Le XVIIème Siècle

The 17th century, the golden age of glove-making perfumers and scents at the king's court

The 17th century was an era in which perfume reigned supreme. It was so celebrated that an engraving was even dedicated to it. This engraving is attributed to Gerrit Valck and was printed in 1697 by Nicolas de L'Armessin. Known as L'Habit du Parfumeur, it depicts a perfumer wearing an incense burner as a hat and all of his products as clothing. This particularly famous work highlights the importance of perfumery under Louis XIV.

The pairing of leather and perfume

Although the fashion for scented leathers was introduced during the Renaissance, its success did not wane in the least during the 17th century. Thus, all objects made of leather were given a captivating scent, whether gloves, waistcoats, shoes, belts, chests, or fans. The latter were coated with a scented grease, and royal authorization to be named both master glove-maker and perfumer was granted as early as January 1614. In this respect, the scented glove-making trade of Grasse achieved immense success thanks to its many floral crops steeped in Mediterranean sunshine. Moreover, the scents of jasmine, rose, and tuberose were especially widespread. It is estimated that around fifteen hectares of land were devoted to jasmine cultivation in the area surrounding the city of Grasse by the end of the 17th century. Furthermore, floral scents were far from the only ones used at the time, and other raw materials such as musk, patchouli, vetiver, and sandalwood delighted the French population, all the more so as their importation was greatly facilitated by the creation of the Compagnie des Indes.

Perfume at the royal court

Nevertheless, while perfume made a name for itself economically in the Grasse region, it was also extremely popular at the king's court. However, certain writings from the period describe this place as particularly foul-smelling. In reality, perfume served rather to mask the putrid odors permeating the atmosphere. Personal hygiene at the time was, indeed, far removed from what it is today. Moreover, even the toilette of Louis XIV, as described by the Duke of Saint-Simon in one of his works, highlights the absence of water. The Sun King's washing routine consisted instead of rinsing his hands with spirit of wine. Indeed, since the great Black Plague of 1348, physicians had suspected that water weakened the body by opening the pores of the skin, making it more susceptible to absorbing germs. This fear of water only grew and reached its peak in the 17th century. Thus, aromatic products were used to mask bad odors and were believed to cleanse the inside of the body by protecting it from bad air.

In other words, although the beauty rituals of the 17th century were very different from those we know today, this was an era that proved highly conducive to the development of perfumery, one that closely linked it to the art of tanning.