Martine-Marie-pol. of Béhague

Martine-Marie-pol. of Béhague , countess of Béarn (Paris, 1869 - Paris, January 26th 1939), is a patron and French collector.

Girl junior by the count Octave of Béhague and by the countess, born Laure de Haber. She marries in Paris, on February 10th, 1890, Rene-Marie-Hector de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1862-after 1920), lieutenant of cavalry, bringing 3.500.000 francs of dowry to him. Quickly separated, the couple divorced on March 20th, 1920 by judgment the court of the Seine, without posterity.

Large voyageuse, it furrows the oceans on its yacht, in the search of rare parts for its eclectic collections, gathering what it considers most beautiful: drawings, paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, antiques, natives of the Far East objects, Dresden chinas… It also has a beautiful collection of tables of Watteau, Tiepolo, Guardi, Fragonard and even splendid a Titien.

Become sole owner of the private mansion of his parents, 123 rue St-Dominique (Paris VIIe), it mainly makes it rebuild, as from 1893, by the architect Walter-Andre Destailleur. This one builds a palate, called the “Byzance of the seventh” by Robert de Montesquiou, where mix the most varied styles. Work comprises in 1902 the creation of the frontage on the garden, decorated ionic columns twinned, and in 1904 the creation of the frontage of entry on the street Saint-Dominique.

The decoration of the room of the Knight, lit by a zenith light, is a chief of work of Jean Dampt (today with the Musée of Orsay). Dampt also carries out a figure of Time carrying the love in high relief, presented to the Living room of 1898, which decorates the large polychrome marble staircase, inspired by the staircase of the Queen of Versailles, according to a current provision in the large private mansions of the time. The concert hall, built in 1898 by the architect Gustave-Adolphe Gerhardt in the Byzantine style, is the largest private theater of Paris and profits from a decoration of an exceptional richness: “A beautiful place which one does not know if it is the theater or the church”, will comment on Robert de Montesquiou.

Sometimes capped with a green wig, it receives, wide on a sofa covered with skins of animals, painters, sculptors, musicians, writers, particularly the Symbolists in particular Paul Helleu, Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret, Carlos Schwabe and Jean Dampt. It supports in particular Verlaine. In his hotel, one gives Wagner, Carmen of Bizet, Fauré directs his Requiem . Egery of the great writer Paul Valéry, it makes of it its librarian with the Hotel of Béhague

The countess of Béarn also has “Polynesia”, property on the Riviera in the south D `Hyères, on the Presqu'île of Giens, parcelled out in 1957 by her heirs, Ganay, and the Fleury-in-Beer castle.

See the inventory of its collections to the Library of Arts, Hotel of Direction.

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