Grand Chalet

The Grand Chalet, also known as Grand Chalet de Rossinière, Grande Demeure or Grande Maison, is a historic chalet in the French part of Switzerland. The French name Le Grand Chalet means The Big Chalet, in the sense of: The biggest house in town.

The Grand Chalet is one of the oldest and grandest chalets ever built in Switzerland, dating to the mid-18th century. The house was originally built for the local governor, solicitor and local court judge Jean-David Henchoz (1712–1758), who was also a farmer as well as a cheese and timber entrepreneur. Jean-David Henchoz played a key role in the design of the Grand Chalet. Some sources of information even list him as the architect. This was not uncommon at the time. Typically, the owner and the master carpenter were jointly responsible for the chalet plans.^[1][2]

The Grand Chalet is considered one of the largest wooden house ever built in the Alps. The chalet is located in Rossinière and classed as a historic monument. In one chronicle it is described as a castle with a turtle shell. The painter Balthus spent the last decades of his life in the Grand Chalet.^[3][4][5]

The Grand Chalet has inspired various writers and poets throughout the centuries, giving rise to poems, stories and legends about this unique mountain house, which has always been a haven for artists.

"The Grand Chalet, a caravel washed up on a mountain, a Shinto temple (…) With its architecture in white wood and balconies of lace."

— Claude Roy^[6]

The Grand Chalet was built between 1750 and 1754 (in some articles the construction period is also given as between 1752 and 1756). The masonry base is the work of Gabriel Massar. He and his workers built a special open-air lime kiln, specifically for the production of lime and gypsum for the masonry of the Grand Chalet. The wooden structure is the work of the master carpenter Joseph Genayne of Château-d'Œx and his carpenters. The friezes and painted decorations are by Jean Raynaud and his wife Marie Perronet of Château-d'Œx. It took 43 days to complete the painted decorations, including verses, inscriptions, coats of arms and frescoes depicting flowers and symbolic animals.^[7][8][4]

The Grand Chalet surpasses all the superlatives of all other chalets in Switzerland. It is the largest chalet in the entire country. The Grand Chalet consists of: 500 m² of floor space, 60 rooms on five floors, 113 windows and a 2,800-letter dedication painted on the façade, partly consisting of verses from the works of Antoinette Des Houlières. The other inscriptions express the deep Christian faith of Jean-David Henchoz, the first owner of the house. Some of the thought-provoking verses are: "Pride is ridiculous and vain", "Death is born with him", "He begins to die long before he dies" and "The worms will grow fat on your rotting flesh".^[7][8][4]

The first owner of the Grand Chalet, Jean-David Henchoz, had himself immortalised on the north façade of his house as follows: It is by the help of God that the Sieur Jean-David Henchoz, the current court judge of Rossinière, son of the late honourable Gabriel Henchoz, in his lifetime former court judge and governor of the said place, had this house built.

The wooden structure of the Grand Chalet is made entirely of local Alpine wood, with elaborately carved balconies and a sloping roof characteristic of traditional Swiss architecture. To build the chalet it required 750 m³ of logs, or more than 200 spruce trees, and 950 m² of shingles for the roof, or 70 more spruce trees, for a total of almost 1,000 m³ cut in the owner's forests. The southern façade of the Grand Chalet measures 27.0 meters by 19.5 meters with a depth of 15 meters.^[7][8][4]

The chalet was initially designed as a regional cheese warehouse and trading center, reflecting the economic significance of dairy production in the area. This also explains the extraordinary size of the house, especially the cellar, where up to 600 cheese wheels could be stored, mainly coming from the L'Étivaz valley.^[5]

In 1852, the Grand Chalet was turned into a hotel by Rodolphe Henchoz de Loës, a descendant of Jean-David Henchoz. It was during the course of this conversion into a hotel that Rodolphe Henchoz de Loës renamed the house, previously known as Grande Maison, to Hôtel-Pension du Grand Chalet^[4][2]

To improve the Grand Chalet's use as a hotel, significant changes were made. These included the construction of a gallery on the south side, the removal of two large open fireplaces in the kitchens and the conversion of the basement rooms on the ground floor (the cheese cellars) into a dining room with French doors. Some of these changes were later reversed during further renovations. At this time, the painted decorations on the façade were also restored for the first time.^[2]

The most visible structural change, the gallery on the south side, was only dismantled after the Hôtel-Pension du Grand Chalet was sold in the 1970s. Thus, the original condition of the Grand Chalet's façade of 1754 was restored.^[2]

The hotel quickly became very popular. It was the time of the last years of the era of the Grand Tour. Holidays in the Swiss Alps were in favour of the high society, especially among the British, Americans, Russians and Australians, some of whom traveled to Rossinière with their servants and stayed at the Hôtel-Pension du Grand Chalet for several months. The hotel was deliberately designed to meet the needs of the British upper class, and British aristocrats were loyal guests for generations. Notable hotel guests at the Grand Chalet were Victor Hugo and Alfred Dreyfus.^[2][9]

