Dedicated solely to French painters past and present, it entailed a further exchange of works between the Paris museums and Versailles, with the latter having to relinquish paintings and antiques it still held from foreign schools in return for paintings and sculptures by French artists. This short-lived museum, which opened in only to close its doors again in , helped make the connection between the paintings hanging on the walls and the painted ceilings in the apartments.
The court left Versailles in October for Paris. It would never return. Opening in , the museum celebrated glorious events in the history of France from the Middle Ages to the start of the July Monarchy. The king of the French wanted to be a reconciler; the major works he undertook in the Palace did away with former court spaces, but saved the building itself. The refurbishment continued after his departure, and Napoleon III went on to use the Palace as a venue for celebrations and to represent his power.
Here he received Queen Victoria for a sumptuous stay in The Palace had become an archetypal seat of power and continued to host the most important events in the history of France, such as the declaration of the German Empire, signed in following France's defeat at war by the Prussians.
The Palace took a long time to recover Similarly, the Third Republic was born in Versailles, as the Parliament took refuge here after the Commune. Between and fifteen presidential elections were voted on by Parliament meeting in Versailles.
The arrival of a young curatorial assistant in , and his subsequent appointment as curator in , enabled the Palace to showcase its former role as royal residence. During the horrors of the First World War, Versailles suffered anew. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by the First World War, and Versailles also suffered during this conflict which forced the Palace to close and its works to be protected.
But, like Paris, Versailles was not invaded and, all in all, life continued. Even though at a slower rhythm, the museum collections grew and visitors arrived, though fewer than before. The Palace spent the war years mobilising support for the national effort and assisting the wounded and the families of soldiers as much as possible.
When it was chosen for the signing of the peace treaty in , Versailles once again became the centre of the world's attention. Recalling the humiliation of , the Allies had the Germans sign in the same place where the German Empire had been declared Despite this resurgence of attention, the Palace suffered a lack of maintenance for several years, due to a crippling shortage of money to renovate it, and it began to show its age.
Salvation came from across the Atlantic in the person of the billionaire John D. Rockefeller, who made two enormous donations to the Palace for its restoration. Recalling the involvement of France in the American War of Independence, the wealthy businessman inaugurated a custom of philanthropy and patronage that became indispensable for the proper functioning of the site. Thanks to him, Versailles regained its cosmopolitan character, and the entire political, artistic and cultural world rushed to tour it.
The terrible storm of devastated the park of Versailles — 10, trees were lost and the damage was estimated at million francs — but nevertheless allowed the possibility of restoring it to its original condition to be considered once again; the project had been started ten years earlier, after another storm, but had run up against resistance. The idea received fresh support from an international subscription launched in January The Palace itself also required extensive restoration work, and improvements for the reception of the public were essential.
The projects notably included restoration of the Hall of Mirrors, the Petit Trianon, the roofs on the central section of the palace and the Royal Gate, alongside major works for security and modernisation which are less visible.
The pavilion now constitutes the Palace's new main entrance. All kinds of major exhibitions and guided tours are now available to visitors during their journey of discovery through this major historical site. The king also had a ceremony for putting on and taking off his hunting boots.
Each action he would took having a meal, strolling through the garden became symbolic metaphor for his divine presence," explained Gudek Snajdar. The interaction between the visitor and the king could be directed here in the most careful fashion. Spawforth notes that a courtier in wrote that "most of the people who come to the court are persuaded that, to make their way there, they must show themselves everywhere, be absent as little possible at the king's lever , removal of the boots, and coucher , show themselves assiduously at the dinners of the royal family The king had his throne in the "Apollo Salon" and worshiped in a royal chapel, which spanned two stories, which Bajou notes was built between and Despite the richness of the palace, the kings had to make do with makeshift theaters up until when Louis XV allowed the building of the royal opera.
It contained a mechanism that allowed the orchestra level to be raised to the stage allowing it to be used for dancing and banqueting. Spawforth notes that the opera required 3, candles to be burned for opening night and was rarely used due to its cost and the poor shape of France's finances. According to Schmidt, to our modern eyes, Versailles is a perfect example of baroque and rococo architecture. But, said Gudek Snajdar, the French of the time would not have considered it baroque.
It would have gone against his sense of absolutism, said Gudek Snajdar, the belief that he is at the center of everything. Some art historians now call the style of the Louvre and Versailles "French classicism. Other types of baroque architecture featured symbolic art, but not necessarily with the emphasis on divine right, kingly power and timeless rule. Throughout the palace you will find the intertwined L's of his name. It all serves as a constant reminder that he is the king and all power comes from him by the grace of God.
The decoration also emphasized the achievements of the king. Victory in battle features prominently in these narratives, with one example showing Louis with his army crossing the Rhine River in He is dressed in Roman clothes, his long hair flows behind him, and he holds a thunderbolt like a projectile. He sits like a god in a chariot that is being pushed by none other than Hercules himself.
She took over a building called the "Petit Trianon" and built a number of structures, including a working farm also called the "hamlet" , which provided the palace with fresh produce, and a nearby house and small theater. She also built a "Temple of Love," which modern-day curators say can be seen from her room in the Petit Trianon. It features a dome propped up by nearly a dozen columns covering a statue, which shows a depiction of "Cupid cutting his bow from the club of Hercules," Bajou writes.
Additionally, she built the charming "grotto," a cave that had a moss bed for Marie Antoinette to lie on. It had two entrances, prompting much speculation as to what went on in it. Though Marie Antoinette is known for her lavishness, in reality she did not always enjoy being queen. Her estate reflects a desire for a simpler life and homesickness for her native Austria. In the Habsburg Empire, royalty was allotted a far greater sense of privacy and she had a remarkably "normal" upbringing," explained Schmidt.
Once she had become Dauphine, her life was constantly in the spotlight. Etiquette demanded that she dine before a seemingly never-ending crowd of spectators and getting dressed was a court ceremony in itself.
Marie Antoinette attempted to break some etiquette rules but was opposed by the court and the French people. However, it was raised and embellished with marble pillars, forged iron balconies and sculptures, while the lead rooftop ornamentation was gilded.
This construction of a French-style facade on the courtyard side, with an Italian-style facade facing the gardens, was considered at that time to show a lack of taste. Yet, this construction work was nothing compared to the work that began in , the year which marked a real turning point for the Kingdom: Louis XIV won the Franco-Dutch War, which resulted in the Peace Treaty of Nijmegen, and, from then on, he could be considered as the most powerful King in Europe.
This period lasted for a decade, a true heyday for Versailles. The King then decided to move into the old hunting lodge, and called on the architect, Jules Hardouin-Mansart. There were two guiding principles for the construction work: Versailles had to reflect the King's greatness and it also had to accommodate the Court. To show the King's splendour, Mansart then produced his great masterpiece, the Hall of Mirrors , which linked the Apartments of the King and the Queen. The abundance of mirrors, supplied by Saint-Gobain , the recently appointed royal manufacturer, was a true display of France's ambitions, at a time when Venice still had a monopoly on this type of production.
The King's Great and Small Stables La Grande et la Petite Ecuries , theatrically placed between the town's three main avenues — the Grand Commun, placed right next to the Palace to house the royal caterers and the immense Orangery L'Orangerie — were built to accommodate the King at Versailles.
He eventually arrived on 6 May The South and North Wings Les Ailes du Midi et du Nord were constructed to house the Court: the South Wing, with finer apartments, was for 'Princes', while the North Wing was subdivided into a range of apartments for the courtiers, who were ready to accept the harshest living conditions for the chance to live near the King. You may think the construction work would then come to an end, but they say that the courtiers, just like the royal family, lived perpetually among rubble and plaster.
In , work began on building the Royal Chapel , a long-term project completed in , to become the extraordinary masterpiece that we know today. Mansart did not live to see its completion, as he died in ; Charles Le Brun and Pierre Mignard did not even see the work begin, for the same reason.
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