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Document Details : Title: Gender, interieur en diplomatieke representatie Subtitle: Julie Marie Mercier en de Belgische legatie te Parijs (1904-1910) Author(s): ROTTIERS, Charlotte , VAN ACKER, Heleen Journal: Tijdschrift voor Interieurgeschiedenis en Design Volume: 46 Date: 2024 Pages: 45-64 DOI: 10.2143/GBI.46.0.3293683 Abstract : The acquisition of a hôtel particulier in 1904 to serve as the new seat of the Belgian diplomatic corps in Paris marked a significant step for the Belgian state, as it was the first time the state invested in the accommodation of a Belgian diplomatic post on European territory. The acquisition posed the challenge of transforming the building, which had previously belonged to the late Princess Mathilde Bonaparte (1820-1904), into a functional diplomatic representation of Belgium abroad. The role of Julie Marie Mercier, also known as Julie Leghait (1849-ca. 1934), a diplomatic wife and lady of the house, becomes crucial in understanding the layers of representation added to the Belgian legation building. Due to bureaucratic obstacles in acquiring and renovating the building, diplomat Alfred Leghait (1841-1917) sought the support of King Leopold II and his network. Georges Nagelmackers (1845-1905), founder of the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits and Grand Hotels, financed and initially owned the building. The French architect Georges Chedanne (1861-1940) was entrusted with designing a new façade and chancellery wing in his personal architectural style. However, it was the task of the diplomatic couple, particularly Julie Marie Mercier, to conceptualise the interior decoration as an instrument of representation, prestige, and decorum. This study explores the correlation between gender, interior design, and diplomatic representation, drawing from original archival research in the Diplomatic Archives of Belgium and the Court of Audit (State Archives), as well as existing literature on women in diplomacy. The case of the Belgian legation building in Paris highlights the importance of recognising hidden actors such as diplomats’ wives when analysing the design and functionality of diplomatic interiors. The study investigates how a diplomat’s wife – in this case Julie Marie Mercier – played a role in designing the first Belgian diplomatic interior in a European capital. The study uncovers various treatments and conceptualisations of representation across the private, semi-public, and public spaces of the legation building. While attempts were made to incorporate the neo-Flemish Renaissance style as a strategy of national representation, Julie Marie Mercier curated and designed the interior decoration. In the semi-public reception spaces on the ground floor, she restored and embraced the eccentric interior decoration favoured by Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, positioning herself as a successor to Mathilde’s salon tradition. In the private apartment spaces, Mercier’s choice for Italian designer furniture and Murano glass reflected the couple’s personal experiences in Italy. The chancellery buildings open to the public symbolised Alfred Leghait’s role as a representative of King Leopold II and embodied his privileged relationship with the monarch. By analysing the intricate relationship between gender, interior design, and diplomatic representation in this context, the study sheds light on the multifaceted layers of meaning that the legation building and its interior spaces embodied as a diplomatic space and representation of Belgium’s identity and prestige. |
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