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The Palace of Versailles - The Marble Court
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For this blog assignment on Baroque Art, I chose The Palace of Versailles. I was fortunate enough to visit this extraordinary place in the summer of 2000, I was just 15 years old and the experience was transformative, this trip changed my life.The Palace of Versailles was originally a hunting lodge and retreat for King Louis XIII and his family. In 1624 the king commissioned Jacques Lemericer with building a chateau. The walls of this original structure, pictured above, are preserved today as the exterior facade overlooking the Marble Court. It was however, under King Louis XIV known as the Sun King, that the palace was transformed into the magnificent structure and grounds that we see today.
King Louis XIV the Sun King
King Louis XIV's reign lasted more than 72 years (1638-1715). During this time, he transformed the monarchy, brought about the golden age of art and literature, presided over a dazzling court at Versailles, annexed vital territories that helped establish France as a dominant European power. He is known as the Sun King because he broke tradition and shocked his court when he proclaimed he would rule without a chief minister. He chose the Sun as a symbol of his status. King Louis XIV is a fascinating character and one of my favorites, to find a complete history on him click here.
The original chateau was transformed between 1661–1710 into the large and extravagant complex known today. Surrounded by stylized French and English gardens, every detail of its construction was intended to glorify the King. The additions were designed by such renowned architects as Jules Hardouin-Mansaet, Robert de Cotte, and Louis Le Vau. Charles Le Brun oversaw the interior decoration and landscape artist Andre Le Notre created symmetrical French gardens which included ornate fountains with “magically” still water. These fountains were designed to express the power of man, especially the king, over nature.
Versailles has many rooms full of wonders, the most famous of which is The Hall of Mirrors. Designed by the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansaet, the construction started in 1678 and was completed in 1684. The Hall of Mirrors is dedicated entirely to political, economic, and artistic success of France.
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| The Hall of Mirrors |
The gardens at Versailles are breathtaking, to say the least. They were a monumental task to create, taking 40 years to complete. Below is the Fountain of Apollo designed by Jean-Baptist Tudy and the Neptune Fountain, which was built under the direction of Andre Le Notre. They are absolutely beautiful and I would love to return one day and see them again. The fountain shows that take place in the gardens are one of the highlights at the palace.
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Fountain of Apollo
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| Neptune Fountain |
Versailles has a rich and in depth history that extends beyond the reign of the Sun King. The website is extremely interactive, informative and full of beautiful pictures. You can find it
here.
Works Cited:
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2020, December 1). Palace of Versailles. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Palace-of-Versailles
History, History.com editors (2019, October 9). Louis XIV. History. https://www.history.com/topics/france/louis-xiv
World Heritage. Hall of Mirrors. https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/hall-of-mirrors/12fed787-cd7b-46e1-932e-8c6308feb779
I love your choice!! This place is crazy gorgeous! I would love to visit it sometime in the future (hopefully near future). Beautiful pictures, and very informative. I think it's crazy that a king used this mainly as a leisure hunting chateau. The beauty and detail that were put into every statue and structure in this place is absolutely ridiculous, can you imagine spending years in intricately hand carving and designing everything.
ReplyDeleteI showed my 6yr old the pictures of the palace and she was very upset we can't live here hahaha.
This place looks beautiful! Even by looking at the images I can see why visiting this place would such an amazing experience. I really like how informative your post is, as you discussed the historical origin of the palace, as well as went into depth about the palace's description. Being able to learn the background history of something allows us to have some connection to a creation, and with how well you describe the palace, it makes me want to experience visiting it in real life. I also like how you included links for us to further our interests within your blog. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteI did not realize how the Palace of Versailles is beautiful. I never knew that the Palace of Versailles was a hunting lodge and now it became a chateau. If I’m correct, during the 18th century where the third estates (commoners) could not enter the Palace of Versailles, they decided to move to tennis court to have a meeting. That event was called the tennis court oath, where they demand that King Louis XVI change the constitution. I thought it was interesting that it was same place.
ReplyDeleteWell done! I found this very informative. It is truly breathtaking, and I hope that I get to see it in person someday. I did not know that it was originally a hunting cabin, thats actually very funny that something so elegant nowadays started as something probably so much simpler, and for such a different way of life. The amount of effort put into such a structure, that is also a piece of art is spectacular.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! I have seen many external shots of the palace in history classes and whatnot, but I had no idea about the beautiful fountains and gardens outside, or the breathtaking and amazingly titled Hall of Mirrors. I also had no idea about it's relatively humble beginnings as a hunting lodge, the structure is so impressive I had always just assumed that it was always intended to be this opulent symbol of the monarchy.
ReplyDeleteWow! This palace looks stunning. I am envious of your visit to this luxurious setting. Without knowing that the Hall of Mirror is dedicated entirely to the political, economic, and artistic success of France I could definitely see this theme from the elegant display of the room and light/lighting. Great post, well done!
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