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20
Violet addiction: symptom of the first urban neurotics
Violettes du Czar (2014) is a reconstruction of a "masculine" violet perfume composed by Oriza Legrand in 1862. The name honors Czar Alexander II, a regular customer of the house. The violet was the favorite flower of the Belle Époque, a time when the industrial revolution had already triumphed. Especially in the cities, people loved the shy aura of the tree-like forest flower, which in reality was cultivated en masse under glass. The street scene included shop assistants from whom one could buy small bouquets of violets. Manet's portrait "Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets" (1872) shows what was done with them: they were attached to clothing. Violettes du Czar is based on the androgynous idea of "violet leather". The prelude is formed by strict, light green notes. They convey the strange twinning of the medicinal and the poisonous, which seems so typical of the 19th century from today's point of view. The leather aspect possesses a slightly pungent urine sharpness that makes one think of tanning processes. The unsweetened, earthy-mineral scent of violets emanates from this tangy blend of poisonous spring flowers and leather. The violet note seems to be based mainly on the root of the Florentine iris, which was common in the 19th century. Without the sunny character of real violets, this root absolute very convincingly embodies a cool and thoughtful variation on them. With a modern interest in the conflictual, Violettes du Czar (2014) places this violet in a context of humanly recorded nature turned into medicine and leather. A chic and subtle fragrance for the still cold part of spring. P.S.: A less progressive but noteworthy violet-leather scent is the softer and sweeter "Jolie Madame" by Balmain from 1953
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