Louis XV Painting, Mars Room, Palace of Versailles, Versailles, Île-de-France, France

"The Mars Room followed on from the two previous rooms and marked the start of the King’s Apartment. It was used as a Guard Room, making its dedication to the god of war highly appropriate. In the centre of the ceiling is a painting by Claude Audran of Mars on a chariot pulled by wolves. On either side of the work are two other compositions. The one to the east is by Jouvenet, called Victory supported by Hercules and followed by Abundance and Felicity. The other, to the west, is by Houasse and called Terror, Fury and Horror take possession of the powers of the earth. The arches have been decorated using gold camaieu and celebrate war victories by sovereigns from Antiquity, which naturally correspond to the military triumphs of the king, evoked in the gilded stucco spandrels by the Marsy brothers. Last but not least, the military character of the room is highlighted by the decoration on the cornice composed of a variety of helmets and military headgear.

To the left of the chimney is The Family of Darius before Alexander by Charles Le Brun. To the right is The Pilgrims of Emmaus, in the style of Veronese. These two works were hung as a pair upon the king’s request, and demonstrate the desire to show that French painters could rival the greatest Italian masters. Until 1750 there were two platforms on either side of the fireplace, where the two paintings currently hang, which were for the musicians during Evening gatherings when the room was used for music and dancing.

On the side walls are two State portraits of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska, both painted by Carle Van Loo. Over the door are four paintings from Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye by Simon Vouet, illustrating the royal virtues: Temperance, Prudence, Justice and Strength." - info from palace website.

"The Palace of Versailles (/vɛərˈsaɪ, vɜːrˈsaɪ/ vair-SY, vur-SY; French: Château de Versailles [ʃɑto d(ə) vɛʁsɑj]) was the principal royal residence of France from 1682, under Louis XIV, until the start of the French Revolution in 1789, under Louis XVI. It is located in the department of Yvelines, in the region of Île-de-France, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwest of the centre of Paris.

A simple hunting lodging and later a small château with a moat occupied the site until 1661, when the first work expanding the château into a palace was carried out for Louis XIV. In 1682, when the palace had become large enough, the king moved the entire royal court and the French government to Versailles. Some of the palace furniture at this time was constructed of solid silver, but in 1689 much of it was melted down to pay for the cost of war. Subsequent rulers mostly carried out interior remodeling, to meet the demands of changing taste, although Louis XV did install an opera house at the north end of the north wing for the wedding of the Dauphin and Marie Antoinette in 1770. The palace has also been a site of historical importance. The Peace of Paris (1783) was signed at Versailles, the Proclamation of the German Empire occurred in the vaunted Hall of Mirrors, and World War I was ended in the palace with the Treaty of Versailles, among many other events.

The palace is now a historical monument and UNESCO World Heritage site, notable especially for the ceremonial Hall of Mirrors, the jewel-like Royal Opera, and the royal apartments; for the more intimate royal residences, the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon located within the park; the small rustic Hameau (Hamlet) created for Marie Antoinette; and the vast Gardens of Versailles with fountains, canals, and geometric flower beds and groves, laid out by André le Nôtre. The Palace was stripped of all its furnishings after the French Revolution, but many pieces have been returned and many of the palace rooms have been restored.

In 2017 the Palace of Versailles received 7,700,000 visitors, making it the second-most visited monument in the Île-de-France region, just behind the Louvre and ahead of the Eiffel Tower.

Versailles (French pronunciation: [vɛʁsɑj]) is a city in the Yvelines département in the Île-de-France region, renowned worldwide for the Château de Versailles and the gardens of Versailles, designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Located in the western suburbs of the French capital, 17.1 km (10.6 mi) from the centre of Paris, Versailles is in the 21st century a wealthy suburb of Paris with a service-based economy and a major tourist destination as well. According to the 2008 census, the population of the city is 88,641 inhabitants, down from a peak of 94,145 in 1975.

A new town founded at the will of King Louis XIV, Versailles was the de facto capital of the Kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789, before becoming the cradle of the French Revolution. After having lost its status of royal city, it became the préfecture (regional capital) of the Seine-et-Oise département in 1790, then of Yvelines in 1968. It is also a Roman Catholic diocese.

Versailles is historically known for numerous treaties such as the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution, and the Treaty of Versailles, after World War I. Today, the Congress of France – the name given to the body created when both houses of the French Parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, meet – gathers in the Château de Versailles to vote on revisions to the Constitution." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon.

Some rights reserved

Taken in: France / Île-de-France / Arrondissement de Versailles (show map)

Taken on: June 21, 2019

Tags:

2019

Adventure

Cycling

Europe

Bike

Tour

Architecture

France

French

Versailles

Palace

UNESCO

Historic

Inside

Interior

Chateau « less

Sets appears in: • Favourite Travel Photos • Europe Cycling Tour 2019 more » • France • Isle de France, France • Château de Versailles « less

Stats: 8,041 views