Louis de Bechamel
Encyclopedia
Louis de Béchameil, marquis de Nointel
(1630–1703) was a French
financier and patron of the arts.
-Baptiste Béchameil, Louis was a rich tax farmer and superintendent to the house of the Duke of Orléans
; he was intendant
of Brittany
and of the généralité of Tours. In 1697, Béchameil bought the marquisat of Nointel and later became Louis XIV
's head steward.
Following a reorganisation of the Brittany kingdom's Chamber of Accounts of 1669, a commission (1680) was set up and led by Béchameil de Nointel, as an intendant where he wrote a report to attest what he saw. This document, which mentions the frauds of the Chamber's deposits, shows the favors given to the crown and tries to end such abuses, led to a new law proposed by Charles Colbert to the Brittany Chamber in 1681. In 1698, Béchameil published another document focusing on the fiscal system.
Béchameil was an art lover who was directed by the King to found the Academy at Angers
, for which he delivered the opening address and served as director. He was a patron of Watteau
, who painted a series of arabesque
panels with figures for the hôtel de Nointel, Paris, doubtless, from the nature of the allegories, for a small dining chamber..
Béchameil and his wife, Marie Colbert (d. April 3, 1686) had two children, Marie Louise Béchameil de Nointel (1661 – April 2, 1740) and Louis Béchameil de Nointel (1649 – December 31, 1718).
(Fr. sauce béchamel) acquired its name from him for he perfected an older sauce
made from cream
originally made by François Pierre de la Varenne (1615–1678), the cook of the marquis d'Uxelles. The sauce was dedicated to Béchameil to flatter him, at which the Duke of Escars commented:
Nointel, Oise
Nointel is a village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise....
(1630–1703) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
financier and patron of the arts.
Life
Son of patrick-Baptiste Béchameil, Louis was a rich tax farmer and superintendent to the house of the Duke of Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
; he was intendant
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
and of the généralité of Tours. In 1697, Béchameil bought the marquisat of Nointel and later became Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
's head steward.
Following a reorganisation of the Brittany kingdom's Chamber of Accounts of 1669, a commission (1680) was set up and led by Béchameil de Nointel, as an intendant where he wrote a report to attest what he saw. This document, which mentions the frauds of the Chamber's deposits, shows the favors given to the crown and tries to end such abuses, led to a new law proposed by Charles Colbert to the Brittany Chamber in 1681. In 1698, Béchameil published another document focusing on the fiscal system.
Béchameil was an art lover who was directed by the King to found the Academy at Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, for which he delivered the opening address and served as director. He was a patron of Watteau
Antoine Watteau
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement...
, who painted a series of arabesque
Arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements...
panels with figures for the hôtel de Nointel, Paris, doubtless, from the nature of the allegories, for a small dining chamber..
Béchameil and his wife, Marie Colbert (d. April 3, 1686) had two children, Marie Louise Béchameil de Nointel (1661 – April 2, 1740) and Louis Béchameil de Nointel (1649 – December 31, 1718).
Béchamel sauce
The white sauce called béchamel sauceBéchamel sauce
Béchamel sauce , also known as white sauce, is one of the mother sauces of French cuisine and is used in many recipes of Italian cuisine, for example lasagne. It is used as the base for other sauces . It is traditionally made by whisking scalded milk gradually into a white roux...
(Fr. sauce béchamel) acquired its name from him for he perfected an older sauce
Sauce
In cooking, a sauce is liquid, creaming or semi-solid food served on or used in preparing other foods. Sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to another dish. Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsus, meaning salted...
made from cream
Cream
Cream is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, over time, the lighter fat rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream this process is accelerated by using centrifuges called "separators"...
originally made by François Pierre de la Varenne (1615–1678), the cook of the marquis d'Uxelles. The sauce was dedicated to Béchameil to flatter him, at which the Duke of Escars commented: