Contents foreword 7 Introduction 9
The Palace of Versailles
10 30 58 70 82 90 98 104 110 118 136
The Palace Gardens
138 140
The King’s Residences The Queen’s Residences The King’s Inner Apartment The Queen’s Inner Rooms The Princes’ Apartments The Apartments of the Royal Mistresses The Royal Opera The Royal Chapel The History Rooms The Congress Hall
The Gardens
The Trianon Estate
184 The Grand Trianon 186 Trianon-sous-Bois 206 The Petit Trianon 214 The Queen’s Hamlet 242 afterword 254 Bibliography 255 Notes & photo credits 256
The equestrian statue of Louis XIV has stood on the Parade Ground since 2009. Louis Philippe I first had it installed between the Cour d’Honneur and the Royal Courtyard at the site of the Royal Railings, which were removed by Louis XVI. In the background, À toutes les gloires de la France (‘To all the glories of France’) – the motto of Louis Philippe I’s History Galleries – is written on the pavilion.
The Palace of Versailles
ABOVE AND OPPOSITE Opening on to the Ambassadors’ Staircase – a ‘grand edifice intended to receive ambassadors from foreign courts’ that was demolished in 1752 by order of Louis XV – the Venus Room had, until that time, served as the entrance to the King’s State Apartment. From marblepanelled walls (opposite) to the ceiling painted by René-Antoine Houasse that depicts Venus Subjugating Divinities and Powers to her Empire (1676), the decor is sumptuous. In a recess at the end is a statue of Louis XIV in the antique style by Jean Warin, ‘one of the rare full-length effigies of Louis XIV to have been conserved.’
The Palace of Versailles
The Queen’s Inner Rooms ‘The charms of her mind, the goodness of her heart [...] have enabled her to enjoy a freedom that no queen had ever had until now; she has at least two hours to spend in her private cabinets in the morning, and three or four in the afternoons.’ 5 Charles-Philippe d’Albert on Marie Leszczynska
T
he Queen’s Inner Rooms are located behind the Queen’s State Apartment, with which they connect. The queen accessed these rooms directly from her bedchamber, while guests invited by the sovereign would be escorted there by her first chambermaid through the antechamber of the Great Dining Hall. The Inner Rooms were originally established by Marie Leszczynska from rooms previously occupied by her parents-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy. Marie Antoinette annexed nine rooms on the second floor, expanding the space on an unprecedented scale. To match contemporary tastes, most notably in the decorative arts, she ordered new decor that she personally supervised with great attention. Above all, away from the burden of the court, the queen was able to enjoy ‘the comforts of private life’, as recorded Madame Campan, one of her chambermaids. Accessible directly from the Queen’s Bedchamber, the Sofa Room takes its name from the daybed upon
which Marie Antoinette would rest. Following the long-awaited birth of her first son and heir to the crown Louis-Joseph – named after his father and maternal uncle – exquisite new furniture was installed. Featuring a dolphin decoration, the console was made by the Rousseau brothers to commemorate the happy event. Adjacent to the library, the Gold Room is decorated with magnificent wood panelling carved by the Rousseau brothers after designs by Richard Mique. Marie Antoinette liked to retire to this room to receive her children and friends. She also played music with the composer André Grétry, and posed for the painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. The second floor comprises several rooms reserved for the chambermaids and ladies-in-waiting, alongside two rooms decorated à la reine – a dining room and a boudoir – as well as a billiards room. All have been recently restored, and adorned with magnificent toile de Jouy fabric.
OPPOSITE The sofa is in an alcove with walls covered by mirrors. Upholstered in a magnificent ‘embroidered purple Pékin’ (painted silk) fabric with lilac trimmings accented with various shades of green, it has a surprisingly fresh nature.
ABOVE AND OPPOSITE The Queen’s Inner Rooms continue onto the second floor. Marie Antoinette had her Billiard Room there, the walls of which were covered in a magnificent brocaded and re-embroidered white satin which also features on the chairs and the sofa. There is also a boudoir, whose walls are lined with Great Pineapple toile de Jouy fabric, in colours that are both subtle and vibrant.
The Palace of Versailles