AND ENTERTAINMENT IN THE COURT Exhibition from 29 November 2016 to 26 March 2017
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Contents
Press release 5 Foreword by Catherine Pégard 7 Foreword by Béatrix Saule 9
The exhibition 13 The exhibition route, an invitation to the party 14 1- Hunting with the King 16 2- The last carousels 18 3- Places of entertainment 20 4- At the theatre 22 5- At the concert 27 6- Promenades 30 7- At the gaming table 32 8- At the ball 34 9- Creating marvellous effects 37
In connection with the exhibition 43 Publications 44 The musical programme 46 Guided tours and school programmes 50 Programmes for special audiences 52 Related products 56
Press contacts The exhibition partners 59
Hélène Dalifard, Patrons 60 Aurélie Gevrey, Elsa Martin, Media partners 66 Violaine Solari +33 (0)1 30 83 75 21 [email protected] presse.chateauversailles.fr Practical information 69
Press release
Parties and entertainment in the Court of Versailles Exhibition from 29 November to 26 March 2017 Africa and Crimea rooms ET DIVErTISSEMENTSVErTISSEMENTS À LLAA COUrCOUr Exposition du 29 novembre 2016 au 26 mars 2017 Tous les jours, sauf le lundi, de 9h à 17h30 (dernière admission 16h45) Vos billets sur www.chateauversailles.fr As a political monarch, King Louis XIV took “grand entertainment” to the height of magnificence, making Versailles a venue for monumental, extraordinary, and fantastical parties and shows. The king had a shrewd understanding of the human mind and understood that “this society of pleasure, which gives members of the court an honest familiarity with [the sovereign], and touches and charms them more than can be said,” (Louis XIV, Memoirs for the Instruction of the Dauphin, 1661) was necessary for the political framework he had built. Everyday life in court required multiple forms of entertainment, and extraordinary royal
Avec le mécénat de Avec le soutien de L’exposition est réalisée avec le concours exceptionnel En partenariat média avec de la Bibliothèque nationale de France events needed to surprise and enthral the court, the kingdom, and all of Europe. ©Le Bal des Ifs ; bal masqué donné dans la galerie des Glaces, le 25 février 1745, pour le mariage du Dauphin Louis avec l’Infante Marie-Thérèse-Raphaëlle d’Espagne, par Charles Nicolas Cochin le Jeune (1715-1790) /©RMN-GP (Château de Versailles)/Gérard Blot - Visuel : DES SIGNES studio Muchir Desclouds Each of his successors maintained the tradition of splendid, creative shows in their own way, according to their own tastes and the fashions of the time. Curators
Béatrix Saule This exhibition will present the infinite variety and ingenuity of entertainment in the Head Curator of the court, whether put on by the king or practiced by the courtiers themselves. This exhibition and Director- Head Curator at the Musée entertainment included all kinds of public shows, comedies, operas, concerts, fireworks and National des Châteaux de light displays, as well as private performances during which Seigneurs and Ladies of the court Versailles et de Trianon took to the stage themselves. Gambling was very popular, leading to fortune or ruin, as were Élisabeth Caude physical activities in which courtiers had to shine, including hunting, dancing at balls and Head Curator and Head of masquerades, and sports such as pall-mall and real tennis. the Furniture and Objets d’Art Department at the Covering three reigns, from Louis XIV to the revolution, Musée National des the exhibition does not aim to Châteaux de Versailles et de be exhaustive, but rather focuses on the courtier’s point of view. A large selection of clothing, Trianon paintings, objects and images from public and private collections in France and abroad Jérôme de La Gorce showcases the wide range of entertainment available at the time, and the refinement that Emeritus Director of surrounded it. The exhibition also includes large visuals, 3D images and immersive scenes that Research at the CNRS, invite visitors to rediscover the atmosphere in the venues — some of which no longer exist — Scientific Advisor to the Centre de Recherche du and imagine what life in the king’s court was like. Château de Versailles at the CNRS
Scenography This exhibition has received patronage from Saint-Gobain, with support from Epson, Samsung Artistic Director:Patrick Electronics France, Fêtes et Feux, and Moët Hennessy. Hourcade, photographer and designer With kind collaboration from the Opéra National de Paris, the AROP, and the Friends of Versailles. Agence Décoral: Patrick Bazanan, Valéry Sanglier, The exhibition was produced with exceptional support from the Bibliothèque Nationale de and Marine Bouthémy France.
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Foreword
Entertain in order to govern. Louis XIV handed down this precept to the Dauphin as a guideline for his rule. He needed to enchant courtiers every day, in the same way as he held them under his authority, and astonishment was to glorify his reign and spread its reputation throughout Europe. For almost a whole century the King, as patron of the arts, encouraged all forms of entertainment. Each of his successors followed his example in accordance with their own tastes.
Performances and sport, hunting and games, dances or promenades took place night and day, in accordance with a very strict ritual. Hunting was by far the monarchs' favourite form of entertainment.
Royal paintings depicted ever more elaborate killings and even Marie-Antoinette was a keen hunter. Music was played for sumptuous events and during more private moments, right up until Louis XIV's final breath. Different forms of theatre were performed on all kinds of stages. The repertoire revealed timeless talents and a profusion of creation. Anything could be said in front of the king through music and words while a multitude of stories, whether long or short, were brought to life.
Considerable sums of money were won and lost in the same evening at the gaming table. People dressed up for balls, with masks to hide their feelings. In the gardens, courtiers pushed each other on swings and enjoyed water displays while riding in gondolas on the Grand Canal.
Indoors, outdoors, in rooms and groves, Versailles was the setting for numerous festivities that combined power and daily life during three reigns, each with its own specific customs.
Louis XIV was admired as the best dancer in the kingdom, Louis XV went incognito to masked balls, and his daughters were talented musicians. Marie-Antoinette took to the stage in her own small theatre. The court was entertained, murmured, was moved or filled with enthusiasm. This exhibition, created by Béatrix Saule, Élisabeth Caude and Jérôme de La Gorce, reveals the passion and emotion in the court. It leads us into a world of extraordinary ingenuity, whose diversity and atmosphere are brought to life by Patrick Hourcade’s no less imaginative scenography. Today's "theatre machinery" stages the great shows of time past, thanks to loans from public and private collections in both France and abroad, brought together for the first time.
A big thank you to all those who have helped reveal this marvellous world.
Catherine Pégard President of the Public Institution of the Palace, Museum, and National Estate of Versailles
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Foreword
Though a number of recent studies have restored the image of Versailles during the Ancien Régime as a seat of power in its own right, the notion of an idle court occupied with parties and entertainment remains firmly rooted in the collective imagination. Although we refute this perception, it cannot be denied that the French Court from Louis XIV to Louis XVI did indeed place great importance on such festivities.
The splendour of grand celebrations held to honour victories or dynastic events is described and illustrated in meticulous and lavish detail, revealing that they greatly outshone regular entertainment in the Court. Although this less extravagant entertainment has been studied by generations of historians, very little has been published on the subject. As always, the extraordinary is easier to portray than the ordinary. Nevertheless, the two forms of entertainment go hand in hand, since the court's grandest shows were designed on a similar basis to daily entertainment, but on a much larger scale. The exhibition has been designed from the Courtiers' perspective, for whom various forms of daily entertainment were both an object of desire and a way to pass the time, especially in the case of those with no responsibilities and the most prone to boredom, like the Duke of Croÿ who always had a book in his pocket.
But what does "entertainment" actually mean? The term only recently took on a positive meaning. According to Philippe Hourcade, Honorary Professor at the University of Limoges and President of the Société Saint-Simon, its etymological meaning of "diversion" (referred to by Pascal as humanity's illusory consolation) came to designate "pleasure that relieves boredom" during the 1620s, and the acceptance of this meaning reflected of an entire generation's desire to enjoy life after the Fronde, in the euphoric atmosphere of the early years of Louis XIV's reign.
The king quickly took advantage of this desire. In his Memoirs for the Instruction of the Dauphin, he attached great importance to parties and entertainment, which he believed were part of the art of governance. Everyday life in court needed this “society of pleasure, which gives members of the court an honest familiarity with [the monarch], and touches and charms them more than can be said”. Royal events needed to be extraordinary with ever more grandeur, surprises, and fantasy in order to astonish and amaze the court, kingdom and the rest of Europe. A new phenomenon emerged: the institutionalisation of entertainment which, as a result of its systematic nature, organisation, and regular programme of activities, was unique to the court of Versailles. The weekly schedule, definitively established in the 1690s like most of the courtly customs, is quite well-known (thanks in large part to Saint-Simon's descriptions). Hunting trips alternated with promenades, and evening gatherings featuring concerts, gaming and balls alternated with theatre performances. 10 These were some of the day and night-time activities provided by the king, which naturally constitute sections of the exhibition. Each of these activities could have been the subject of its own exhibition, but presenting them together was the only way to accurately depict the profusion, mixing of genres and tones, and exacting standards of quality of entertainment. Outdoor activities - "Hunting with the King" and "Promenades" - fills two large sections, while four rooms invite visitors to discover theatre, concerts, gaming and balls. Two additional cross-topical themes have also been included: "Places of entertainment" and "Creating marvellous effects".
