Among the many "period rooms" of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is the Cabinet of Fables. The woodwork of this cabinet is decorated with animal scenes illustrating the fables of Jean de La Fontaine.
These illustrations were made around 1750 to adorn the walls of Madame Dangé's boudoir, an intimate room located on the first floor of Place Vendôme. This cabinet offers a vision of one of the most beautiful decorations created in Paris during the Age of Enlightenment. The delicate original pink and green polychromy of the rocaille motifs framing the scenes of the Fables was hidden in the 19th century when the hotel was assigned to the military governor of Paris. The woodwork was then partially gilded, thus radically changing its appearance. This occupation by the army continued until the hotel was decommissioned in 1898, when the woodwork was removed before it was later installed in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
A big thank you to the participants of the discovery workshop of the Cabinet of Fables in collaboration with the Ateliers du Carrousel. The Ateliers du Carrousel have welcomed children, adolescents and adults each year in painting, drawing, ceramics, comic strip and design classes for more than 70 years.