The Grand Chalet remained in the possession of the family Henchoz until 1875. It was probably after the hotel was sold that its name was changed from Hôtel-Pension du Grand Chalet to Hotel Grand Chalet.^[2]

In the second half of the 19th century, it was none other than Queen Victoria herself who was responsible for the great boom in British tourism in the Swiss Alps. It was the queen who drew the attention of the British upper class to the Swiss mountains with her visit to Switzerland in 1868. This was the first visit to Switzerland by a reigning British monarch. The five-week stay left its mark not only on Queen Victoria, but also on the Swiss tourism industry. The Bernese Oberland, especially Gstaad and the surrounding villages, including Rossinière, also benefited from this boom.^[10][11]

In 1976, another sophisticated figure came to the Hotel Grand Chalet for tea: Balthasar, Comte Klossowski de Rola, called Balthus, the world-renowned painter. He and his wife Setsuko Klossowska de Rola were visiting friends in Gstaad at the time. It was love at first sight. The house so fascinated Balthus that the French-Polish artist immediately considered purchasing the Grand Chalet, which was up for sale at the time. His wife Setsuko agreed and added: "I would like to live here." Before Balthus came along, however, many potential buyers were put off by the sheer size of the wooden structure and the associated renovation and maintenance costs. But not Balthus. On the contrary. He felt that he had arrived. Ultimately, at the end of his life, Balthus will never have lived in one place longer than in the Grand Chalet.^{[4][5][12][13]}

Two of the greats had found each other. A great artist was looking for a new home and a great house was looking for a new owner. It was the great artist who would ultimately restore the great house to its former glory. Thus began the grand era of the Grand Chalet.^[4]

"I found my secret geometry here."

— Balthus on his beloved Grand Chalet^[12]

In 1976 and 1977 respectively, Balthasar Klossowski de Rola, called Balthus, acquired the Grand Chalet. He acquired the Grand Chalet all-inclusive, meaning with a large portion of its inventory. Some of the furniture and furnishings still in the Grand Chalet today originate from the hotel's former inventory. Balthus bought the house from the last hotelier of the Grand Chalet, Antoine Devenish. Antoine Devenish had bought the Grand Chalet in 1951. He was the third owner after the family Henchoz had sold the Grand Chalet in 1875.^[5][12][14]

Balthus and his wife Setsuko moved into the Grand Chalet in 1977. It was Balthus's gallerist, Pierre Matisse, who lent him the money to purchase the chalet. Balthus repaid the loan with his paintings.^[5][14]

Although Balthus and his wife Setsuko had already purchased the Castello di Montecalvello between Florence and Rome by this time, they moved to Switzerland on the advice of Balthus's doctor. The Italian sirocco wind occasionally reawakened the malaria Balthus had contracted during his military service in Morocco. And Balthus soon realised that the Swiss climate was good for him.^[14]

Balthus transformed the Grand Chalet into a private artistic retreat. He lived and worked there for nearly 25 years, welcoming artists, intellectuals, diplomats and close friends and collaborators.^[14][13]

The Castello di Montecalvello remained in Balthus's possession. He used it as a second residence. Upon his death, he bequeathed it to his son, Stash de Rola, who still owns it.^[15]

Over time, the Grand Chalet became a place of pilgrimage for countless admirers of Balthus's work. Personalities such as the legendary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson and his wife, the portrait photographer Martine Franck, the sculptor Alberto Giacometti, the gallerist and patron Alice Pauli, the film actors Philippe Noiret and Richard Gere, the film director and photographer Wim Wenders, the film director and screenwriter Federico Fellini, the musicians Bono and Mick Jagger, the Dalai Lama, the secretary-general of the United Nations Kofi Annan, the philanthropist and art collector Simon Sainsbury, the supermodels Elle Macpherson and Inès de La Fressange, the Italian businessman, art dealer and husband of Inès de La Fressange Luigi d'Urso (1951–2006), the fashion muse and accessory and jewellery designer Loulou de la Falaise, who was married to Thadée Klossowski de Rola (* 1944), the younger son of Balthus, and classical musicians such as Riccardo Muti and Zubin Mehta visited the Grand Chalet.^[4][12][16]

Another visitor was David Bowie, who, like Gianni Agnelli and Prince Sadruddhin Aga Khan, was also a great art connoisseur and friend of Balthus. David Bowie conducted several interviews with Balthus, which were published in English magazines.^[4][17][18]

With Balthus's funeral on 24 February 2001, the Grand Chalet's grand era also came to an end. Balthus's friends gathered at the Grand Chalet one last time to bid farewell to the great artist. Among them were Prince Sadruddhin Aga Khan, Bono and Elle Macpherson.^[19][20]

The appreciation for Balthus was also expressed by the fact that three countries sent official delegations to his funeral: France, Italy and Switzerland. Switzerland was represented by Federal Councillor Ruth Dreifuss.^[19][20]