The last two sections are designed to transport visitors into an enchanted universe of ingenious machinery and progress in pyrotechnics at the time, as well as a fascination with light. While fireworks and light displays, which were reserved for major celebrations, were displayed in the gardens, it is important to remember that the apartments were lit with thousands of candles, permitting new moments of conviviality on long winter nights, according to the writings of Mademoiselle de Scudéry in describing this great feat. However, we must also highlight the apparent paradox between the lack of appropriate venues for this entrainment and its prevalence in Versailles, Trianon and Marly. 3D reconstructions have been used to showcase temporary installations and stages, architectural projects and transformable structures which have since disappeared, from the Old Theatre Room in the Princes' Courtyard, built under Louis XIV, to Queen Marie-Antoinette's unusual wooden houses.
Using a pragmatic yet still, we hope, sensitive approach, the exhibition is based on the latest research by historians, archivists, and curators, as well as musicologists, hunt specialists and experts in dance and ancient games, in order to recreate the courtiers' experience. Covering three monastic reigns, the exhibition does not aim to be exhaustive, but rather strives to answer the frequent questions about how these hunts, performances, and receptions were organised, and to analyse whether any changes were made to the venues, equipment, sequences, number and status of the participants, etiquette, frequency, times or duration, and if so, what may have driven them? In addition, the exhibition provides details about various activities covered by each of these aspects. For hunting, was there a difference between the use of weapons and dogs, apart from the portrayal in sumptuous paintings? Did promenades end in games of pall-mall and real tennis, or fishing, skating or any other of "these games [ramasse, swing, ring-tilt] that are part of the pleasure of relaxing", as Saint-Simon said when describing the "heights" of Marly? What about the balls, or gaming? It is impossible just to explain the activities, they need to be demonstrated, for who today knows how to play lansquenet, reversi, or portique, or how to dance the gavotte, minuet, or contradance? As for the stage performances and concerts that flourished in the 18th century, it is important to examine the repertoires and programmes: what performances were given during an evening gathering? What was the preferred genre at the time: tragedy, comedy, parody, opera, comic opera or ballet? Who made the decisions, and how daring were these in comparison to Parisian creations? It is also important to evoke the personal activities of members of the royal family and courtiers of both genders, amateurs who occasionally performed alongside professional actors, musicians, and dancers or competed with champions of pall-mall, real tennis, billiards, chess etc.
All of this raises two questions related to the ambivalence of entertainment at court: did it successfully meet the political purpose defined by Louis XIV? Did people actually enjoy themselves? The answer to the first question is undoubtedly affirmative, as shown in the case of Europeans eager to obtain prints and descriptions of the grand royal festivities, who started to hunt "à la française" and to adopt the "French noble style" of dance. Concerts at Versailles gatherings were "a model that boasted the creation of public musical societies which placed Enlightenment France at the centre of the European musical world” (Benoit Dratwicki). 11 However, the appeal of the kingdom and the court seemed to gradually lessen. Towards the end of the Ancien Régime, the French people were much more interested in hot air balloons (creations of a completely different nature) than royal events, and the Court were discouragingly retreating into social enclaves despite the monarch's best efforts.
As to whether people enjoyed themselves in the court, we must consider court hierarchy. The various appearance-based constraints and stakes of this society also applied to entertainment. The king and the members of the royal family participated with a mixture of interest and obligation, always after rigorous training and according to etiquette. For courtiers, there was the additional question of rivalries, the need to curry favour, fears of making a faux pas, ruinous expenses etc. Entertainment at court was thus a serious business, and sometimes boring - Madame Palatine complained of this quite often. But its purpose nevertheless remained the pursuit of pleasure, and laughter is one expression of this. Though it was forbidden to clap in the king's presence - according to Jean-Jacques Rousseau – outright laughter was permitted, and it appears that people did not restrain themselves during masked balls and masquerades at carnivals, or during humorous shows. Even such refined audiences did not disdain burlesque.
Will the exhibition's themes, sumptuously illustrated by all kinds of objects from a variety of places and showcased by Patrick Hourcade's inventive scenography, help challenge misconceptions about a court that was certainly lavish, but at the same time stiff and frivolous? Will the exhibition reveal the political, social, and moral stakes of this entertainment, which required courtiers to excel and be master their self-control? That is our hope.
Béatrix Saule Curator of the exhibition Director and Head Curator of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
Part I the exhibition 14
Part I — The exhibition The exhibition route, an invitation to the party
Such a vast subject, presented from the perspective of a courtier and court life, required a scenography that could plunge visitors into a succession of different atmospheres, from indoors to outdoors, large crowds to more intimate gatherings, calm versus noisy settings... Spaces is thus alternately open and vast, or closed in. Light is either bright or subdued. A range of sounds evokes a fanfare, a concert, or the choreography of a dance. All this is designed to help visitors step into a courtier's shoes, and to see, hear, and experience what they did.
For the hunt, visitors arrive in a clearing, the meeting place where the hounds were released, and the natural background of the gallery panels provides an illusion of speed and racing through the undergrowth. Further down, the universe of equestrian ballets and carousels is brought to life with a large reproduction of one of Monseigneur's carousels in the courtyard of the Great Stables, accompanied by the sound of horse's regular and controlled stamping.
The reconstruction of the Temple of Minerva stage set, lit in the same was as at the time, brings theatre at Versailles to the exhibition. Visitors can climb on stage to go behind the scenes, and when they turn towards the stalls, they'll see 3D films that reconstruct the theatre spaces and stage sets in Versailles, whether they are still standing or have long since disappeared.
The four sections of Theatre, Concerts, Gaming and Balls strive to recreate the atmosphere in the State Apartment or the sovereigns' private apartments. Images reveal the actual size of boxes in the Old Theatre Room in the Princes' Courtyard: narrow and uncomfortable. Curved wall panels are used to reproduce the area on the dance floor for couples invited to dance before the king during formal balls. A yew tree costume, recreated using sources from the time, projects visitors into the crowd that filled the Hall of Mirrors on the evening of 25 February 1745. The images in the Peace Room evoke Queen Marie Leszczynska's musical gatherings. A large gaming table replicates the ones that filled the Hall of Mirrors during big game nights. Sound showers and films also accompany visitors throughout the exhibition.
The gallery decorated in earthly tones is an ideal backdrop for a promenade through tall walls of greenery. Visitors can also discover different sports such as real tennis and pall-mall, with a video demonstrating the techniques, as well as the lovely water effects on the Grand Canal, seen from Marie-Antoinette's boat as it glides along the iridescent water.
Lastly, special effects including styling heads, jack-in-the-boxes and clouds, recreate elements according to their original dimensions, and a giant screen displays a sequence of illuminations based on etchings and accounts of the time, complete with colourful flowers and skies, and the sounds of grandiose Versailles parties constituting a grand finale. exhibition plan
suivre à LA CHASSE 1 3 les derniers 2 carrousels les lieux du 3 divertissement
à la comédie 2 4 45 5 au concert 1 entrée 6 à la promenade 6 87 7 au jeu 8 au bal
les effets 9 9 du merveilleux 16
Part I — The exhibition 1 - Hunting with the King
Versailles was born from hunting. Louis XIV’s great architectural project was built around the old hunting lodge belonging to his father, Louis XIII. Hunting – either with weapons or dogs – was the most popular form of royal and aristocratic entertainment. It was also a time for sport and relaxation, for the pursuit of adventure and for socialising. Louis XIV and his successors were all keen on hunting.
In the first part of this exhibition, hunting dogs, clothing, and hunting equipment reflect scenes in the three large tapestries of the Royal Hunts that Louis XV commissioned from the Gobelins Manufacture. The portrait of Marie-Antoinette in hunting apparel and the painting of The Hunter's Lunch by Jean-François de Troy are a reminder of the very real role played by court ladies during the hunt, in particular during the refreshments served on breaks. Hunting with weapons was less common, but was also very much enjoyed by the monarchs, who were all excellent shots. Louis XVI’s journal provides some spectacular tallies of the amounts of game killed.
Wall-hanging depicting Louis XV's hunts In this part of the exhibition, visitors By Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755) will hear Louise 1736-1750. Haute lisse tapestry Royale, a fanfare Florence, Palais Pitti composed for the Fontainebleau stag Louis XV noticed the talent of Jean-Baptiste Oudry right at the beginning of his reign, and in 1728 hunt by Louis XV he became the official painter for royal hunts. Among the numerous works that he produced, the himself. Wall-hanging depicting Louis XV 's Hunts is truly monumental. Comprising nine tapestries woven at the Gobelins, it glorifies the king's passion for stag hunting in the Compiègne forest. The three tapestries presented in this exhibition, whose colours are remarkably well- preserved, describe the three major parts of the hunt.
Everything starts at the meeting place, where the king chose the place of attack. Le Puy du Roi (1) was perhaps the most beautiful places used by the royal hunt. It was the ideal location for depicting the ceremony during which the king descended from his carriage and put on his boots while listening to the Grand Huntsman's report.
1 17 Unleashing the Old Pack at the Petite Patte d’Oie Junction(2) was a key moment. At the time, the art of hound hunting was based on the successive release of five packs of dogs. First limers, hounds with a highly developed sense of smell, would track down the stag. Next, a pack of young dogs would chase the quarry down. Then the old pack was released, and then a second old pack with experienced dogs that could be counted on to outsmart 3 the quarry. Lastly, the pack of "six dogs" provided a final round 2 of reinforcements.
Death of the Stag at the Saint-Jean-aux-Bois Ponds (3) depicts the final episode: the cornered stag takes to the water. After having been brought to bay by the hounds, the stag is killed by a huntsman. Guns (shotguns or pistols) were the weapon of choice at the time, viewed as quicker and safer.
The Hunters' Lunch Jean-François de Troy (1679-1752) 1737 Oil on canvas Paris, Musée du Louvre, Paintings Department
Refreshments served during hunts provided an important moment for entertainment and socialising, right from the reign of Louis XIV.
