissioned by a woman.
Many wealthy Americans displayed aristocratic French furnishings as a statement politically aligned to the principles of the American Revolution, as France was the government’s primary financial backer throughout the war. This center table fits into this socio-political framework. The furnishings of the French parlor are in the Rococo Revival style. This 19th-century style was considered fashionable in parlor rooms because of its beauty and elegance.
The word "Rococo" derives from the French word "rocaille" (pebble). The term referred especially to the small stones and shells used to decorate the interiors of grottoes. Known as “Modern French” during the mid-19th century, Rococo Revival style was popularized through illustrated periodicals and international exhibitions such as the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia which the Neill’s attended the year they moved into this house.Acquisition
Accession
1959.01Source or Donor
Mrs. Leonidas T. Barrow (Laura Thomson)Acquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
In Mem of donor's mother, Laura Driscoll Thomson (Mrs. Henry D.) of San Antonio