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Rossini

351 - INVALIDES - VAVIN, Henry (1785-1837), architect, auditor of …
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Estimate €50 - €80
Sale commission
Description
INVALIDES - VAVIN, Henry (1785-1837), architect, auditor of the buildings of Monsieur, brother of the king and controller of the Invalides. Signed letter. S.l., 3 June 1813. 2 pp. folio. "The gilding of the Dome was awarded on the sixth of May last, I had made a reasoned report to oppose this haste, I do not know if it was presented to the Council; among other reasons, I had reported the following observation: "For some time, a white ceruse has been discovered which is much brighter than that which comes from Holland, and is much preferable to the latter for preventing gold from altering, and blackening at least for a long time. It meets with the approval of all chemists, and the controller wishes, when there is a floor, to go up to the scaffold, and test this white which would also have the advantage of reducing the price. [...] an experiment will be carried out with the white of Ceruse known as Clichy on a part of the Dome that will be gilded by a contractor, and if this part meets the desired qualities, it will serve as a model, and the successful bidder will be required to comply and use this new white of Ceruse [...]".
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About the sale Classic furniture and objets d'art
Auction location
Auction time 06/18/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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