This painting, delivered in 1737, shows a makeshift table around which hunters and important ladies are seated. In the background, servants are preparing dishes or serving, and horses, a carriage at rest, and dwellings can also be seen. Elegant table linen, silver plates and wine glasses are a testament to the refinement rolled out in an atmosphere of false simplicity. 18
Part I — The exhibition 2 - The last carousels
Besides hunts, equestrian sport played a central role in another important form of entertainment, the carousel. This replaced the tournaments that were prohibited after the death of Henri II. Versailles played host to the dying splendours of this form of equestrian ballet at the Great Stables in 1664, during the Delights of the Enchanted Island, and then in 1685 and 1686, at the initiative of the Grand Dauphin. But the carousels were doomed to fade out, since the Seigneurs of the court could no longer afford the exorbitant cost of the luxurious costumes and colourful harnesses in the great Baroque style.
Alexander and Thalestris or the Pompous Carousel of the Galant Amazon from the Four Corners of the World, given at Versailles in the Main Courtyard of the Great Stables, on 28 and 29 May 1686 Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Martin the Elder (1659-1735) Circa 1686. Gouache with gold highlights Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
This gouache depicts the second carousel organised for the Dauphin in Versailles. Though we can recognise the architecture of the Main Courtyard of the Great Stables, other details are not so accurate. For example, we know that Louis XIV and his entourage were not seated in temporary stands, but in the Grand Equerry's apartment where they could watch the show from the windows. The clothing worn by the many horsemen, ladies on horses, trumpeters and kettledrum players, as well as people on foot is quite different from the more refined attire drawn at the same time by Berain. Despite the attention paid to the fabric, accentuated by a number of gold highlights, this painting is not a faithful reconstruction but rather a charming depiction of the last great equestrian performance in Versailles.
ring-tilt with the King and his Knights Israël Silvestre (1621-1691) 1664. Etching and burin Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
The Pleasures of the Enchanted Island was the first grand party given at Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV. The grounds were specially adapted to host various forms of entertainment for three days of festivities, during which the king even competed in ring-tilt. These events were the most depicted in the series of nine etchings produced by Israël Silvestre as early as 1664, seconded by Jean Lepautre, with no fewer than three views of the small carousel located at the top of the Royal Way. The etchings depict the march of the king with his knights prior to the equestrian competition, then the King's pageant, a more detailed presentation of this company in the same place, and finally the Ring-tilt.
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Part I — The exhibition 3 - places of entertainment
All of Versailles, and even Marly and Trianon, served to host performances. Until the Royal Opera House was eventually built in 1770 for the marriage of the Dauphin, future Louis XVI, to Marie-Antoinette, stages were set up in the park and its perspectives, as well as in the royal apartments which were temporarily or permanently modified for the purpose. This proliferation of such spaces is a testament to the incredible theatre culture at Versailles.
The King's Menus-Plaisirs service, in charge of organising ceremonies, parties and performances in the court, redoubled their efforts. For example, they used ingenuity and skill to transform the Manège Hall in the Great Stables into a theatre set or a ballroom, and achieved some remarkable technical feats, like the multiple transformations of the hall in the Royal Opera House.
The Temple of Minerva stage set The Slodtz brothers 1754 Built by Louis-Alexandre Girault (?-1778), carpenter and theatre engineer in the Menus-Plaisirs service. Modified by Louis-René Boquet (1717-1814) Pine, poplar, iron, paper, linen, paint with rabbit- skin glue. Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
This Italian-style stage set is the oldest in the world and in almost perfect condition. It was created in 1754 for the Palace of Fontainebleau, for a performance of Theseus, a lyric tragedy by Quinault that was put to music by Lully. It has been so well preserved primarily because it was used fairly often, thanks mainly to the success of the opera during the Ancien Régime, but also because it was reused for other shows. The first adaptation was in October 1764 for Voltaire's new tragedy,Olympie . Boquet modified a few of the perspectives and added some doors to transform the set into the temple of Ephesus. From that point on, it was regularly transformed for shows performed in Fontainebleau. Later on, the stage set was sent to Versailles, and in 1787 it was used for a performance ofOlympie. In 1846, it was transferred to the Queen's Theatre at Petit Trianon to enhance the background of a classical stage set. The Temple of Minerva stage set was used quite regularly until the beginning of the 20th century, and has been preserved as it was in the 18th century.
This exceptional set was fully restored, and has been installed and lit up on a reconstructed stage in the exhibition rooms. Visitors can go inside to view the various scenes that it contains, look around backstage, and admire the skill of the set painters in creating effects of perspective. 21
The Princes' Courtyard The New Wing
A wooden house
Images from 3D reconstructions, produced through scientific cooperation between curators, researchers, and historians and the company ARISTEAS, allow visitors to step inside places of entertainment that have long since disappeared. They will thus be able to discover unusual places where ordinary comedies, tragedies, operas, and ballets were performed, such as the uncomfortable Old Theatre Room in the Princes' Courtyard, the New Wing theatre, or even the small theatre installed on the Ambassadors' Staircase. Visitors will feel they are really inside these spaces that were specifically created for extraordinary performances, such as the Manège Hall or Queen Marie-Antoinette's extravagant wooden houses. 22
Part I — The exhibition 4 - At the theatre
The three categories of theatre at court: ordinary, extraordinary, and society
Ordinary theatre
Ordinarily at Versailles, theatre was performed on set days of the week and attended by several hundred courtiers. The repertoire was very extensive and included repeats or new creations, with Italian or French comedy, operas and opera-ballets, and classical tragedies. These ordinary shows, called "court performances" were given by three special troupes: • Italian theatre was characterised by three-act plays, entertainment, and pièces de circonstance of all kinds. • French theatre was known for grand dramas, comedies, and five-act tragedies. • Lyric tragedies and tragic operas were put on by the Royal Academy of Music. Since Versailles did not have a suitable theatre space (unlike Saint-Germain and Fontainebleau), they were performed without scenery, machinery, or costumes.
Backdrop depicting part of Sander's room, stage set for Act II of Zémire and Azor The king's Menus-Plaisirs workshop 1774 Linen composed of five strips, painted with distemper Château de Fontainebleau, Musée National
Identified and dated by Marc-Henri Jordan, this set piece was intended for the small theatre in the Princes' Courtyard, and was used on 11 February 1774 for a performance of Grétry's Zémire and Azor at Versailles. Based on Marmontel's libretto, this backdrop can be recognised as "the inside of Sander's house" in Persia, decorated with flower- filled vases. In addition to a curtain supported by two rings, which eliminated the need for a theatre with real flies, the narrowness of the theatre's stage is made obvious by the fact that the formal door cannot be opened, and performers could not use it to enter or exit the stage. 23
The French Comedians Antoine Watteau (1684-1721) Circa 1719-1720 Oil on canvas New-York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
The palace setting opens onto a garden with a pool and fountain, evoking an opera rather than a tragedy. This is also indicated by the group of three actors. Towards the left is a prince in a silver garment wearing a hat with plumes, a dishevelled princess pleading with him, and another crying into a large handkerchief. The crumpled handkerchief thrown to the ground is reminiscent of Bérénice (Act V, scene 5), but so far the actors and characters have not been identified, including the fourth person on the right seen from the back. However, the character to the right just about to enter on stage is assuredly Crispin. His presence is certainly surprising, but it could have been part of a one-act piece performed after the tragedy.
Molière as Caesar in Corneille's The Death of Pompey Nicolas Mignard (1606-1668) 1658 or 1661-1665 Oil on canvas Paris, from the collections of the Comédie-Française
This portrait was painted by Nicolas Mignard, perhaps when Molière and his troupe passed through Avignon, but more likely when the painter lived in Paris between 1661 and 1665. His theatre company, the Illustre Théâtre, performedThe Death of Pompey once in the capital on 16 April 1659, then again two more times later on. It was performed again in Versailles for the king at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in October 1676, along with Cinna, Horace, Sertorius, Œdipe and Rodogune.
André Ernest Modeste Grétry, composer (1741-1813) Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842) 1785 Oil on canvas Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
Born in Liège in 1741, Grétry developed a taste for Italian music during a stay in Rome from 1761 to 1766. Upon his return to France, he enjoyed immediate success with his first comic operas, Le Huron (1768) and Lucile (1769). He was greatly admired by Marie-Antoinette, and the partition of L’Amitié à l’Epreuve was dedicated to the future Queen of France in 1770. Grétry became one of the court's official composers, and his new works were presented every year in a preview performance at Fontainebleau before being put on in Paris. In 1773, he received a commission for a more ambitious heroic ballet, which was performed at the Royal Opera House for the Count of Artois' wedding: Céphale and Procris. Many of his popular compositions, such as Zémire and Azor and The Jealous Lover, were performed in Versailles until the eve of the Revolution. 24 Society theatre
Alongside ordinary performances, another type of theatre developed by the Duchess of Burgundy, then the Marquise de Pompadour in the Private Theatre on the great Ambassadors’ Staircase before it was demolished, and finally Queen Marie-Antoinette in the Petit Trianon theatre. This was the more intimate society theatre performed for a more select circle of people, and the royal family and their closest friends occasionally even donned costumes and acted on stage themselves.
