Heritage

A DOMAINE. A DYNASTY.
Fonfrège is named after the historic estate in the South of France near Montpellier.
For over two hundred years, the domain has been home to generations of nobles and gentry: names like Castelnau, Imer, de France, Bazille, and Leenhardt.
The Leenhardts in particular became one of the most famous of the Protestant haute bourgeoisie
families in France: a family of artists, intellectuals, industrialists, and explorers.






T h e l a s t p r i v i l e g e o f o u r c l a s s
is to be able to be familiar with the humble folk without
losing any of the entitlements of our status.

- M a r i e A m é l i e d e F r a n c e - M a n d o u l



A marriage between the two families results in the Maison de Vin Bazille & Leenhardt. For two centuries the domaine is a center of local wine production.

1805



1810

THE TEXTILE ENTREPRENEUR
Pierre Nicholas Leenhardt (1786 – 1870)
The domaine is the setting for yet another enterprise when Pierre Nicolas Leenhardt launches a textile mill on the river Lez, which flows through the estate. His father, André Chrétien Leenhardt (1744-1813), was commercial director at the famous Wesserling Textile Mill in Alsace.
THE DAWN OF A
FAMILY TEXTILE EMPIRE

LE MOULIN
DE SAURET
The mill is the first of several textile production companies run by the Leenhardt families.

1820




1847

THE TEXTILE INDUSTRIALIST
Victor Henri Leenhardt (1822 – 1871)
After marrying Sophie Imer (1823–1902), Henri decides to continue the family business of his father, Pierre Nicholas, and joins the Imer’s textile enterprise in Marseille, which then becomes Imer Frères et Leenhardt.
THE LEENHARDT NAME BECOMES SYNONYMOUS WITH TEXTILE DESIGN AND INNOVATION

Collection Fonfrège



Fig. 1
Rubia Tinctorum or
madder root produces
red dye.

1865




Art is creative for the sake of realization,
not for amusement; for transfiguration, not for the sake of play. It is the quest of our Self that drives us along the eternal and never ending journey we must all make.
FRédéric Bazille
THE PRODIGY
Frédéric Bazille (1841 – 1870)

1871


Collection Gartner

An Iconic Chateau is Born
Henri Leenhardt builds Fonfroide-le-Haut, the massive Gothic Revival chateau that for the next 200 years, is the social center for Languedoc’s most important families.

1875

THE SCIENTIST Franz Leenhardt (1846–1922)
Scientist and theologian Franz Leenhardt dedicates much of his life to bridging the divide between theology and science. He makes extensive studies of prehistoric life throughout the Mediterranean, and notably charts the paleontological history of the famous Mont Ventoux near Montpellier.

Émile Littré, 1878

GOD VS SCIENCE
In the 1870’s he challenges Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which has reached France and caused a massive stir.
LE vélocipède
Franz Leenhardt constructs one of France's first bicycles (known as a Velocipede) which he rides around Montpellier, his long, black cape flying up behind him.







THE ARTIST Max Leenhardt (1853 – 1941)
Michel “Max” Leenhardt doesn’t achieve quite fame and recognition of his relative, Frédéric Bazille, but he remains influential for generations of impressionists and modernists that follow him. His plein air style of painting eventually leads to deeply religious work, reflecting his turn to God after the tragic death of his wife.

LE TRAIN BLEU
In Paris, Max is one of a dozen artists invited to create spectacular murals for the Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon. The restaurant is now an official city landmark.
© Le Train Bleu/Groupe SSP
1890


1898, Collection Fonfrège
Musée Fabre
Max also created some commercial works such as this poster for the aperitif Byrrh, which was produced in the region.

1900

THE ARCHITECT Edmond Leenhardt (1870 – 1950)
Two years after graduating from the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, a young Edmond Leenhardt receives the commission to design the façade of the new Petit Palais.

Collection Fonfrège

1902

Collection privée


© http://www.amiscorbin.com

THE ANTHROPOLOGIST
Maurice Leenhardt (1878 – 1954)
Anthropologist Maurice Leenhardt pioneers the concept of interactive ethnography at a time when most scholars remained removed from their subjects.
In 1902, he sails to Oceania to study the art and culture of the Kanak tribe. The little known and feared island tribe (they were cannibals) is on the verge of extinction. Leenhardt dedicates the rest of his life trying to save them.

1914: WORLD WAR I BEGINS
1918: WORLD WAR I ENDS
- 1905
- 1910
- 1915
- 1920
- 1925
- 1927
When Maurice Leenhardt returns to France in 1927, he founds the Musée de l’Homme and in 1931, the Societé des Océanistes in Paris. Today, the SDC is the Musée de Quai Branly, where much of his tribal art collection is preserved.
- 1930
- 1935
- 1937
Architect Edmond Leenhardt is awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur for his remarkable contributions to the city of Montpellier.
1939: WORLD WAR II BEGINS
1945: WORLD WAR II ENDS

1945
THE RAVAGES OF WAR
The Nazis occupy and partially destroy
Fonfroide-le-Haut. The family works together to
rebuild the Chateau.

Collection Gartner




1959

THE AUTEUR Roger Leenhardt (1903 – 1985)
Author, actor, and documentary filmmaker Roger
Leenhardt sees the future of cinema and coins the
phrase, La Nouvelle Vague. Along with Jean Cocteau
and Luc Besson, he is instrumental in developing a new
style of cinema, championing the likes of François
Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Jacques Demy. His
critical writings about film inspire André Bazin to
launch the seminal magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma, for
which Leenhardt frequently writes.
Author, actor, and documentary filmmaker Roger Leenhardt sees the future of cinema and coins the phrase, La Nouvelle Vague. Along with Jean Cocteau and Luc Besson, he is instrumental in developing a new style of cinema, championing the likes of François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Jacques Demy. His critical writings about film inspire André Bazin to launch the seminal magazine, Cahiers du Cinétma, for which Leenhardt frequently writes.

“ La
Nouvelle
Vague


Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC)

© Guardian News and Media Limited

Collection Fonfrège




The filmmakers goal is to deliver this raw material of a scene, a production, and give the impression that it is not a scene at all.
Roger Leenhardt


- 1960
- 1965
- 1968
Fonfrège begins cultivating lavender for the fragrance industry.
- 1970
- 1975
- 1977
Nearly 40 years after his death, artist Max Leenhardt is rediscovered, thanks to a major retrospective of his work at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier.
- 1980
- 1985
- 1990
- 1995
- 2000
- 2005
- 2006
The Musée du Quai Branly opens, which includes Maurice Leenhardt’s collection of Oceanic art from the Musee de l‘Homme.
- 2010

2013
A HERITAGE RETURNS
Bertrand Pellegrin, sixth generation descendant of the Leenhardt family, is compelled to carry on the story of domaine Fonfrège and together with partner Brian Valmonte, they begin developing a line of fine leather goods inspired by the remarkable people who lived on the estate. They establish Fonfrège SAS.



2016

With gratitude to Monsieur Jean Gartner (1922–2014) who, with passion and
precision, researched the genealogy of this remarkable family.
