Snuffbox with views at the chteau of Chanteloup 1748/49, miniatures 1767 Possibly by Pierre-François Delafons The miniatures that decorate this box lend it unusual importance and interest. The six scenes, which are painted in gouache on vellum, depict views of the Chteau de Chanteloup and of the gardens that surrounded it. The miniature on the lid, which provides the primary view of the chteau, is signed "Van Blarenberghe 1767." Three members of the Van Blarenberghe family painted miniatures, but these views of Chanteloup are attributed to Louis-Nicolas, considered the most talented of the three. His skills as a miniaturist were exceptional, and the small body of his work that survives provides an extraordinary record of various aspects of French life in the second half of the eighteenth century.Chanteloup was owned by Étienne-François de Choiseul-Stainville, duc de Choiseul (1719-1785). As a principal governmental minister to Louis XV, and supported by the kings mistress, Madame d