Collection of the comedies and ballets performed in the Private Theatre in the winter of 1747-1748 Printed on the express order of His Majesty Vellum and red Morocco binding with the Royal coat of arms Versailles, Municipal Library
The texts for the operas, ballets, and pantomimes of the King's Cabinets were printed in bound collections at the end of each theatre season. This edition was the first volume, printed in February 1748. It included programmes along with the cast and characters and other details, then a prologue written by Moncrif featuring a dialogue between the Dukes of La Vallière and de Nivernais (belatedly) inaugurating the performances. Then there were the actual texts, with seperate page numbering: Ismène, Aeglé, Le Pédant, Almasis, Erigone, the prologue of Les Fêtes Grecques et Romaines, Cléopâtre, La Vue. The volume included both repeat performances in which modifications were made to the originals, as well as new creations. The casting was also specified.
Madame de Pompadour with her Hand on the Harpsichord Keyboard François Boucher (1703-1770) Circa 1750 Oil on paper mounted on canvas Paris, Musée du Louvre, Paintings Department
Madame de Pompadour, wearing a silk cream dress tied at the waist "à l’espagnole", was aged 29 in this painting, at the end of the fourth season of the King's Cabinet Theatre in Versailles. She had always been a musician, actor, and organiser of parties and concerts. First housed in the Small Gallery, then in the Grand Staircase, the theatre was funded by the Treasury, built with the help of the Menus-Plaisirs and Buildings department, and managed by the Duke of La Vallière. From 1747 to 1750, actors, singers, dancers, and musicians, both amateurs and professionals, performed in comedies, operas and pantomimes with a rich and continuously updated repertoire. The ever-growing audience at these performances, put on in addition to the ordinary shows that were still performed regularly, was chosen by the king himself. This selectivity and the expense, mix of people from various social standings on stage and male cross-dressing supported by the marquise, provoked rumours and controversy. Madame de Pompadour's retreat to Bellevue may have been as a political consequence of this. 25 Extraordinary theatre
During sumptuous entertainment put on by Louis XIV for the entire court, performances could take place outdoors, in the Marble Courtyard, or in the gardens where temporary theatres were built to accommodate large crowds.
The Imaginary Invalid, a comedy performed in the Gardens of Versailles, in front of the Grotto of Thetis, on 19 July 1674 Jean Lepautre (1618-1682) 1676. Etching and burin Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
The Imaginary Invalid was performed in Versailles during the great festivities in 1674, one year after Molière's death, with music by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The show was performed in front of the gilded gates of the Grotto of Thetis (no longer standing), through which cascades of water fell, lit up by a multitude of candles. Each side of the stage was decorated with vases of orange blossoms placed on pedestals, with a monumental temporary set designed by Carlo Vigarani, featuring the figures of Apollo and Hercules to pay homage to Louis XIV, under medallions in the style of Gérard Van Obstal, as well as "icicle" motifs also borrowed from the famed garden structure's decoration.
Performance of the Princess of Navarre in Versailles for the Dauphin's first wedding Charles Nicolas Cochin le Jeune (1715-1790) 1745. Etching and burin Versailles, Château de Versailles et de Trianon
The Princess of Navarre, a comic-ballet by Voltaire and Rameau, was performed at Versailles on 23 February 1745 to inaugurate the party in honour of the first marriage of Louis XV's eldest son the Dauphin to Maria-Teresa of Spain. To commemorate the event, Cochin created a large etching depicting the performance on stage as well as the orchestra and the audience in stalls, an amphitheatre, and on two balcony levels. That night, the crowd was so large that, according to the Duke of Luynes, "some of them had to be removed" from the Great Stables theatre. Large numbers of Parisians had come since they were sure to spot the king's entourage. In 1747, during the Dauphin's second wedding to Maria-Josepha of Saxony, the queen was terrified of the crowds. She had difficulty making her way forward and lost her muff. People around her fought over the available seats, and Madame Adélaïde obtained the use of an "entire" folding chair with some difficulty. In 1745, after the theatre was transformed in less than 24 hours for the formal ball, a radical change was made: only "members of the Court" accompanied by "a very small number of specific individuals" were allowed to enter. 26
View of the royal Opera of Versailles Jean-Michel Moreau, knwon as "Le Jeune" (1741-1814) Illustration, pen and Indian ink May 1770 Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
Jean-Michel Moreau, called Moreau "le Jeune" (1741-1814) became famous in the early 1760s for his illustrations. In 1770, he succeeded Cochin as Drawer for the Menus-Plaisirs, after which he produced several prints of the wedding celebrations for the Dauphin (future Louis XVI). One of these prints depicts a performance at the Royal Opera in its theatre configuration, most likely Racine's Athalie, or perhaps Lully's Perseus. There is a large crowd, a number of chorus members and actors on stage, and an orchestra with more than 70 musicians, led by François Rebel. Never before had so many performers been on one stage in a Versailles theatre. 27
Part I — The exhibition 5 - At the concert
Music was everywhere in Versailles. Under the supervision of the all-powerful Superintendant Les Éléments, of His Majesty's Music, it accompanied most other forms of entertainment, from hunting to balls, as opera-ballet by well as comic ballets, operas and theatre. But it was also a form of entertainment in its own right, and André-Cardinal there were plenty of opportunities at court for anyone who wanted to listen to music, such as the Destouches and chamber concerts introduced under Louis XIV starting in 1682. Michel-Richard Delalande (1721) These concerts were continued into the next generations by the different Queens who can be heard in played a significant role in promoting music. Queen Marie Leszczynska created the Queen’s this part of the concerts, and the Dauphine Maria-Josepha of Saxony, a trained and knowledgeable musician, exhibition. Marie carried on the tradition. The result was a rich and varied programme, a testament to the discreet Leszczynska, who but no less important role that queens and princesses played in promoting the arts at Versailles. particularly enjoyed Perhaps the reason the royal family was so involved is because many of them were musicians this piece, had it themselves: Louis XIV enjoyed playing the lute and the guitar, Louis XV's daughters were played on a number accomplished musicians, and Marie-Antoinette played the harp. of occasions.
Concerts
The Fifth room of the Apartments Antoine Trouvain (1656-1708) 1695. Etching Versailles, Municipal Library
Antoine Trouvain, an engraver, publisher, and print seller, owes his celebrity to a series of etchings that appeared between 1694 and 1696 called the Apartments. These six plates depicted evening gatherings put on for the court by Louis XIV. The fact that Versailles was so far from the capital meant that Louis XIV's entertainment required meticulous organisation: the evening gatherings, which included refreshments, games, conversation, balls and concerts, were the cornerstone of his programme. From All Saints Day to Easter, three times a week, from 6pm to 10pm, the monarch provided the court with moments of diversion lit by thousands of candles. The Mars Room was thus fitted with two sets of platforms on either side of the central fireplace for the Chamber musicians, who played for concerts and balls. Louis XIV had them play short pieces composed specially for the occasion, as well as tragedies and pastorals set to music. Collasse, Marais, Campra and Destouches were popular authors at the time. Chamber music was played in turn by the best soloists: La Barre, Marais, Forqueray, Danglebert performed sonatas and trios for the king. Louis XV continued holding such gatherings, but his wife took charge of the music. She held her concerts in the Peace Room, which was adjoined to her Apartments, while balls were primarily held in the Hercules Room. 28
La Barre and Other Musicians André Bouys (1656-1740) Circa 1710 Oil on canvas London, National Gallery
Here the flautist Michel de La Barre (c. 1675-1745) is surrounded by two of the Hotteterre brothers and the viola da gamba player Antoine Forqueray (1672- 1745), all eminent members of the Musique de la Chambre. They were of noble birth and passed on their instrumentalist positions from father to son. This painting evokes the muted and refined atmosphere of the apartment concerts, as well as the almost communal life of the king's musicians, who saw each other every day since they all lived in Versailles, and sealed their destiny through marriages between their families. Louis XIV ensured his musicians were well looked-after and helped advance certain careers. De La Barre, father of the École Française de Flûte, was one of the king's favourite musicians, and composed a number of very refined trios for the monarch, which he said were inspired by Marais. He was a musician for the Chamber and the Stables, and joined the Opera in 1700.
Private practice
Madame Adélaïde singing Madame Henriette playing Madame Victoire playing solfege the viola da gamba the harp Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766) Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766) Étienne Aubry (1745-1781) 1758. Oil on canvas 1754. Oil on canvas 1773. Oil on canvas Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon Versailles et de Trianon Versailles et de Trianon
Mesdames de France, the daughters of Louis XV, were passionate about music and impressed the court with their many talents: "Madame Victoire, who already played the harpsichord quite well, continued to perfect her skill when she returned from Fontevrault; she was a good accompanist and played almost as well as the masters; she also learned to play the violin, the accordion, and the viola da gamba. Madame Henriette and Madame Adélaïde took lessons on these instruments as well; only Madame Henriette didn't play the violin at all. Madame Adélaïde didn't play the viola da gamba, but she was a superior violin player." (Luynes, Mémoires, t. X, p. 334). This passion inspired them to fill their apartments with a number of instruments, spinets, harpsichords, and harps. The princesses played music together on a daily basis and also joined professionals on occasion, performing in the queen or Dauphine's concerts. 29
Marie-Antoinette's Harp Jean-Henri Naderman (1734-1799) 10 November 1774 Vendôme, Musée Municipal
Jean-Henri Naderman was a harpist and composer, but was best known for his work as an instrument maker. He also had a music shop in Paris. He arrived in the capital in 1762, and started working for the court when the young Dauphine Marie-Antoinette came to Versailles in 1770. He made and perfected several instruments for her that were both technically and aesthetically sophisticated.
