Vincent-Victor Henri de Vaublanc

Vincent-Victor Henri Viénot de Vaublanc, known as the Viscount de Vaublanc, was a French writer, artist, , and diplomat born on July 19, 1803, in Montpellier, and died on August 15, 1874, in Munich.

The nephew of Count Vincent-Marie Viénot de Vaublanc, he began his professional career at the Council of State in Paris as an auditor. In the aftermath of the July Revolution of 1830, he resigned from his position due to his legitimist beliefs, refusing to pledge allegiance to the newly crowned King Louis-Philippe I. He subsequently withdrew to his family's estate in Beaujolais. Following a period of unemployment, he relocated to the court of the Kingdom of Bavaria. There, he formed a friendship with the crown prince, which led to his appointment as chamberlain and subsequently Grand Master (Oberhofmeister) of the household of the Queen of Bavaria, Marie of Hohenzollern. He remained in this position for nearly thirty years, during which time he became one of the closest friends and advisors of Crown Prince Maximilian II, who subsequently became King of Bavaria.

Vaublanc was also a prolific writer, authoring numerous works of historical and literary merit. Among his notable contributions to literature is a comprehensive account of medieval history titled La France au temps des croisades, which was published between 1844 and 1847.

Biography

Youth in France A member of the , originally from Burgundy and ennobled through a royal secretary position in 1697, Vaublanc was born on July 19, 1803, in Montpellier. He was the second son of Jean-Baptiste Bernard Viénot de Vaublanc, who at the time was serving as an army inspector under Napoleon and Sophie Pion. His father perished during the retreat from Russia when he was only nine years old.

From 1816 to 1822 he pursued part of his studies at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. He was one of the inaugural six auditors at the Council of State, appointed in 1824 with the backing of his uncle, the elder brother of his late father, Vincent-Marie de Vaublanc, He was a regular visitor to the salons of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, where he had the opportunity to meet Talleyrand, Chateaubriand, and Lamartine.

Vaublanc was a member of the litigation committee and was on the verge of being appointed Master of Requests at the Council of State when the Revolution of 1830 erupted. In response to the political upheaval, he relinquished his post in favor of the elder Bourbon branch. He then retired to Beaujolais, where he spent several years unemployed and began his writing career. Shorter [than Prince Maximilian], the distinguished man with brown hair beside him is the Viscount de Vaublanc, the nephew of Charles X's minister and both friend and gentleman of the King Max's Chamber... De Vaublanc is a collector of antiquities, an author, an artist, cheerful and witty, but thoughtful and hard-working. In 1841, he married Jeanne de Raismes.

In 1846 he accompanied Crown Prince Maximilian of Bavaria to Paris. In his work Choses vues, the writer Victor Hugo described him:

In 1864 he relinquished his role as chamberlain following the demise of Maximilian II. Vaublanc, who had rebuilt his life in Bavaria, elected to reside there until his demise. In 1867, his visit to the Paris Exposition Universelle prompted him to compose a book.

In the early 1870s the Goncourt brothers provided a detailed account of his character in their journal, this time without restraint, following an account of a dinner in Munich attended by members of the Catholic and anti-Prussian circles. De Vaublanc, former chamberlain and former friend of the late King Louis, an old French émigré, who never learned to speak German, was described as "very amiable, very deaf, and very 18th century." He died without descendants on August 15, 1874, in Munich.

Close advisor to King Maximilian II of Bavaria Although not officially designated as an advisor, Vaublanc was a trusted confidant of the monarch and exerted unofficial influence over him in matters about the arts. He regularly accompanied the king on evening walks, either on foot or by carriage, during which a topic related to political economy, art, or literature was introduced by the prince. The ensuing conversation would either develop the topic further or, at the king's request, provide a written summary, which would be placed on his table the following day.

In 1851, at the behest of the monarch, the Viscount devised a series of proposals aimed at enhancing the architectural beauty of Munich. These recommendations were outlined in a document entitled Propositions pour le roi Maximilien II (Vorschläge für König Maximilian II, 1851/52). For example, he was the driving force behind the initial architectural plan for the Maximilianeum, which was later revised. He was also responsible for the restoration plans for the Gothic castle of Hohenschwangau in Upper Bavaria, which served as the summer residence of the royal couple and later of the queen mother following the king's death.

He was present during the monarch's final moments, which inspired him to author a concise biography of the sovereign.

Literary works

La France au temps des croisades In addition to his political activities Vaublanc produced a substantial body of written work throughout his lifetime. From 1844 to 1847, following twelve years of research, he published his magnum opus, La France au temps des croisades, in four volumes. This comprehensive medieval history narrative, comprising over 1,500 pages, was enhanced by illustrations drawn by the author himself. the style of this work is clear and truthful, avoiding the mistake of taking the form of a novel.

Un coup d'œil dans Paris Vaublanc also wrote a book on the architecture of Paris. Published in 1861, it is a critique of Parisian architecture, accompanied by a series of proposals for architectural changes, presented as a walk through the capital. The critic E. de Laqueuille writes, "The book by M. de Vaublanc is one of the best written on the new Paris. It contains, regarding the reconstruction of old Lutetia, on the style of contemporary monuments and their interior decoration, the most learned and tasteful critique we know."

Petit voyage à l'exposition ou causerie sur l'exposition universelle de 1867 In 1868 shortly before his death, Vaublanc published his final work, Petit voyage à l'exposition ou causerie sur l'exposition universelle de 1867. This text recounts his experience of the 1867 Universal Exhibition in a humorous tone.

List of works

Decorations

60x60px Commander of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece), 1847. 60x60px Knight of the Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, 1850. 60x60px Knight of the Order of St. Michael (Bavaria), in 1855, and Grand Cross in 1862.