(1888PressRelease)
June 03, 2008 - Philippe Cécile of France, an embroiderer and textile restorer, will open his workshop in Burgundy to visitors from June 2008 in order to showcase his work, which is inspired by the 18th century and, in particular, by Marie-Antoinette. Marie-Antoinette is currently the subject of an exhibition at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais in Paris, which closes at the end of June 2008.
Philippe Cécile is an ornementalist embroiderer, which means that he creates original patterns, as well as embroidering existing designs. He works alongside experienced embroiderers in his studio in Burgundy (in eastern France) to create embroidered and needlepoint upholstery. His team renovates and restores antique textiles, as well as creating his own designs.
Philippe Cécile specialises in the styles of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries in France, as well as in Art Deco designs. He creates embroidery for beds, sofas, armchairs, curtains, hangings, cushions and other furniture. Philippe Cécile works with museums and galleries to handle all kinds of restoration and design projects. His work has been commissioned by prestigious interior decorators, chateaux and museums, including Versailles, Fontainebleau and La Malmaison (in France). With many years of experience at the Artcurial Gallery in Paris, Philippe Cécile also works with the contemporary art market.
Philippe Cécile has created an award-winning chair inspired by the style of the Marie-Antoinette period; it can be easily reproduced in his workshop to all possible specifications in order to fit antique and contemporary interiors alike.
Philippe Cécile’s personal collection of embroidery patterns includes over 2,000 models, drawings and samples. Part of this collection was inherited from his ancestor, François-Michel Cécile, a designer who followed Napoleon during his Egyptian campaign. This collection may be viewed in Philippe Cécile’s workshop.
About Philippe Cécile
Philippe Cécile renovates and restores antique embroidered textiles, as well as creating his own designs. He is a specialist in French 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century styles, as well as in Art Deco. He works on designs for beds, sofas, armchairs, curtains, hangings, cushions, and other furniture.
Philippe Cécile has opened an export office that is managed by Nathalie Jarniat (NVBJ Paris) in order to meet international requests for restoration and design work at historic houses, museums and hotels, as well as on cruise ships, and other projects.
Philippe Cecile invites visitors to discover his workshop and collection, which is located in Joigny (in Burgundy, in eastern France), from 1 June 2008. Tuesdays are set aside for private visits for museum curators. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are for professionals, and Saturdays for the general public. Visitors should make an appointment in advance.
About Marie-Antoinette at the Grand Palais
The Marie-Antoinette exhibition at the Grand Palais brings together an exceptional collection of over 300 works (paintings, sculptures, objets d’art and more) from all over Europe. Marie-Antoinette, together with her clothes designer Rose Bertin, designed sumptuous textiles for her own clothes, examples of which can be seen at the exhibition.
Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (1755-1793), remembered as Marie Antoinette, was born an Archduchess of Austria. She later became Queen of France, in the wake of her marriage (at the age of 14) to Louis-Auguste (the future Louis XVI). Marie Antoinette is best remembered for her legendary (and, perhaps, exaggerated) excesses, and for the manner of her tragic death: she was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution (1793) for the crime of treason.
The exhibition runs until 30 June 2008 at the Grand Palais gallery in Paris (France).
For further information, please go to: www.grandpalais.fr/
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