With Tonnelles by Camille Hilaire, the adjective monumental, inseparable from the art of tapestry, takes on its full meaning. This work stands out not only for its size, but also for its composition. The luxuriant vegetation, the multitude of birds and the perspective created by the arbours give the viewer the real sensation of being in the middle of a garden. And that's exactly what the commissioner of this extraordinary work from the Villa Médy Roc wanted. This house on Cap d'Antibes, built at the end of the 19th century, was acquired in 1957 by Robert Greif, a South American businessman.

While in Paris, he was captivated by Jardin à la française, a tapestry by Camille Hilaire on display in the window of the Maison Leleu on avenue Franklin Roosevelt. He commissioned another copy, of a size to decorate the walls of the dining room in his new villa. One thing led to another, and the designer was entrusted with the entire decoration of the house.

Arbours and formal gardens adorned the walls of the immense dining room, whose iconographic programme was designed to reflect the gardens of the villa. The floor was covered with a sumptuous carpet designed by Paule Leleu. Its geometric pattern is reminiscent of the layout of French gardens, and the repeated motif can be read as a multitude of small labyrinths.

Galerie Deroyan invites you to rediscover some of this decoration with the Leleu carpet and Tonnelles, two exceptional works from this legendary residence immortalised by Georges Lautner in "Seins de glace" (1974) with Alain Delon.

Tonnelles, d'après Camille Hilaire

Atelier Pinton Frères 

435 x 630 cm

Paule Leleu, Maison Leleu,

450 x 706  cm

 

 

                                           Les Seins de glace , 1974 (capture d'écran canal +)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Villa Médy Roc