In scent, the laburnum carries a soft, honeyed floral aroma, with subtle almond and hay-like facets. Guerlain, ever attuned to nature’s subtleties, might have interpreted this as a gilded floral blend, combining the sweetness of acacia or mimosa with a faint woody-green undertone. The imagined perfume would have opened with bright notes of bergamot and neroli, leading into a heart of yellow florals—perhaps broom, mimosa, or heliotrope—laced with a powdery, pollen-like nuance. The base may have settled into a smooth resinous warmth, with faint touches of vanilla and benzoin to give depth and glow, echoing the natural sweetness of the laburnum’s blooms.
The year 1848 was one of transformation and political upheaval in France—the dawn of the Second Republic, an age of revolution and renewal. Yet, amid this turbulence, Guerlain’s Jardin d’Hiver Collection offered an oasis of cultivated calm, reflecting a return to nature and classical ideals. The choice of a name steeped in Latin and botanical elegance mirrored the intellectual and aesthetic tastes of the mid-19th century, when natural sciences, art, and luxury were intertwined. Women of refined society, drawn to such a perfume, would have associated Cytise Sylvaria with poise, sensitivity, and quiet opulence—a fragrance not of ostentation, but of cultured grace.
In the context of perfumery at the time, Cytise Sylvaria would have been distinctly modern, blending romantic naturalism with scientific precision. Where earlier perfumes leaned heavily on musk, amber, or animalic notes, Guerlain’s composition would have felt like a breath of pure air from a botanical conservatory, an early exploration of floral harmony that anticipated the luminous, nature-inspired style Guerlain would perfect in later decades. In essence, Cytise Sylvaria would have smelled like sunlight filtering through golden blossoms—a celebration of life’s gentler radiance, bottled for an era yearning for beauty and renewal.
Jardin d’Hiver Collection:
Guerlain’s Jardin d’Hiver Collection, launched in 1848, represents a remarkable celebration of botanical singularity and refined artistry. Each fragrance within the collection is devoted to a single floral or plant note, captured with painstaking care to highlight its unique character and essence. The collection’s Latin-styled names—Tilia microphylla, Lathyrus odorans, Mimosa fragrans, Cyperus ruber, and the most recent addition (1853), Mimosa Esterhazya—lend an air of classical sophistication, evoking the scholarly prestige and aristocratic refinement associated with the study of plants and natural sciences. These names, both precise and exotic, signal the high level of craft and attention devoted to each fragrance, appealing to a clientele who valued knowledge, taste, and exclusivity.
At the 1851 Universal Exposition, these perfumes competed not merely as products of luxury, but as demonstrations of technical mastery and artistic innovation. Each extrait is a distillation of a single botanical note, conveying the essence of the plant in a way that is at once vivid, nuanced, and enduring. Tilia microphylla, for instance, would have unfolded with the delicate, honeyed softness of its linden blossoms, while Mimosa fragrans exudes a sunlit, powdery warmth, evocative of early spring mornings. Cyperus ruber, with its earthy, subtly green facets, contrasts with the intensely floral sweetness of Lathyrus odorans, creating a spectrum of olfactory experiences within a unified concept.
The collection was designed for the highest echelons of society, intended for women who were not merely consumers of fragrance but arbiters of taste and refinement. These perfumes were not relegated to the dressing table as casual adornments; they were worn as statements of identity and prestige, perfuming the air with subtlety and elegance. In essence, the Jardin d’Hiver Collection embodies the aristocratic ethos of mid-19th century Paris—a union of botanical scholarship, artistic sophistication, and the cultivated elegance expected of the queens of fashion and fortune. Each fragrance is an intimate portrait of a singular flower, captured with the utmost care, and presented as a jewel of olfactory refinement.
Fragrance Composition:
So what does it smell like? If one were to imagine what Cytise Sylvaria by Guerlain might have smelled like in 1848, it would likely have been a luminous yellow floral composition — radiant yet understated, evoking the warmth of sunlight streaming through a conservatory filled with golden blossoms.
At its heart would be the scent of laburnum (Cytisus sylvaria) — a flower that, while not widely used in modern perfumery, is described as having a soft, honeyed sweetness with hints of almond, pollen, and hay. It would not be a heady floral, but rather a delicate, warm, and gently powdery aroma, evocative of early summer. Guerlain, known even then for crafting balanced, harmonious scents, might have blended the laburnum accord with heliotrope or mimosa to enhance its creamy, almonded facets, and perhaps acacia or broom to bring out the floral brightness and golden tones.
The opening could have included bergamot or petitgrain, introducing a fresh, citrusy lift to mimic the cool air of a winter garden. Green floral notes — possibly violet leaf or galbanum — might have underscored the natural greenness of the laburnum’s stems and leaves, providing contrast and vitality.
As it settled, the heart of the perfume would have become softly powdery and luminous, capturing the feel of golden petals warmed by the sun. A light honey accord, with natural beeswax or benzoin, could have added a subtle sweetness, tying into the “botanical study” character of the Jardin d’Hiver line.
The base would likely have been resinous and slightly woody, featuring benzoin, tolu balsam, and perhaps a touch of sandalwood or vanilla — classic Guerlain signatures even in the 19th century. These notes would lend depth and warmth, evoking polished wood and sunlight on amber varnish.
In total, Cytise Sylvaria might have smelled like a golden-green floral veil — a blend of soft honey, almond, fresh greenery, and warm woods. The overall impression would be gentle, aristocratic, and quietly radiant — the scent of a lady in pale silk walking beneath the glass canopy of a winter garden, surrounded by tender blooms that whisper of the coming spring.
Bottle:
Presented in the carre flacon.
Petit courrier des dames: Journal des modes, 1848:
"By creating the Château des Fleurs, inventing the Jardin d’Hiver, and making flowers fashionable in all the salons of Paris, the trend of perfumery simultaneously returned—after having been somewhat neglected due to the overuse of amber, musk, and vetiver. Yet the perfumes that reappear today bear no resemblance to those bourgeois emanations of old-fashioned coquetry. At Guerlain, 11 Rue de la Paix, however, belongs the right to this thoroughly modern renewal, offering compositions more delicate, more suave, more gentle on the nerves, and more voluptuous to the sense of smell than any other.Ladies of good society are recognized by these perfumes, just as the high lineage of noble families is recognized by their coats of arms; and when a lock of hair flutters near you, when a magnificent handkerchief falls beside you, or when a fresh, coquettish glove happens to brush near your lips, you can judge by the fragrance emanating from that hair, that handkerchief, or those gloves whether the woman to whom they belong has received at Guerlain the mark of good taste, fashion, and refinement.New odors composed by Guerlain:
- Extrait de Lolium agriphyllum
- Extrait de Phlomis asplenia,
- Extrait d'Azalea melaleuca
- Extrait de Cyparisse Elaidon
- Extrait d'Hyemalis anthelia
- Extrait de Cytise sylvaria
- Extrait d'Anthemia nobilis
- Extrait de Cyperus ruber
- Extrait de Tilia micropluilla
- Extrait d'Hymenaea nitida
- Extrait de Mimosa fragrans
- Extrait de Caryophilus album
- Extrait d'Amyris Polyolens
- Extrait de Polyanthe suaveolens
- Extrait de Lathyrus odorans
- Extrait d'Ocymum dulce
By bringing to light these entirely new perfumes, Guerlain points out that they can only be found at home, and recommends to be on guard against the imitations that one will try to make."
No comments:
Post a Comment