The original eighteenth-century provenance of the paneling in this room is unknown. We know only that it was used in a library of a Parisian townhouse in the late nineteenth century. The Neoclassical paneling has such typical motifs as pilasters and symmetrical garlands. And its straight lines and architectural proportions seem almost an antidote to the continuously curving, whimsical elements of Rococo. Lined up against the walls are Neoclassical settees and chairs. This formal seating arrangement refers to the fact that in the eighteenth century, one received guests, saw merchants, even had official receptions in a state bedroom like this.

To hear a description of visiting a lady’s bedchamber, press play.