François Vatel
Encyclopedia
François Vatel (1631, Paris
– April 24, 1671) was the maître d'hôtel
of Nicolas Fouquet
and prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé.
He is widely, but incorrectly, credited with creating crème Chantilly (Chantilly cream), a sweet, vanilla-flavoured whipped cream, for an extravagant banquet for 2,000 people hosted in honour of Louis XIV
by Louis, the great Condé
in April 1671 at the Château de Chantilly
.
At this same banquet, Vatel, the consummate perfectionist, was supposedly so distraught about the lateness of the fish (la maree i.e., the tidal harvest of seafood, perhaps mostly crustaceans)—the banquet was to be held on a Friday—and about other mishaps that he committed suicide
by running himself through with a sword. According to some versions of the story, his body was discovered by an aide who came to tell him of the arrival of the fish (seafood). His death was treated as a national tragedy.
This often-repeated story was described in a letter by the Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné
.
Vatel was already renowned for having served Louis XIV
's superintendent Nicolas Fouquet
in the splendid inauguration fête at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
that took place on 17 August 1661, the occasion of Fouquet's downfall.
Vatel
by Roland Joffé
, with Gérard Depardieu
playing the role of Vatel.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
– April 24, 1671) was the maître d'hôtel
Maître d'hôtel
The maître d’hôtel in the original French language is literally the "master of the hotel". In a suitably staffed restaurant or hotel, it is the person in charge of assigning customers to tables and dividing the dining area into areas of responsibility for the various servers on duty. The plural...
of Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV...
and prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé.
He is widely, but incorrectly, credited with creating crème Chantilly (Chantilly cream), a sweet, vanilla-flavoured whipped cream, for an extravagant banquet for 2,000 people hosted in honour of 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...
by Louis, the great Condé
Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duc d'Enghien...
in April 1671 at the Château de Chantilly
Château de Chantilly
The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly, France. It comprises two attached buildings; the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency...
.
At this same banquet, Vatel, the consummate perfectionist, was supposedly so distraught about the lateness of the fish (la maree i.e., the tidal harvest of seafood, perhaps mostly crustaceans)—the banquet was to be held on a Friday—and about other mishaps that he committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by running himself through with a sword. According to some versions of the story, his body was discovered by an aide who came to tell him of the arrival of the fish (seafood). His death was treated as a national tragedy.
This often-repeated story was described in a letter by the Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné was a French aristocrat, remembered for her letter-writing. Most of her letters, celebrated for their wit and vividness, were addressed to her daughter.-Life:...
.
Vatel was already renowned for having served 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 superintendent Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet
Nicolas Fouquet, marquis de Belle-Île, vicomte de Melun et Vaux was the Superintendent of Finances in France from 1653 until 1661 under King Louis XIV...
in the splendid inauguration fête at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
Vaux-le-Vicomte
The Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte is a baroque French château located in Maincy, near Melun, 55 km southeast of Paris in the Seine-et-Marne département of France...
that took place on 17 August 1661, the occasion of Fouquet's downfall.
Popular culture
His story was depicted in the 2000 film2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
Vatel
Vatel (film)
Vatel is a 2000 film based on the life of 17th century French chef François Vatel, directed by Roland Joffé and starring Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, and Tim Roth. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction - Set Decoration. The film opened the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.-...
by Roland Joffé
Roland Joffé
Roland Joffé is an English-French film director who is known for his Oscar nominated movies, The Killing Fields and The Mission. He began his career in television. His early television credits included episodes of Coronation Street and an adaptation of The Stars Look Down for Granada...
, with Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
playing the role of Vatel.
Further reading
- Dominique Michel 1999.Vatel ou la naissance de la gastronomie (Editions Fayard)
- Patrick Rambourg 1999. Recettes du Grand Siècle (Editions Fayard)
- Mathilde Mottoule 2006. Vatel ou l'origine d'un mythe.