Charles de Noailles
Encyclopedia
Charles de Noailles Arthur Anne Marie Charles, Vicomte de Noailles was a French nobleman and patron of the arts.
and Madeleine Marie Isabelle Dubois de Courval. He married Marie-Laure Bischoffsheim
9 February 1923 and the couple moved into 11 Place des États-Unis
in Paris. Charles' mother gifted them a plot in Hyères
, for which first Mies van der Rohe and then Le Corbusier
was asked to design a house. Ultimately they asked Robert Mallet-Stevens
, who would design Villa Noailles
.
Their first daughter, Laure, was born 8 September 1924. In December 1925, their house in Hyères was finished, and Charles and Marie-Laure would continue to expand Villa Noailles
over the years. Natalie, their second daughter, was born 28 December 1925.
According to the memoirs of Alexis de Redé (1922-2004), there was a line that Marie-Laure was asked: 'Charles, he likes men, or does he likes woman?' She always replied: "Charles? He likes flower.'
In fact he preferred men, as Maire-Laure unfortunately discovered early in their married life, when she happened to come to his bedroom one afternoon and found him in bed with his good-looking gym instructer. But the incident was not discussed. They lived lives in part separate, in part together, and many ways a devoted couple, telephoning and writing to each other every day, when they were apart. And even when in the same house, she would write him a letter and push it under his door, and promptly he would reply.,
Charles died 28 April 1981 in Grasse.
Charles financed Man Ray
's film Les Mystères du Château de Dé (1929), which centers around Villa Noailles
in Hyères. He also financed Jean Cocteau
's film Le Sang d'un Poète
(1930) and Luis Buñuel
and Salvador Dalì
's L'Âge d'Or
(1930). Charles and his wife appeared in Les Mystères du Château de Dé as well as Le Sang d'un Poète.
The de Noailles had an extensive correspondence with Francis Poulenc
and commissioned him on two occasions. He received 25000 Francs for Aubade, which he wrote for one of their balls at Place des États-Unis where it premiered on 18 June 1929. Le Bal Masqué, inspired by Max Jacob
's Le Laboratoire Central, was written for a private celebration on 20 April 1932 at the municipal theatre in Hyères.
Vicomte de Noailles was named after him.
Biography
Charles was born in Paris 26 September 1891, the son of François Joseph Eugène Napoléon de NoaillesFrançois Joseph Eugène Napoléon de Noailles
François Joseph Eugène Napoléon de Noailles 10th prince de Poix, was a French nobleman.Son of Antonin-Just-Léon-Marie de Noailles , duc de Mouchy, and the princesse Anne Murat , he was married on 29 June 1889, to Madeleine Marie Isabelle Dubois de Courval .They had four children:#...
and Madeleine Marie Isabelle Dubois de Courval. He married Marie-Laure Bischoffsheim
Marie-Laure de Noailles
Marie-Laure de Noailles, Vicomtesse de Noailles , was one of the 20th century's most daring and influential patrons of the arts, noted for her associations with Salvador Dalí, Balthus, Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, Luis Buñuel, Francis Poulenc, Jean Hugo, Jean-Michel Frank and others as well as her...
9 February 1923 and the couple moved into 11 Place des États-Unis
Place des États-Unis
The Place des États-Unis is a public space in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, about 500 m south of the Place de l'Etoile and the Arc de Triomphe....
in Paris. Charles' mother gifted them a plot in Hyères
Hyères
Hyères , Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
, for which first Mies van der Rohe and then Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
was asked to design a house. Ultimately they asked Robert Mallet-Stevens
Robert Mallet-Stevens
Robert Mallet-Stevens was a French architect and designer. Along with Le Corbusier he is widely regarded as the most influential figure in French architecture in the period between the two World Wars....
, who would design Villa Noailles
Villa Noailles
Villa Noailles is an early modernist house, built by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for art patrons Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, between 1923 and 1927. It is located in the hills above Hyères, in the Var, southeastern France.- History :...
.
Their first daughter, Laure, was born 8 September 1924. In December 1925, their house in Hyères was finished, and Charles and Marie-Laure would continue to expand Villa Noailles
Villa Noailles
Villa Noailles is an early modernist house, built by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for art patrons Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, between 1923 and 1927. It is located in the hills above Hyères, in the Var, southeastern France.- History :...
over the years. Natalie, their second daughter, was born 28 December 1925.
According to the memoirs of Alexis de Redé (1922-2004), there was a line that Marie-Laure was asked: 'Charles, he likes men, or does he likes woman?' She always replied: "Charles? He likes flower.'
In fact he preferred men, as Maire-Laure unfortunately discovered early in their married life, when she happened to come to his bedroom one afternoon and found him in bed with his good-looking gym instructer. But the incident was not discussed. They lived lives in part separate, in part together, and many ways a devoted couple, telephoning and writing to each other every day, when they were apart. And even when in the same house, she would write him a letter and push it under his door, and promptly he would reply.,
Charles died 28 April 1981 in Grasse.
Patrons of the arts
Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles were patrons of the arts.Charles financed Man Ray
Man Ray
Man Ray , born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
's film Les Mystères du Château de Dé (1929), which centers around Villa Noailles
Villa Noailles
Villa Noailles is an early modernist house, built by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for art patrons Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, between 1923 and 1927. It is located in the hills above Hyères, in the Var, southeastern France.- History :...
in Hyères. He also financed Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
's film Le Sang d'un Poète
The Blood of a Poet
The Blood of a Poet is an avant-garde film directed by Jean Cocteau and financed by Charles de Noailles. Photographer Lee Miller made her only film appearance in this movie, and it also features an appearance by the famed aerialist Barbette...
(1930) and Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
and Salvador Dalì
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
's L'Âge d'Or
L'Âge d'Or
L'Âge d'or is a 1930 surrealist film directed by Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel and written by him and Salvador Dalí.The film began as a second collaboration with Dalí, but, by the time the film went into production, Buñuel and Dalí had had a falling-out, and so Dalí actually had nothing to do with...
(1930). Charles and his wife appeared in Les Mystères du Château de Dé as well as Le Sang d'un Poète.
The de Noailles had an extensive correspondence with Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
and commissioned him on two occasions. He received 25000 Francs for Aubade, which he wrote for one of their balls at Place des États-Unis where it premiered on 18 June 1929. Le Bal Masqué, inspired by Max Jacob
Max Jacob
Max Jacob was a French poet, painter, writer, and critic.-Life and career:After spending his childhood in Quimper, Brittany, France, he enrolled in the Paris Colonial School, which he left in 1897 for an artistic career...
's Le Laboratoire Central, was written for a private celebration on 20 April 1932 at the municipal theatre in Hyères.
Gardener
Charles de Noailles was an inveterate gardener. With Roy Lancaster he published Plantes de jardins méditerranéens, and Camellia sasanquaCamellia sasanqua
The Christmas Camellia is a species of Camellia native to the evergreen coastal forests of southern Japan in Shikoku, Kyūshū and many other minor islands as far south as Okinawa. It is usually found growing up to an altitude of 900 metres.It is an evergreen shrub growing to 5 m tall...
Vicomte de Noailles was named after him.