Several harps conserved in various European capitals are said to have belonged to the queen. The one in the Musée Municipal de Vendôme is dated from 10 November 1774, six months to the day after Louis XV's death. It symbolises the court's musical revival at the beginning of the reign, and was likely presented to the queen on her 19th birthday. The golden column and strings still feature the previous generation's "rococo" aesthetic. The column is richly decorated with bouquets and swirls, the harmonic curve is oversized, and the soundbox is covered in floral motifs featuring lilies and cherubs bearing the queen's coat of arms. Peace and Minverva are depicted at the pedals. 30
Part I — The exhibition 6 - Promenades
Outdoor entertainment was also very popular, with promenades in carriage or on foot, walks to the Grotto of Thetis with its charming water features or to the Maze Grove with its surprising animal statues, fishing in the fountains or bucolic strolls in the Trianon garden.
These occasions punctuated life at court according to etiquette that varied with the location The movements and period. While the Marly Estate was by far the best for outdoor games such as ramasse (a fast and rules of pall- type of sledge) and escarpolette (a type of swing), Versailles played host to games of pall-mall, a mall are depicted precursor of golf. Courtiers could also play real tennis on indoor or outdoor courts. Water features in a multimedia could be admired during gondola rides on the Grand Canal and the Lake of the Swiss Guard. presentation. A 3D Outdoor pleasures in pleasant company varied according to the seasons, and sources describe ice reconstruction skating races on the frozen Grand Canal or sledge races in the snow by torchlight, accompanied by presents The the sound of the silver bells sewn onto the horses’ harnesses. Courtiers had to be bold and athletic Chinese merry- in a competitive world where education and personality traits required players to give it their all in go-round at the appearance and in reality. Petit Trianon.
View of Apollo's Fountain and the Grand Canal Pierre-Denis Martin (1663-1742) 1713 Oil on canvas Versailles, Château de Versailles et de Trianon
Commissioned for Trianon in 1713, this painting depicts Louis XIV in front of Apollo's fountain and the Grand Canal, at the intersection of the gardens and little park, in his "wheeled chair which he steered with a type of rudder, and which was pushed from behind by his carriers". Among the courtiers on foot we can recognise the Duke of Maine and Philippe d’Orléans the future Regent. To the right of the king is Louis de France, the Grand Dauphin who died in 1711, making this a posthumous portrait. The Canal was the setting of both ordinary entertainment (strolls on foot or horseback, in carriages or sledges, as well swimming and boat trips to Trianon or the Menagerie) and extraordinary entertainment, with grandiose parties 31
Small carriage belonging to the Dauphin Louis Charles de France, future Louis XVII (1785-1795) Anonymous Circa 1785-1789 Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
This small carriage belonged to the Dauphin Louis Charles who used it in the gardens of the Saint-Cloud palace. During the Ancien Régime, carriages were the children's most sought-after toy: all the young princes had their own miniature carriages. These smalls cars, used for promenades, were pulled by men or harnessed to animals while a child in the prince's suite played footman, standing on the rear platform. Made of the most precious materials by the greatest coach builders, these children's carriages were not simple toys but rather smaller versions of the latest models with all their technical innovations.
New rules for Pall-Mall. Both on How to Play Correctly, as Well as How to Determine Which Events Can Occur During the Game Anonymous (Joseph Lauthier?) Paris, C. Huguier and A. Cailleau, 1717 Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Rare Books Department
This 59-page manual, illustrated with four engraved plates, contains the oldest printed rules of pall- mall. This game was extremely popular at court in the 1700s. Monseigneur and his three sons played regularly. Saint-Simon provides lengthy descriptions of games played in Buen Retiro park by the Duke of Anjou, who later became the King of Spain.
The prow of Queen Marie-Antoinette's boat for promenades Anonymous 1777. Painted wood with gold. Musée National de la Marine
The only relic of the boats used on the Grand Canal, this partially-conserved rowing boat still raises many questions about how it came to be ordered. Very few sources speak of it. Only an inventory of paintings in Fontainebleau in 1777 mentions a boat in Versailles named "The Mermaid", providing details about the colours chosen. Painted white, with gold-coated mouldings, it had a bench, five thwarts, a rudder and a foot board for the pilot.
View of the Grand Trianon from the northern branch of the Grand Canal in 1780 Louis-Nicolas de Lespinasse (1734-1808) 1780. Pen and grey ink, watercolour and gouache on cream watermarked paper Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
The Grand Canal remained a major attraction during the reign of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, both for the royal family and curious onlookers who came from Paris for festivities. But Lespinasse was more interested in the water's edge than the Canal with its boats, or Trianon and its gardens. The setting is merely an excuse to depict the social scene of a promenade on foot, by carriage, or by boat. 32
Part I — The exhibition 7 - At the gaming table
In the late afternoon, after enjoying a stroll in the gardens or tired out from chasing the hounds on the hunt, courtiers were invited to return to the State Apartments for the evening.
This was the time for games: card games like lansquenet or hombre, games of chance like portique, or games of skill such as billiards. Games were played everywhere: in the King’s Private Apartment, in the large chambers in the Princes’ Apartments, in the courtiers’ lodgings. There was also gambling, where some would make their fortune and others would be ruined. Queen Marie Leszczynska loved playing cavagnole and bet considerable sums, Queen Marie-Antoinette and the Count of Artois played pharaoh, which was expensive and risky, while Louis XVI preferred the careful and simple strategy of tric-trac, a forerunner of backgammon.
There were three types of games at court: • "The king's game" and "The queen's game",played at evening gatherings at Versailles under Louis XIV. Marie Leszczyńska’s game was played in the Peace Room from 1739. It continued in the Grand Salon at Marly during all three reigns and notably included lotteries. • "The royal game," played at evening gatherings in the State Apartments during grand royal parties, was a spectacle open to more people than just the court. • Private games, open only to certain people and with a more relaxed etiquette, were played after the king’s supper in his private rooms or in one of the courtier's accommodation.
The Third Apartment Antoine Trouvain (1652 ?-1708) 1694 Etching and burin Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
As depicted in this etching of the Diane Room, evening gathering were a time for billiards, one of Louis XIV's favourite games. The king also played in the Billiards Room in his Inner Apartment with a more select group. 33
Gaming Purse with the fleur-de-lis of the King's House France 18th century Red velvet and silver threads Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
To hold their coins and gold, silver or mother-of-pearl gaming tokens, players used drawstring purses in the shape of alms pouches, whose flat bottom could be adorned with the owner's coat of arms. Made of green, blue, red, or even orange velvet, these purses were embroidered with silk thread, and even threads of gold or silver according to the position and rank of the owner.
Table for playing tric-trac, draughts, chess, and for writing Pierre-Claude Mané (active around 1765-1785), cabinet and table maker 1780 Satin wood and rosewood veneer, ivory, ebony Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
Delivered for the king's service in Versailles in 1780, this table has a Morocco leather tabletop for writing with felt on the underside for playing piquet. Inside there is a tric-trac board. On one side a draughts board can be pulled out, and there is a sliding checker board on the other side. It has small drawers for storing playing pieces and two candlesticks. Pierre-Claude Mané regularly supplied the Furniture Treasury with multi-game tables and tables for tric-trac, a game of chance requiring some strategy that was one of Louis XVI's favourite pastimes, as shown by the frequency of his games, noted on the playing cards.
Visitors will find themselves amid the crowd of courtiers and experience the atmosphere of an evening gathering, and can learn the basic rules of some of the games that were popular at the time, such as reversis and tric-trac. 34
Part I — The exhibition 8 - At the ball
Parties often ended with a ball. This entertainment involved the art of dancing which, like deportment, poise, and bearing, was learnt from a very young age under the supervision of dance masters (Beauchamp, Pécour, Ballon, and later Lany, Laval, Gardel and Vestris). Although it may look easy, we should not forget that dancing was a difficult exercise when, at such events as formal balls, grandly-dressed couples competed in elegance and performed the steps in a very precise fashion, under the admiring or mocking gaze of the assembled court.
During the time of Louis XIV, ordinary balls were held every Saturday in the Mars Room or in the Hall of Mirrors. Under Louis XV, dances at Versailles were more spread out, taking place mainly in the Her- cules Room but could also be held in four different locations: the Hercules, Mars, Mercury, and Apollo Rooms. Later on, the small theatre in the Princes’ Courtyard was also used, as it could be transformed into a ballroom when enlarged. Starting in 1775, Marie Antoinette restored splendour to court balls, which she held on Wednesdays from the beginning of the year until Lent, often in temporary wooden houses.
Apartment balls, where etiquette was less strict, were certainly more entertaining. Fancy- dress balls and masked balls, which granted more freedom, developed under Louis XV. The most famous of these was the Yew Tree Ball on 25 February 1745, during which the colourful crowd of
The ballroom for the Ball Given in the Petit Plan of the ballroom for the Versailles Parc de Versailles on 18 July 1668 party with an Jean Lepautre (1618-1682) illustration of the waterfalls and grottos 1678, Etching. Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon Lepautre's etching shows the set-up for balls that continued until the end of the Ancien Régime: the royal couple in the centre on chairs, Monsieur and Madame on stools, the courtiers chosen to dance seated on benches, and spectators in amphitheatres with tiered seating. The dancers, here in the centre of the print, are holding hands in a posture that is typical of the minuet. Le Vau's plan and elevation view show an ingenious octagonal room which resolves the problem of visibility and sound created by the "long square", which nonetheless remained the standard until the Revolution. 35
The Dauphin, future Louis XVI, and Marie-Antoinette dancing the minuet that opened the formal ball given for the wedding, on 19 May 1770, in the Royal Opera's removable ballroom Jean-Michel Moreau le Jeune (1741-1814) 1770 Brown pen with brown and grey wash and traces of black stone Berlin, Kunstbibliothek - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
In accordance with the traditional seating arrangements, Louis XV presided over the assembly in a chair placed in the middle of the room. The Dauphin and Dauphine opened the ball with a minuet, which was followed by at least 15 others, in typical hierarchical order, then eight-person contradances, and finally figure dances. Unfamiliar with the square-set contradance that had been planned for her, Marie-Antoinette instead danced an Allemande with the Duke of Chartres. This couples' dance, which featured a series of passes and under-arm turns, was a precursor to the waltz in the following century.
