Tout a commencé il y a environ dix ans, à l'époque où j'étais encore collégien. Je sortais du film de Sofia Coppola "Marie Antoinette" avec Kirsten Dunst au cinéma quand j'ai vu la poupée Barbie Marie Antoinette pour la première fois. Je faisais alors des recherches sur google à propos de la reine, et je suis tombé sur une photo de cette merveille. Ce ne fut pas un "coup de coeur" comme la plupart des poupées que je possède, mais un véritable coup de foudre ! J'ai découvert un peu plus tard la poupée Barbie Queen Elizabeth I que je trouvais également extraordinaire et je m'étais dit qu'un propriétaire d'une de ces deux poupées devait être comblé.
Et puis, je me suis découvert une passion pour l'épouse de Louis XVI et j'ai commencé une collection, composée de biographies, beaux livres, magazines, cartes postales...
Cinq ans plus tard, j'ai commencé ma collection de poupées Barbie Collector, hanté par la beauté mystérieuse de la poupée que je ne connaissais qu'à travers quelques images récoltées sur internet.
Voyant les prix de plus en plus exorbitants sur ebay, j'avais fini par renoncer à l'idée que je pourrais m'offrir Barbie Marie Antoinette un jour.
Et puis, un miracle s'est produit ! Une collectionneuse au coeur immense a laissé un commentaire sur mon blog disant qu'elle possédait la poupée. Elle me l'a cédée à un prix plus qu'amical. Merci infiniment Silvana !
Aujourd'hui, je ne me lasse pas d'admirer la poupée Barbie Marie Antoinette, la plus belle poupée jamais réalisée, trônant dans ma vitrine.
Product Code: 53991
2003
Carrying a handcrafted porcelain pair of roses, Barbie® doll is the height of royalty as Marie Antoinette who became the Queen of France when her husband was crowned King Louis XVI in the 18th century. She wears a regal blue gown and matching bodice that is embellished with touches of golden lace. Draped with golden fringe, the generous layers of her extravagant gown are decorated with golden tassels and hide her full-length pantaloons and the blue satin ribbons on her shoes. A matching hat topped with feathers completes her ensemble. She wears an extravagant rhinestone necklace that complements her dramatic ensemble.
Marie Antoinette was born on All Souls' Day, November 2, 1755, daughter of the Hapsburg Empress Maria Theresa and the Emperor Franz Stephan. She left Vienna at the age of 14 to wed the Dauphin Louis-August of France. Her husband ascended to the throne as King Louis XVI in 1774 and she became Queen. At the palace of Versailles, she was thought to be beautiful, delightful, and the epitome of royal style. However, she was unpopular with the people of France, who saw her as extravagant and frivolous. Today, she is often perceived as a tragic, romantic, and misunderstood queen.
The inspiration
Marie Antoinette Barbie® doll is inspired by a painting by Louise
Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun. Her finely-detailed blue gown features lace embellishments and golden tassels. Her elaborate, period hair-do is topped with a hat decorated with feathers and rhinestones. She "carries" a pair of beautifully hand-crafted porcelain roses. Finally, her intricate necklace takes its design from the one that sparked the notorious "Diamond Necklace Affair".
The Diamond Necklace Affair
In 1785, the "Diamond Necklace Affair" caused a great scandal that unjustly discredited Marie Antoinette. Jeanne de la Motte convinced the Cardinal de Rohan that the queen wished to buy an exceptional necklace made of 647 diamonds. Believing he was acting on the queen's behalf, the Cardinal acquired the necklace, which he presented to Jeanne. She, in turn, had her husband smuggle the jewels to England to be sold. The plot was exposed when Charles Auguste Boehmer, the jeweler, sought payment from the queen. A sensational trial ensued. Madame de la Motte was convicted while the Cardinal was acquitted. Although she was not charged, the people of France believed the queen to be involved and, as a result, Marie Antoinette's reputation was irreparably damaged.
