The last masterpiece of interior design created at Versailles before the Revolution, this tiny wardrobe, reached by way of the alcove in the king's private bedroom, is one of the rare projects completed for Louis XVI.
Created under the direction of the Queen's architect, Richard Mique, in 1788, the boiseries are the work of the celebrated Rousseau brothers. The bronzes on the fireplace - which is original to the room - are by Gouthière.
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| Discretely concealed within the paneling is a cabinet de chaise. |
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| Commode en bas d'armoire by Adam Weisweiler, part of the original décor. |
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| A detail of the carved and gilded paneling. |
when you take the 'behind the scenes' tour at Versailles (which I took my first visit accidentally by being in the wrong line) you get to see this room and his private apartments which are my favorite part of Versailles - small scale private spaces like little jewel boxes. I think I have a tour through this on my blog somewhere from 4 or 5 years ago.....just delightful.
ReplyDeleteI've only been to Paris once, back in the mid-Nineties, but I stayed for a month, so I went out to Versailles five or six times, if I recall correctly. It was before ALL the restoration/reconstruction, prudent and im-, of the last several years. (And thankfully before they started using the place as a vulgar art gallery for vulgar contemporary art - or I might have found myself in jail for "art" vandalism!) I went on every tour they had available at the time; I can't honestly recall if I got to see this little room or not. Probably not. My dream has always been to get some sort of all-inclusive tour, to be able to walk through the entire place, seeing whatever I want, wherever. There is so much more on view now, more than ever before, but there are still vast expanses of the palace where there's "nothing to see", especially in the south wing. I'd love to see that all, too. : )
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