“Versailles… exists as an unparalleled and final statement that is likely never to be repeated,” declares the American Friends of Versailles on its website. Yet for all its singularity, like the Ship of Theseus, the Château must be restored, bit by bit, to fend off the ravages of time. Earlier this week, the organization’s annual gala, dubbed A Legacy of Light and held inside Versailles itself, raised money for a specific piece of history: the celebrated Salon de Diane—one of the palace’s most significant painted ceilings. The newly restored Charles Le Brun masterwork from the reign of Louis XIV, untouched since a 1955 conservation round, was unveiled at the gala in all its original brilliance.
Spotted in the well-heeled crowd were France’s Minister of Culture Catherine Pégard, U.S. ambassador to France Charles Kushner and Louvre Président-directeur Christophe Léribault, along with Prince Charles (Carlo, Duke of Castro) and Princess Camilla de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles. The art, fashion and design worlds likewise turned out in force, with gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin, artist Jean-Michel Othoniel, Paris Opera star Hugo Marchand, designers Harry Nuriev and Christian Louboutin, art historian Diana Widmaier Picasso and jeweler David Yurman in attendance, along with a long list of philanthropists and socialites, including Becca Cason Thrash, Peter Brant Jr. and Tracey Amon.
The black-tie evening, which also celebrated America’s 250th anniversary and the French allies that made independence possible, started with cocktails and conversation in the Hall of Mirrors before a dinner in the Galerie des Batailles, cleverly orchestrated by star planner Lucas Somoza. A spirited paddle round led by auctioneer Lydia Fenet raised more than €3.5 million in a mere 20 minutes, with a wildly extravagant roster of lots that included a private journey along the Nile River for eight guests, the 2023 Hunt Slonem painting Monsoon Aftermath, eight nights for six VIP guests at the Baraza Resort Spa in Tanzania and a French excursion with exclusive private tours of the Louvre, Notre Dame, Champagne and, naturellement, Versailles. The evening’s top lot, however, was a stunning one-of-a-kind David Yurman Liberty Cable bracelet featuring more than 25 carats of diamonds, which sold for $260,000, giving the room its loudest gasp of the night. “I rarely get offstage during an auction, but David Yurman asked me to wear the custom diamond bracelet they commissioned to celebrate the event,” Fenet told Observer. “When the bidding hit $250,000 for the bracelet—nearly $80,000 over the retail value—I walked offstage and, with a wink, placed the bracelet on the underbidder’s wrist.” The underbidder was thus inspired to place a final bid and, voila, the bauble was hers.
More than a gala, A Legacy of Light was the final stop on the American Friends of Versailles’ four-day itinerary of private tours, exclusive programming and parties, which concluded with a raucus afterparty in the Galerie Basse. But, as Fenet reminded us, this was a soiree with substance. “We were able to fully fund the restoration of a huge ceiling at Versailles, which was really the aim of the whole thing.”
