Duchess of Villeroy
French
patroness
Biography
The Duchess of Villeroy, described as a great patroness of art, sought out the young Sebastian Erard and engaged him to build an instrument for her use. She placed a well-equipped workshop in her own palace at his disposal, granting him liberty to follow his own inclinations, comparable to the patronage Christofori had received at the palace of the Duke of Tuscany. It was in her palace workshop that Erard built his first piano in 1777.
Highlights
- A patroness of art who commissioned Sebastian Erard to build an instrument for her
- Provided Erard a workshop in her own palace with full liberty to pursue his own ideas
Source
Alfred Dolge, Pianos and Their Makers, Vol. I (1911), p. 251.
Public domain.