In addition, Vittorio Emanuele, Principe di Savoia, and his wife Marina Doria, Principessa di Savoia, as well as their son, Emanuele Filiberto, Principe di Savoia, paid their last respects to Balthus. Balthus had painted a portrait drawing of Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia when the prince was still a child. Because Balthus painted slowly, the prince had to wait years for his portrait.^{[21][22][20][19]}

There were paintings that Balthus worked on for up to 10 years before finally painting over them because he wasn't satisfied with them. His gallerist, Pierre Matisse, showed a lot of patience and understanding. Balthus's complete oeuvre comprises approximately 350 paintings. The family still owns five of them today.^[23]

Balthus hosted the art world at the Grand Chalet. Or as Ambassador Nicolas Bideau aptly put it during his visit to the Grand Chalet on 12 October 2018: "The Grand Chalet is a place for the arts, which have always been an important part of diplomacy. And cultural diplomacy opens doors."^[24]

Balthus's widow, Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, continues to cultivate Balthus's legacy and is committed to preserving the Grand Chalet as a cultural landmark.^[14]

A particularly impressive room is Balthus's former studio. It is located in the former garage, which dates back to the time when the Grand Chalet was still a hotel.^[4]

This room, resembling a monk's cell and also reminiscent of a temple, contains his last, unfinished works. It was here that, in February 2001, Balthus spent his last night on a chaise longue in the presence of his wife Setsuko and his daughter Harumi.^[4][13]

"We hardly spoke, but there was something very beautiful about those moments."

— Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, Balthus's widow, about her last hours with her husband in his studio in 2001^[5]

After Balthus's death, everything in the studio was left exactly as it was at the time of his death. The studio has been preserved as a time capsule to this day.

With Mitsou (1921), the picture story of a cat found and immediately lost again, Balthus, at the age of eleven, began a lifelong relationship with cats, which since the Romanticism have embodied both freedom and the inner world of creative people. According to Balthus's son Thadée Klossowski de Rola (* 1944), Balthus used to say: "I must smell funny. Because whenever there is a cat around it comes and loves me."^[25][26]

In 1935, the year Balthus painted his portrait The King of Cats, Balthus adopted the title King of Cats, which he used to sign his letters to his future first wife, Rose Alice Antoinette Freiin von Wattenwyl (1912–1997). The portrait bears the inscription: A Portrait of H. M. The King of Cats, painted by Himself, MCMXXXV. The self-portrait thus represents a painter-monarch at the head of an empire populated by cats, exactly the situation that was also found at the Grand Chalet, which was home to Balthus's many cats. Unlike humans, the cats had unrestricted access to every room at the Grand Chalet.^[3][25][27]

"And Balthus was a cat lover. He painted many pictures in which the cat is a kind of self-portrait."

— Sabine Rewald, curator of the exhibition Balthus: Cats and Girls at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (25 September 2013 – 12 January 2014)^[28]

Following Balthus's passing, the Balthus Foundation was established at the Grand Chalet to preserve his legacy.

In 2018, the heritage of the Balthus Foundation was entrusted to the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts (MCBA), giving rise to the Atelier de Balthus Association, which seals and strengthens the links between Balthus, the Municipality of Rossinière and the Canton of Vaud.

The association manages the cultural activity between the Balthus Chapel (a living museum on the life of the painter open all year round), the Balthus Studio open to the public and the Grand Chalet, the family home, an emblematic building, witness to the rich know-how of the craftsmen of yesteryear who built the architectural heritage of the region.^[2]

Notable activities of the Balthus Foundation related to the Grand Chalet:

• Bijoux et aquarelles d'Harumi – 22 February 2002
• La Jeunesse de Balthus – 21 September to 16 November 2003
• Henri Cartier-Bresson et Martine Franck – 4 July to 3 October 2004
• Les Dessins de Balthus – 26 June to 30 October 2005
• La Magie du Paysage – 2 July to 17 September 2006
• Le Mystère des Chats – 14 July to 16 September 2007
• Memorial Day – Ceremony for 100 years of Balthus – 29 February 2008

• Jürg Zbinden: Le Grand Chalet de Rossinière, éditions mo, 2004
• Alain Vircondelet: Les Chats de Balthus, Flammarion, Paris, 2000

Media related to Category:Grand Chalet Rossinière at Wikimedia Commons

• The Grand Chalet – An interview with Setsuko: Gagosian Quarterly, 2 September 2023
• Setsuko Klossowska de Rola: L'Atelier de Balthus: Fondation Beyeler, 9 novembre 2018
• La vie de chalet – Le Grand Chalet de Balthus à Rossinière en Suisse: Montagne TV, 2013
• (in French) Exhibition by Jean-Pierre Neff, carpenter at Rossinière - 2004.
• (in French) Official site of the Balthus Foundation

46°27′57″N 7°05′04″E / 46.46583°N 7.08444°E / 46.46583; 7.08444