Marie de Lorraine, Duchess of Valentinois, in a ballgown Antoine Trouvain (1652?-1708) Circa 1694 Etching with watercolours Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
This work depicts Marie de Lorraine, the daughter of the Count of Armagnac, Grand Equerry of France, and wife of Antoine Grimaldi, Duke of Valentinois, later Prince of Monaco. She is leaning on her vanity table, holding a mask in her left hand. The plumes on her raised hairstyle are designed to evoke the Ottoman Empire of the time, or the Persian Empire. She is wearing a sliver brocade dress with an amadis sleeve, topped with a blue coat, a type of short-sleeved dolman that serves as an outer bodice
Dance historians have recreated the choreographies of ancient dances such as thecourante, the menuet ordinaire, and various contradances, as well as the choreography of the famous Yew Tree Ball given under Louis XV. Videos present these rediscovered steps and invite visitors to dance with the Court. 36
Visitors will discover a legendary costume which has since been lost, but which has been recreated for the exhibition: the yew tree costume worn by Louis XV during the famous Yew Tree Ball held in the Hall of Mirrors in 1745 for the wedding of the Dauphin (Louis XV's eldest son). This full-size costume has been recreated by the skilled artisans of the Opéra National de Paris's dance costume workshop, with the assistance of students from Lycée Octave Feuillet. Historians and dance experts guided the artisans' work and deduced what the costume looked like by studying historical sources (the Menus-Plaisirs' account book for the Dauphin's wedding celebration, the colour engraving by Charles Nicolas Cochin at the Musée du Louvre, and the ball choreography that was transcribed and conserved in the Opéra National de Paris' Bibliothèque-Musée). 37
Part I — The exhibition 9 - Creating marvellous effects
The special effects, monsters, glories and sound effects that transported courtiers to fantastical worlds were as much a testament to the inventiveness of the King’s Chamber engineers and designers as to the kings' appreciation of Baroque effects.
Light displays and fireworks further enhanced these grandiose and enchanting celebrations, with temporary structures that went up in flames, multicoloured sprays, and thousands of lights that sparkled along the walkways of the Park and Grand Canal. Each celebration required creativity, technical skill and ingenuity and only the best pyrotechnists were hired.
The theatre's machines
"Glory", or descending cloud machine Pierre Boullet (1740 - 1804) In "Essai sur l’art de construire les théâtres, leurs machines et leurs mouvemens" by Cen. Boullet, engineer at the Théâtre des Arts. Can be found in Paris, at Ballard, Imprimeur-Libraire du Théâtre des Arts, rue J.-J. Rousseau, n° 14 ; and at the Salle de l’Opéra. Germinal an 9. (1801) » Laid paper, in quarters? Plate No. XI, with watercolour Paris, Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris
Pierre Boullet is known for having overseen the Académie Royale de Musique's four moves between 1763 and 1794, and for having built the stage in the Queen's Theatre in Trianon in 1779. He published a reference work for theatre designers that was clear and specific, and which included a number of often quite technical descriptions referring to 13 folded plates at the end of volume. Plate XI shows a scale drawing of a Glory and its specific machinery, the descending cloud machine. Glory was the name given to a platform hidden behind moveable clouds that was lowered from the flies to glorify a character representing a divinity.
To round out the experience of parties at Versailles, the exhibition presents theatre accessories - monsters, styling heads, and figures that spring out of trap doors - recreated in full size for the first time, based on original documents and using only traditional materials. Similarly, the reconstruction of the cross-section of a theatre structure enables visitors to better understand the effects of clouds and glories, which were moved around using an ingenious system of pulleys. All these mechanisms will be conserved by the Palace of Versailles for educational purposes in order to illustrate the equipment used for the stage and special effects at the Queen's Theatre in Trianon.
39 Illuminations
The Fifth Day. Fireworks over the Versailles Grand Canal 18 August 1674, Jean Lepautre (1618-1682) 1676, etching and burin, Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
The celebrations of 1674 were spread out over six days (4, 11, 19, 28 July and 18 and 31 August). To celebrate the second conquest of Franche-Comté, the King invited the court, ambassadors, Parisian bourgeoisie, and Franche-Comté nobility to discover his palace on under a new light. Decorations and illuminations served as a backdrop for the shows. The Marble Courtyard was also transformed twice for the festivities. On 4 July, the first day of the celebrations, Quinault and Lully's musical tragedy Alceste was performed without machinery on a stage set up in the courtyard. Vigarani embellished the setting with extensive lighting that emphasised the architecture. In order to recreate the side frames of theatre stages, he installed boxes of orange trees alternating with pedestals covered in porcelain figurines and girandoles. Several weeks later, on 28 July, Vigarani's talents transformed the Marble Courtyard once again for a meal accompanied by music. The table was laid around the fountain. Above, eight consoles decorated with silver figures draped in gold supported a six-metre-high column of fire.
The palace was not the only place that was decorated for these celebrations. As well as the Grotto of Thetis, the groves and the menagerie, Louis XIV also wanted to showcase the recently completed Grand Canal. After a gondola ride on 19 July, and fireworks on 28 July, Le Brun was asked to design a magnificent fireworks display that would be launched both from the banks and from the canal itself. The painter designed a machine that was 15 metres wide and just as high, carried on seven boats driven forward on the water by a team of bargemen as if by magic. Finally, on 31 August, for the last night of festivities, the court rode in gondolas on the canal to discover the vast expanse of water surrounded by figures, fountains, and palaces of light in bright colours. Though the engravings provide a valuable illustration of such magnificence, they cannot convey the vivacity of colours and scintillating golds that transformed the palace and its gardens. 40
Drawing of the grand illumination of the Park of Versailles during celebrations for the Dauphin's marriage to Marie-Antoinette, on 19 May 1770 Jean-Michel Moreau, known as Moreau le Jeune (1741-1814) 1775 Drawing in pen and grey ink with highlights of grey wash on brown paper. Versailles, Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon
Though the celebrations of 16 to 19 May 1770 were postponed due to bad weather, the Gardens of Versailles were nonetheless filled with a vast crowd of people who mostly from Paris to admire the fountains and the numerous illuminations. Moreau Le Jeune rendered this event in exquisite detail, showing the immense crowd surrounding Apollo's fountain, with the Grand Canal in the background, where a small fleet sailed with masts lit by numerous lanterns. In the foreground of his composition on the right, amid archways and pyramids that sparkled in the night, he also depicted the shows put on for the people, like at a fair. These were comic works that were sometimes preceded by "tightrope dancing, acrobatics, and feats of strength". The effect that was created by these temporary stages was all the more remarkable, according to the Duke of Croÿ, given that "we hadn't before seen these kinds of performances in the illuminated groves of Versailles".
Illumination of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles during the Great Royal Entertainment Sixth Day. Illumination around the Grand Canal of Versailles, on 31 August 1674, on 18 July 1668, Jean Lepautre, Jean Lepautre (1618-1682) 1678, Palace of Versailles. 1676, etching and burin, Château de Versailles
For the grand finale of the exhibition, a large projection will allow visitors to discover the grand illuminations of 1668 and 1674 as if they were really there. The different parts of the show, typically immobilised in black and white engravings, will be successively displayed in the actual colours of the lights and fireworks, determined based on memoirs from that time.
part II
In connection with the exhibition 44
Part II — In connection with the exhibition Publications
Publications co-published with the Palace of Versailles
Fête et Divertissements à la Cour - exhibition catalogue Edited by Élisabeth Caude, Jérôme de La Gorce and Béatrix Saule Co-published by Château de Versailles / Gallimard 392 pages ET DIVErTISSEMENTSVErTISSEMENTS 24 x 28 cm À LA COUrCOUr €49.90 An album version is also available (48 pages, €9.90)
To promote the prestige of the monarchy, Louis XIV and his successors hosted grandiose parties at Versailles. To maintain a large court at Versailles they needed to relieve the courtiers' boredom and offered regular entertainment, night and day, both indoors and outdoors. The purpose of this catalogue, which is based on the latest research conducted by press contact historians, archivists and curators, as well as musicologists, hunt specialists and experts in dance Béatrice Foti and ancient games, is to recreate the life of courtiers, reveal the means of entertainment, examine + 33 (0)1 49 54 42 10 [email protected] their practices and evaluate the matters at stake.
Parties at Versailles - Activity book Co-published by Château de Versailles / Courtes et Longues 12 pages 21x27 cm €12.90 Published on 29/11/2016
How about discovering the wonders of the Palace of Versailles? This book is full of games that will transport children into the heart of France's most famous royal residence, at the time of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI when the most grandiose festivities and performances were organised. Children will enjoy exploring the gardens, decorating ballrooms and theatre stages and making Press contact costumes and masks. They will also be to re-create fabulous fireworks and water displays.
