Hippolyte Boillot - The Saint-louis Rooms At The Château De Fontainebleau - Circa 1870

Born in 1821 in Louhans, Boillot trained with Henri Frédéric Schopin before attending the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. While still young, he exhibited at the Salon between 1830 and 1848, mainly genre and historicist scenes. He contributed to many publications of his time as an illustrator, and notably collaborated with Gavarni and Daumier for the famous Physiologies.

Our painting depicts the Saint-Louis rooms of the Château de Fontainebleau. On the back wall, we can see the famous equestrian portrait of Henri IV. This large bas-relief sculpted by Mathieu Jacquet in 1600 had just been installed by Louis-Philippe. Also visible, an even more recent addition, is the furniture delivered by the Fourdinois firm in collaboration with the Manufacture de la Savonnerie, still visible in these same rooms of the Château de Fontainebleau.