Marie Antoinette’s canapé (or sofa) has been in our collection since 1957. In that time, it has been reupholstered at least three previous times. So why do it again?

The history

The canapé can be traced back almost 250 years, to when the piece was commissioned for Versailles in 1779. Originally designed as a daybed for the queen’s private sitting room, it was never used and was later converted into a sofa, likely in the queen’s household.

The makeover

Martin Chapman, former curator in charge of European decorative arts and sculpture, worked with textile historian Xavier Bonnet to design new upholstery that would finally return the canapé to how it would have looked when owned by the queen. Previous restorations didn’t address damage and wear to the canapé’s carved frame or gilded and painted surfaces. This time, the museum’s conservators worked to restore the frame to a condition that matched the stunning new upholstery. They then handed the project off to a team of expert upholsterers from France to complete the transformation.

While previous restorations of the sofa used silk, cotton was actually the preferred fabric of the time. Newly introduced to Europe, it became fashionable and was used extensively, including by the queen. The silk-embroidered cotton designed for the canapé was inspired by a drawing from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris that included the queen’s monogram.

The symbolism

The embroidery features Marie Antoinette’s favorite flowers: roses, pansies, daffodils, and cornflowers. Representing her love of nature and country living, they also evoke spring and rebirth — a nod to the queen raising a young family of her own.

With its new look, the canapé is (finally) fit for a queen.

Conservation of this canapé was made possible by the Al Thani Collection Foundation and the European Decorative Arts Council.