Thursday, January 9th, 2025
Art and Food Pairing™ - with a Twist
Cover image: Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Belley by Anne-Marie Girodet
© Entrée to Black Paris
Since February 2011, I have periodically posted articles under the rubric "ETBP Art and Food Pairing™."
My original concept was to write these articles after exploring museums and galleries that display African or Black diaspora works, and then dining at a nearby African or Afro-Caribbean restaurant.
Today's Art and Food Pairing™ is different.
It features a single painting of a Black man created by a White European artist and a nearby restaurant that features French cuisine prepared by a Black chef from Mali.
THE PAINTING
Last week, Tom and I ventured to Versailles for a guided tour of l'Attique Chimay - one of the Palace of Versailles's attics. We were drawn there because of advertisements in the metro that featured the portrait of Jean-Baptiste Belley, a Senegalese enslaved person turned French citizen, wigmaker, and military officer. He was first Black representative of Saint-Domingue (now Haïti) in the newly formed government that emerged from the French Revolution, serving in this capacity from 1793-1799.
Metro ad for l'Autre Versailles
© Entrée to Black Paris
We have seen images of this portrait in books and online for years and did not want to miss the opportunity to view it in person, given that it is not on permanent display.
So, we purchased tickets for a 90-minute tour.
On a cold, gray, and rainy morning, we took the RER to Versailles.
RER C train to Versailles Château
© Entrée to Black Paris
Because our rendezvous point to meet the guide was at the North Minister Wing of the château, we did not have to stand with the tourists waiting in line for their turn to enter the palace and grounds.
Tourists at Versailles
© Entrée to Black Paris
Our guide was a loquacious woman who took us straight to the attic, which we approached via the Queen's Staircase.
The Queen's Staircase
© Entrée to Black Paris
We learned that l'Attique Chimay is named after Laure Auguste de Fitz-James, Princesse de Chimey, who was Marie Antoinette's lady-in-waiting.
It is also known as the Revolution Galleries, and we quickly understood that we were going to experience a timeline of the French Revolution and the early days of the Napoleonic era through art.
Much of the exhibition focused on Napoleon and the military campaigns that fueled his ascension to Premier Consul of France.
The portrait of Belley was in the last room we visited. While not monumental in size, it is quite large, and it hangs in isolation between two windows that look out onto the palace grounds.
Tour participants look at portrait
© Entrée to Black Paris
Palace grounds
© Entrée to Black Paris
Much has been written about the way in which the artist, Anne-Marie Girodet de Roussy-Trioson, portrayed Belley in this handsome painting.
Where some see a depiction of a proud, accomplished man, others see a work they believe seeks to stereotype and degrade him.
Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Bellay, Deputy of Saint Domingue
Anne-Marie Girodet de Roussy-Trioson
1797 Oil on canvas
© Entrée to Black Paris
Interestingly, the first time the portrait was shown, it was listed as Portrait d'un nègre (a "generous" translation would be "Portrait of a Black man").
A year later, it was listed as Portrait du c. Belley (with the "c." standing for "citoyen" ["citizen"]).
A detailed presentation of Belley's life and the artistic critiques of Girodet's portrait of him is beyond the scope of this article.
THE RESTAURANT
After our tour of the attic, we ventured into the town of Versailles, where we had a lunch reservation at Les 4 Saisons.
This small, two-story restaurant is 10-15 minutes away from the palace by foot.
Les 4 Saisons façade
© Entrée to Black Paris
Maître de salle Philippe Arena greeted us and escorted us up a steep stairway to the larger of the restaurant's two dining rooms, which was practically full when we arrived at around 1:15 PM.
We caught a glimpse of Chef Mody Sacko before heading up the stairs.
Chef Mody Sacko
Image courtesy of Les 4 Saisons
We settled in comfortably and perused the menu. Tom decided to get the three-course lunch special, while I ordered two courses à la carte.
Chef Sacko had prepared Velouté de légumes as an amuse-bouche to whet our appetites for our meal. The smooth, thick, creamy soup was dressed with a dollop of heavy cream containing diced chestnuts. It was scrumptious!
Velouté de légumes
© Entrée to Black Paris
Tom ordered Rouleau d’avocat farci au tartare de saumon as a starter. This was salmon tartar wrapped in thinly slice avocado and dressed with rose petals and soft salad leaves.
Purées of watercress, beet, and orange gave additional color to the plate.
Rouleau d’avocat farci au tartare de saumon
© Entrée to Black Paris
The main dish for the lunch special was Chapon farci au foie gras et champignons (capon stuffed with foie gras and mushrooms). It was served with puréed potatoes and root vegetables and topped with a leaf of mesclun salad. Tom selected a Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune 2023 from the Château de Melin as the wine accompaniment.
Chapon farci au foie gras et champignons
© Entrée to Black Paris
Though the plate was beautifully presented, Tom discovered that he does not like the flavor of capon!
I opted for the Souris d'agneau désossé et legumes confites as my main dish.
I received a disk of deboned lamb encircled with a single strip of cooked zucchini. Resting in a pool of dark gravy, it was surrounded by preserved root veggies and a dollop of puréed potato.
Souris d'agneau désossé et légumes confites
© Entrée to Black Paris
I absolutely loved this dish, as well as the 2019 Pic Saint-Loup, Pleine Lune, Domaine Beauthorey that I selected to accompany it!
For dessert, Tom was served Tarte aux Myrtilles - a blueberry tart made with a shortbread crust. The tart was topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sesame crisp.
Mango and raspberry coulis added vibrance to the dish, which Tom enjoyed.
Tarte aux myrtilles
© Entrée to Black Paris
I selected Mœlleux au chocolat caraïbes, cœur coulant, caramel au beurre salé for my dessert. This consisted of rich, dense, melted chocolate encased in a thin shell of chocolate cake and accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a thin sesame crisp, and coulis of raspberry, mango, and caramel.
Mœlleux au chocolat caraïbes, cœur coulant, caramel au beurre salé
© Entrée to Black Paris
I would have loved to be served only caramel coulis, because I don't like raspberry and only tolerate mango.
My favorite parts of this dish were the melted chocolate center of the cake and the sesame crisp!
Chef Sacko perfected his art in the kitchens of Le Potager du Roy and Les Trois Marches in Versailles, under the direction of renowned French chef Gérard Vié. He and Maître de Salle Arena have served up superb French cuisine at Les 4 Saisons for over 10 years.
Les 4 Saisons
40, rue Carnot
78000 Versailles
RER C - Versailles Château Rive Gauche
Tel: 09.83.31.60.09