In 1935, upon seeing the table set for Calouste Gulbenkian’s breakfast in his room at 51 Avenue d’Iéna, Kenneth Clark marvelled at the «douceur de vivre» of the scene. Two eggs in a silver gilt «tazza», designed by Charles Percier, stood out among the main components of the meal. The Parisian residence, visited by the Director of the National Gallery on that occasion, had been acquired by the collector in 1922 with the aim of realising a lifelong goal: to bring the collection together under one roof.

With the Gulbenkian mansion as a backdrop, this talk reveals, on the one hand, the kitchen and the settings where meals were usually taken; on the other, it explores the collector’s gastronomic habits and predilections. As in other contexts, Calouste Gulbenkian’s table reflects the cultural and geographical crossovers in which he was born and lived, as well as the exacting standards and quality that invariably guided his actions in both his personal and professional life.

The lecture took place during the conference “The Global Table in the 18th Century: From Silver and Glass to Lacquer and Porcelain,” organized by the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum on October 16, 2023.

The lecture took place during the conference ‘The Global Table in the 18th Century: From Silver and Glass to Lacquer and Porcelain‘, organized by the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum on October 16, 2023.