Jean Poderas This activity book includes a range of activities including colouring, cut-outs, mazes and spot the + 33 (0)9 82 36 27 12 difference to allow children to explore this place of pomp and magnificence from a new angle, www.cleditions.com through the entertainment enjoyed at court many years ago. 45 publication in partnership with the palace of versailles
ArCHITECTUrES DE THÉÂTrE À VErSAILLES LIEUX PrÉSENTS ET LIEUX DISPArUS Edited by Béatrix Saule and Élisabeth Caude 3D reconstruction: Hubert Naudeix, Marlène Faure
Partnership between the Palace of Versailles / Éditions Honoré Clair 160 pages 21 x 28 cm 120 illustrations €28 Published on 28/11/2016
What a paradox! Though the 18th-century French Court loved performances and shows, it wasn't until 1770 that Versailles finally built a venue worthy of the royal residence: the Royal Opera House which was inaugurated for the marriage of the Dauphin, future Louis XVI, to Marie-Antoinette. Prior to that, theatre performances were held in temporary rooms, or places that were at least planned as such! Ordinary comedies, tragedies, operas and ballets were performed in the uncomfortable Theatre Room in the Princes' Courtyard, the New Wing theatre, or in small theatres such as the one built on the Ambassador's Staircase! Extraordinary events took place in spaces that were specifically made for the occasion, such as the Manège Hall or the extravagant wooden houses. Today, only the Opera and the Queen's Theatre remain, lone witnesses of a little-known art of performance and forgotten engineering. Thanks to exceptional 3D reconstructions and a number of archive documents, Architectures de Théâtre à Versailles provides a closer look at all of these places, whether they still exist or have long since disappeared.
The authors This book was edited by Béatrix Saule, Director and Head Curator of the Musée National des press contact Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, and Élisabeth Caude, Head Curator in charge of Patrimoine, Gaëlle Cueff both curators of the Parties and Entertainment in the Court exhibition. This book brings together + 33 (0)1 42 41 64 98 leading experts in theatre history and architecture: Jérôme de La Gorce, Jean-Paul Gousset, Raphaël gaelle-cueff.com Masson, Jean-Claude Le Guillou, Stéphane Castelluccio and Vincent Pruchnicki. 46
Part I — In connection with the exhibition The musical programme
Château de Versailles Spectacles continues to bring parties and entertainment to life at the Palace of Versailles. The exhibition is located between the Royal Chapel and the Royal Opera House, the two key venues where, since 2009, Château de Versailles Spectacles has put on operas, concerts, recitals and ballets performed by well-known artists.
From Christie to Gardiner, Pichon to Spinosi, Jaroussky to Bartoli, Béjart to Preljocaj, Lully to Monteverdi, Haendel to Bach: the programme features a number of discoveries, re- discoveries, and creations in the spirit of Versailles.
Parties and entertainment throughout the exhibition PrOGrAMME FrOM NOVEMBEr 2016 to MArCH 2017
STAGED OPErAS AND COMIC BALLETS
In the Royal Opera House
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) King Arthur Concert Spirituel, Chorus, and Orchestra Hervé Niquet: Conductor and adaptation Corinne and Gilles Benizio (aka Shirley and Dino): Adaptation, conception, and stage design Thursday 8, Friday 9 (8pm), Sunday 11 (3pm) December 2016
Lully / Molière Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Denis Podalydès Sociétaire de la Comédie Française: Stage Direction Christophe Coin: Conductor Thursday 12, Friday 13 (8pm), Saturday 14 (7pm) Sunday 15 January 2017 - 3pm
press contacts Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) La Cenerentola (Cinderella) Opus 64 / Valérie Samuel Cecilia Bartoli Christophe Hellouin Men’s Chorus from the Monte Carlo Opera + 33 1 40 26 77 94 Les Musiciens du Prince - Monaco + 33 6 32 32 22 96 Diego Fasolis: Conductor / Claudia Blersch: Spatial installation [email protected] Friday 24 (8pm) and Sunday 26 (4pm) February 2017 47 Luigi Rossi (1597-1653) Orfeo Ensemble Pygmalion Choir and Orchestra Raphaël Pichon: Conductor Jetske Mijnssen: Stage Direction Friday 3 (8pm), Saturday 4 (7pm) March 2017
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Orfeo Les Arts Florissants Paul Agnew: Conductor and spatial installation Wednesday 8 March 2017- 8pm
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Don Giovanni Les Musiciens du Louvre Marc Minkowski: Conductor Ivan Alexandre: Stage Direction Tuesday 21, Thursday 23, Friday 24 (8pm), Sunday 26 (3pm) March 2017
OPErAS IN CONCErT VErSION
In the Royal Opera House
George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) Rodelinda Il Pomo d’Oro Maxim Emelyanychev: Conductor Tuesday 17 January 2017 – 8pm
Philippe Jaroussky : The Myth of Orpheus Philippe Jaroussky Amanda Forsythe I Barocchisti Diego Fasolis: Conductor Sunday 12 (17h) and Tuesday 14 (8pm) March 2017
CONCErTS
In the Royal Chapel
Nicola Porpora (1686-1768) Il Trionfo della Divina Giustizia Les Accents Thibault Noally: Conductor Saturday 3 December 2016 - 8pm 48
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) MUSIC PUBLISHING– Magnificat ALPHA Monteverdi Choir COLLECTION English Baroque Soloists VERSAILLES Sir John Eliot Gardiner: Conductor "Music was the soul and Saturday 10 December - 8pm life song of Versailles. This is why we felt it was essential to preserve the memory of George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) the "Musiques The Messiah Retrouvées de Les Arts Florissants Versailles". This music William Christie: Conductor once again takes its rightful place thanks to Sunday 11 December – 5pm Château de Versailles Spectacles, which is breathing life back into this sumptuous palace with the music that was Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) played here for more Sacred Stories than a century. This Ensemble Correspondances collection of recordings Sébastien Daucé: Conductor is a testament to that musical presence." Wednesday 14 December - 8pm Catherine Pégard
The "Musiques Retrouvées de Versailles" collection Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is available on CD and Christmas Oratorio DVD in Alpha's Accentus Versailles collection. Le Poème Harmonique Forthcoming: Laurence Equilbey: Conductor - Alpha 966 - Friday 16 December 2016 - 8pm Neukomm, Requiem à la Mémoire de Louis XVI / La Grande Écurie et La Chambre du Roy, François Couperin (1668-1733) Jean-Claude Malgoire Leçons de Ténèbres (1 CD) Le Poème Harmonique - Alpha 967 - Lully, Vincent Dumestre: Conductor and theorbist Persée 1770 / Le Concert Spirituel, Saturday 17 December 2016 - 8pm Hervé Niquet (2 CDs + book)
For more information: outhere-music.com Carmina Latina and chateauversailles- Namur Chamber Choir spectacles.fr Cappella Mediterranea Ensemble Clematis Leonardo García Alarcón: Conductor and harpsichordist Sunday 18 December 2016 - 6pm 49
Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (1763-1817) Mass for Napoleon's Coronation Vlaams Radio Koor (Flemish Radio Choir) Les Siècles François Xavier Roth: Conductor Saturday 11 March 2017 - 7pm
In the Royal Opera House
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) The Four Seasons Ensemble Matheus Jean-Christophe Spinosi: Conductor and violinist Thursday 15 December 2016 - 8pm
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Juditha Triumphans The King’s Consort Robert King: Conductor Friday 27 January 2017 - 8pm
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Symphonies No. 39, 40, 41 Ensemble Matheus Jean-Christophe Spinosi: Conductor Saturday 28 January 2017 - 7pm
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Boléro Marianne Crebassa Mezzo-soprano Orchestre National d’Ile-de-France Enrique Mazzola: Conductor Friday 10 March 2017 - 8pm
BALLET
In the Royal Opera House Information and booking The Painting on the Wall – The Extraordinary Adventure Created in 2016 – The first performance in Ile-de-France From 10am to 1pm and Based on the Chinese tale of The Painting on the Wall 2pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday Ballet Preljocaj + 33 (0)1 30 83 78 89 Angelin Preljocaj: Choreography Tuesday 29, Wednesday 30 November, Thursday 1, Friday 2 (8pm), Saturday 3 www.chateauversailles- (7pm), Sunday 4 (3pm) December 2016 spectacles.fr and normal sales points 50
Part II — In connection with the exhibition Guided tours and school programmes
Guided tours
Guided tours of the exhibition At 10.30am: 10, 15, 20 December 2016; 5, 13, 21, 25, 29, 30 January 2017; 1, 4, 7, 12, 23 February 2017; 1, 12, 18, 21 March 2017 At 2.30pm: 17, 23, 28 December 2016; 8, 11, 17 January 2017; 15, 18, 21 February 2017; 4, 9, 15, 23, 25 March 2017
On the Trianon Estate: “Stage Effects in the Queen’s Theatre” Hidden among the Garden of Trianon's greenery, the Queen's Theatre was so refined and delicate that it became known as one of the most beautiful society theatres in Europe. Visitors will discover an ambiance in blue and gold that reveals the ancient machinery used to change the scenery before the audience's eyes. In the twinkling of an eye, the guide and stage hands will bring the theatre back to life by activating ropes, winches, and pulleys. Under the lighting of the era, the chassis disappears. A thunder machine causes a storm to rage... At 1.30pm and 3:15pm, 7 and 20 December 2016, 12 and 25 January 2017, 8 and 23 February 2017, 10 and 22 March 2017
Reservation required by telephone at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 00, or online at www.chateauversailles. com or on the day at the North Ministers’ wing, subject to availability. Price: €7 + admission ticket Free admission: visitors under 10 years old and disabled people with one accompanying person. Duration: 1.5 hours
For families
Parties and Entertainment for families Parties and entertainment played a central role in the palace's history. Hunts, promenades, balls and parlour games were part of daily life at Court, alongside ever more majestic festivities. Over the course of the exhibition route, parents and children will discover different forms of entertainment and celebrations from the time of Louis XIV to the Revolution. From 6 years At 2pm: 18, 22, 24, 28, 31 December 2016; 4, 11, 19 February 2017; 1 March 2017
Booking required at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 00 or www.chateauversailles.fr Price: €7 + admission ticket. Free for children under 10. 51 school programmes
GUIDED TOUr – FrOM YEAr 5 TO SECONDArY SCHOOL - DUrATION: 1.5 HOUrS Parties and Entertainment in the Court As a political monarch, King Louis XIV took “grand entertainment” to the height of magnificence, making Versailles a venue for monumental, extraordinary, and fantastical parties and shows. His successors maintained the tradition of splendid, creative shows each in their own way, according to their own tastes and the fashions of the time. Price: €75 December 2016: 1st at 3.15pm, 6th at 9.30am and 1.45pm, 7that 9.30am, 9th at 9.30am and 9.45am, 14th at 9.30am, 15th at 9.30am and 1.45pm January 2017: 3rd at 9.30am and 1.45pm, 4th at 9.30am, 5th at 9.30am, 6th at 9.30am and 9.45am, 10th at 9.30am and 1.45pm, 11th at 9.30am, 12th at 9.30am and 1.45pm, 13th at 9.30am – 9.45am, 17th at 9.30am and 1.45pm, 18th at 9.30am, 19th at 1.45pm, 20th at 9.30am – 9.45am, 24th at 9.30am and 1.45pm, 25th at 9.30am, 27th at 9.45am, 31st at 9.30am and 1.45pm
ACTIVITY – FrOM YEAr 5 TO SECONDArY SCHOOL - DUrATION: 1.5 HOUrS The coaches: Machines and masterpieces in Versailles In 1837, when Louis-Philippe transformed the Palace of Versailles into a museum devoted to "All the glories of France", he assembled a collection of coaches, sedan chairs and sledges, vehicles that were regularly used for promenades and entertainment. Located in the Great Stables, the Gallery of Coaches introduces students to vehicles that are both machines and artistic masterpieces. As witnesses to the events that marked the History of France and are a reflection of royal power and court life, they shed light on the technical efforts that went into transporting these important people. Price: €75 December 2016: 1 and 8 December at 9.30am or 10am January 2017: 5, 12, 19, 26 at 9.45am
PrEPArE YOUr VISIT Resources on the subject of coaches and parties and entertainment can be consulted on the Palace of Versailles website, in the "teaching" section. An educational booklet describing the Versailles Estate is also available upon request at information points, upon presentation of the Pass Education.
