Monday 2 June 2008

rue de Babylone

The art filled apartment of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé as it appeared in House & Garden, 1986. This is the yardstick by which chic should be measured.

Fashion dies, but style remains - Yves Saint Laurent.



The grand salon with two important paintings by Leger flanked by two equally magnificent vases by Jean Dunand. To the left is Goya's early portrait Boy with a Dog. And to the left of that is the only Munch painting in France, Seascape with a Figure.



An African throne sits beneath a Senufo sculpture, which in turn is in front of a painting by Burne-Jones. The parrot carpet is by Ernst Boiceau from the 1930s.



Another view of the grand salon. Under the Picasso hangs a Cezanne watrcolour and below that a portrait by Ingres.



A magnificent armchair by Eileen Gray and a leopard covered stool by Gustave Mikklos.




The cabinet de glaces, mirrored panels designed by Claude Lelanne mounted onto walls of aubergine lacquer. This room plays host to pieces not only by Ruhlmann, but also pieces by Rateau and Chareau and a carpet by Yvonne Fourneau.




The dining room with its Ruhlmann table and Gobelins tapestry of Africa.
Note the sheaf of wheat casually placed behind a relief of a young Louis XIV. This too was also a talisman of Coco Chanel's.







The ground level library leading to the garden.



Note the Francios-Xavier Lalanne sheep and egg shaped bar. Less obvious, yet significant, works of art include two early works by the Dutch modernist Mondrian and a drawing by Matisse. Two artists whose work had a great influence on YSL's creations at different stages of his illustrious career.



The terrace of rue de Babylone replete with its bird seats also by Lalanne.

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Now playing: Peggy Lee - Is That All There Is?
via FoxyTunes

16 comments:

An Aesthete's Lament said...

You beat me to the punch!!! Bravo! Now, will you please post the pics of the house at Deauville and the house in Marrakech?

An Aesthete's Lament said...

P'shaw!

An Aesthete's Lament said...

All I want to know (how vulture of me) is when's the estate sale?

HOBAC said...

AL - I wish I had known. You would have done it so much better.

HOBAC said...

AL - I'd be lying if I said it hadn't also crossed my mind. Ghoulish, but practical. What a bun fight that will be!

katiedid said...

Thanks for the memories! Pretty amazing talent. Sorry to see another master pass.

Suzy said...

I can just imaging you and AL fighting it out at the estate sale...I wouldn't mind joining in! An incredibly chic apartment indeed.

Easy and Elegant Life said...

!!!!!!!

It should be preserved as a museum and be required visiting as part of any design course. Imagine living surrounded by a textbook's worth of beauty. This is indeed the yardstick of chic. Thank you for bringing it to light for me.

Mrs. Blandings said...

Thank you for posting these images - the best post in his honor this week.

Topsy Turvy said...

I had't seen these images before - thanks for sharing!

-Lana

Wannabe A said...

Thanks a lot from Spain for share with us so beatifull information about chez Yves.
I sure you that I have had to work a lot to find this page, and the recompense is great.
Thanks again for your tribute to the master.

Paul Pincus said...

beautiful post.

truly sad news this week.

-pp

biqui said...

I have been staying in an apartment on the rue de Babylone off and on for the last 10 years and am here now- - does anyone know the address of Saint Laurent's fabulous apartment?

Patricia said...

If I remember it is 55 Rue de Babylone. I use to live directly across the street and my address was 54 Rue de Babylone.

biqui said...

thanks patricia --I'm sure it's 55 as this morning the courtyard was open there and removal trucks were taking things away. very sad.

breathing in the dreaming world said...

What a fabulous post, and wonderful blog! These images are luscious. And it's incredible that someone here saw the removal trucks.
You might enjoy seeing my current blog about fashion designer Vincent Darre's Paris apt, which I found in an old issue of Elle Decor. Although the style is edgier and funkier than YSL, I can't help but notice a similar, wonderful, over the top, indulgence and romanticism that the French do so beautifully.

http://breathingdreaming.blogspot.com/