An Architectural Seduction

By Marina Rybak

The Little House ~ An Architectural Seduction

This Christmas will be like no other. The first Fifty Shades of Grey pleasure toys with bondage gear leading the pack are being launched just in time for the Holidays. The bestseller phenomenon, written by E L James, turned the world on its head on both side of the Atlantic. More erotic range is to come, the lingerie deal is in works, the make-up, fragrance, bed linens are in sight and the trilogy is destined for the big screen. The second wave of Fifty Shades “tsunami” is about to hit our shores and the collective anticipation is reaching a feverish pitch. So when the vision of portable, pick up and go, Ikea style “Red Room of Pain” entered my mind, I knew that it was the time for the antidote.

I chose to stay on the architectural subject. From the shadow into the light I time-traveled to the Age of Enlightenment, which in addition to a few Revolutions, it gave us the bows and the rosettes, which landed on our modern underpinnings, The precious, blue cover book from my library, titled “The Little House – An Architectural Seduction” ended up as my ultimate “palate cleanser”.

Published by Princeton Architectural Press, the first English edition of Jean-François de Bastide’s “La Petite Maison” from 1758 has been the cult classic among architects through the ages.

Originally commissioned by the architect Jacques-François Blondel to attract and educate his clients, the libertine masterpiece engages the reader in the erotic seduction of a beautiful and flirtatious guest by the host during her tour of his sumptuous, secluded hideaway.

“La Petite Maison” represented the eighteenth century suburban retreat, often called the “asylum of love”. Hidden in the luscious foliage, away from the prying eyes it was a perfect discrete refuge for the secret and at times dangerous liaisons and love affairs.

The meticulous description of this house is masterfully interwoven into the unfolding plot, while the author identifies the best artists and the craftsmen of his time. The refined architecture, the “voluptuous” aesthetics of the interiors and the bucolic grounds become the stimulants of the narrative. They fuel the desire of the heroine and intensify the sensory pleasure she derives from her visit.  Overwhelmed by the beauty and the intimacy of the space, the heroine does give in to the opulence of the house and finally surrenders to the host.