A vestibule serves as a transition between the two parts of the Salles Touzet : here we are entering the private rooms. A magnificent mosaic from the firm Facchina is enthroned above the door to the Salles Touzet. Gian Domenico Facchina (1826–1903), a master in the art of mosaic, of Italian origin and international renown, had already collaborated with Charles Garnier on the Paris Opera-House. He had also produced mosaics for Charles Garnier that adorn the façades of the Casino de Monte-Carlo.
These rooms were built by the architect of the same name, Jules Touzet, and inaugurated on November 8th, 1890. At the same time, as we have seen above, Mr Touzet was responsible for erecting a new, projecting façade around the main entrance to the Casino.
The Salles Touzet remind one of the hall of a sumptuous train station where one could only buy tickets for exotic lands.
The vast hall, 21 x 24 m with an elevation of 12 m, is divided in two by a separation which remains very airy thanks to the use of screens.
The decoration of these rooms makes for an extremely harmonious whole. The wood-panelling creating a solid base in different colors is comprised of a pleasing blend of oak, Tonkin mahogany and oriental jasper in warm tones.
The walls are embellished with particularly interesting paintings : We owe four of the canvases to the brush of the French artist Antoine Jean Etienne Faivre, known as Tony Faivre (born on May 24th, 1830, in Besançon – died in 1905 in Paris), a genre painter, portraitist and painter of decorative compositions. “Bowl, roses, birds…”, “Flowers, fruit, birds..…” “Château, birds…”, Statue, flamingo”.
Four more paintings representing the seasons are signed Charles Monginot (born on September 24th, 1825, at Brienne-le-Chateau – died September 16th, 1900, at Dienville) A genre painter, portraitist, engraver, painter of animals, still-lifes, decorative works, Monginot made his debut at the “Salon des Artistes Français” in 1850, winning medals in 1864 and 1899. His still-lifes demonstrate sincere, non-academic realism. “Palm-trees, monkey…”, “Columns, herons, flowers..…”, “Peacock”, “Flowers, state, fountain…”.
Finally, there are four works by a French painter who was a Member of the “Société des Artistes Français” from 1883, Léon Auguste César Hodebert (born circa 1852 at Saint-Michel-sur-Loire – died May 16th, 1914, at Neuilly-sur-Seine). With eyes blindfolded, her veils floating around her, here stands Lady Fortune, while by her side charming young women, Morning and Evening, daydream on the banks of the Seine. The blooming rose of the morning is confronted by the evening rose whose petals begin to fall. They represent Love and Folly.
In the stained-glass windows with their brilliant colors, made by the firm Prestat & Compagnie of Paris which also supplied the glass roof, innocent faces smile with François 1er-type berets on their heads. Some saw people from the fringe of high society in these portraits. The bright colors and the gilding in the rooms are in contrast with the softer hues of these rural scenes.
Above the windows, one notices a fine sculpted motif representing two allegorical figures leaning on a shield. It was made by Messieurs Chave & Paugoy of Paris.
The entablatures and mouldings were made by the Italian artist Tassano Pompeo, the magnificent bronzes by the Granoux-Barbier establishment of Marseille. Not forgetting the magnificent, double-faced, mural wall-clock in gilded bronze, decorated with a sun.
In 1891, after a brief closure, the rooms were re-opened to the public with two new canvases by Hodebert. These two paintings, each measuring 9.55 x 3.48 m, cover the partition wall, representing rural scenes in Antique style. “Jeunes Femmes jouant avec des Cygnes”. The shades of green, the calm atmosphere with two swans on the banks of the Seine, form a marvellous backcloth for these delightful young women, draped in costumes so simple that they defy the caprices of fashion. “Jeunes Filles jouant de la Musique”. A young girl, half-dressed, her hair tied back, plays the pipes, the symbol of the orchestra, while her companion seated at her feet shakes a Basque tambourine.
In 1986, the fitted carpets in the Salles Touzet were replaced to match those in the Salons Privés, specially woven for the Casino in their original colors and patterns.