Information at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 00 or [email protected] Booking required using the online form: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/resources/reservation/ reservation.html Registration limited to a maximum of two classes per school (subject to availability).
Training sessions for teachers are also available: • 7 December 2016 and 7 January 2017 - "Parties and Entertainment in the Court" • 12 January 2017- "Entertaining the Court of Versailles", in partnership with the CNAM – techniques for creating special effects.
An educational pack is also available online in the website's "teaching" section, produced in partnership with the Academy of Versailles ESPE (Teacher Training Institute). 52
Part II — In connection with the exhibition programmes for special audiences
programmes in connection with the exhibition
Self-guided tours
Various self-guided tours or visit routes have been designed for people with disabilities. For the first time as part of an exhibition, the Palace of Versailles has created a self-guided audio tour for the visually impaired.
VISUALLY-IMPAIrED An audio tour is available for visually-impaired visitors. Comprising 10 commentaries, it describes a key work in each exhibition room. It also includes sensory tools (relief map, tactile plates, and olfactory accessories).
HEARING-IMPAIrED The exhibition may be visited individually or as part of a guided tour. Certain tour guides are proficient in lip reading and French sign language. To book a guided tour: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/preparerma-visite/handicap/actualites "Parties and Entertainment in the Court" tab
ACCESSIBILITY of MOBILITY-IMPAIrED the activities The exhibition route is accessible for mobility-impaired people. When visitors in Visual impairment wheelchairs arrive at the palace, they will be escorted to an elevator that will take them directly to the exhibition. Mobility impairment Auditory impairment Price: free for people with proof of eligibility and the person accompanying them. Physical and For more information: +33 01.30.83.75.05 or [email protected] mental disability Website: http://accessible.net/versailles/ monument-chateau/chateau-deversailles_154 People with The audio-guide is available from the counter upon request. reduced mobility 53 Guided tours
Guided tour of the exhibit - Sensory itinerary As a political monarch, King Louis XIV took “grand entertainment” to the height of magnificence, making Versailles a venue for monumental, extraordinary, and fantastical parties and shows. His successors maintained the tradition of splendid, creative shows each in their own way, according to their own tastes and the fashions of the time.
Guided tour of the Coach Gallery - Sensory itinerary A veritable palace devoted to the glory of horses, the Versailles stables were built by Jules Hardouin- Mansart and served as the setting for a number of fascinating activities that went far beyond the ordinary care of horses and maintenance of court vehicles. The stables notably played host to sumptuous celebrations. The Gallery of Coaches, created by Louis-Philippe, houses an extraordinary collection of sledges, carriages, and harnesses.
Guided tour of the palace - Music in the Court During the reign of Louis XIV, musical life (both secular and religious) was highly organised: music in the Chapel, Chamber music in the apartments, and music in the Great Stables in the open air all helped to heighten ordinary and extraordinary events at court.
Booking required at + 3 (0)1 30 83 75 05 or [email protected] Visits on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 11.15am or 1.45pm. Duration: 2 hours Price: €25 per group
Projects in connection with the exhibition
disabilities week Thanks to the support of the FDJ from 29 November to 3 December 2016 corporate foufoundationundanndddaatio As part of this event, most of the visits offered to individual palace visitors will be accessible to persons with disabilities. On the topic of parties and entertainment, visitors will be able to participate in the following visits:
Guided tour of the "Parties and Entertainment in the Court" exhibition Wednesday 30 November 2016 from 10.15am to 12.15pm and from 2pm to 4pm, Saturday 3 December 2016 from 10.15am to 12.15pm, Tuesday 29 November 2016, Friday 2 December, and Saturday 3 December 2016 from 1.45pm to 3.45pm
Stage effects in the Queen's Theatre Wednesday 30 November 2016 from 1.30pm to 3pm and from 3.15pm to 4.45pm, Thursday 1 December 2016 from 1.30pm
to 3pm and from 3.15pm to 4.45pm
Presentation and playing of the organ Music was a regular part of court life. It was everywhere, and especially in the Chapel. For disabilities week, one of the Royal Chapel's organists is proposing an introduction to 17th and 18th century music. He will play musical excerpts throughout his lecture, as he explains how the music was created and shows how an organ works. Friday 2 December 2016 from 10.30am to 11.30am, from 11.45am to 12.45pm and from 2pm to 3pm 54 The Gallery of Coaches In the court of Versailles, one of the favourite forms of entertainment in winter was sledge racing. Visitors to the Gallery of Coaches will thus be able to admire the Palace of Versailles' exceptional collection that excludes 6 sledges made during the reign of Louis XV. Tuesday 29 November at 2pm, Thursday 1 December at 2pm, Friday 2 December at 2pm and 3pm.
Specific workshops
Fables on stage Participants will perform La Fontaine's fables on stage. They will learn about theatre through games and improvisation exercises based on these masterpieces of French literature. Wednesday 30 November from 10am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 4.30pm
Introduction to baroque dancing Louis XIV was very interested in the arts from a very young age, particularly dance, which was an es- sential part of a gentleman’s education. Visitors will be able to participate in a workshop introducing the art of baroque dancing, taught by a dancer from the Divertimenty dance company. Tuesday 29 November from 10.30am to 11.30am, 1.30pm to 2.30pm, and 3pm to 4pm Wednesday 30 November from 10.30am to 11.30am, 1.30pm to 2.30pm, and 3pm to 4pm
Introduction to baroque theatre Working with an actor in costume, workshop participants will discover and learn the very specific movements, stage direction codes, technical constraints and practices that were critical to the crea- tion of a baroque comedy or opera. Thursday 1 December from 9.30am to 11am and 11.30am to 1pm; Friday 2 December from 2.30pm to 4pm
A celebration for all Thanks to the support of the FDJ 7 December 2016 corporate foundationoundandnddaatio Organised by the French Red Cross, with the support of the FDJ corporate foundation, the "Celebration for all" initiative will provide programming based on the "Parties and Entertainment in the Court" exhibition for an expected 350 guests on Wednesday 7 December 2016. On the programme: - Refreshments in the Crusades Room and a visit of the exhibition - An immersive visit of the State Apartments on the theme of evening gatherings, where actors in costume will perform various scenes from these evenings at the court of Versailles.
"Stopover in Trianon" Workshops and an exhibition organised with the Bel Air Medico-Educational Institute
The Palace of Versailles is working with the Le Bel Air Medico-Educational Institute (MEI) in Yvelines on an project in the field of artistic and cultural eduction for youth with intellectual disabilities and behavioural and/or personality disorders. A group of 50 young people between the ages of 7 and 20 received guided tours and arts workshops that explored the Trianon estate on the theme of "Parties and Entertainment in the Court". In the autumn of 2016, they participated in an introduction to photography and a full day spent discovering 18th-century entertainment at the court of Versailles, presented in the form of sketches performed at the Trianon Estate. 55 Afterwards, the young people took part in workshops at the Bel Air MEI organised by professional artists, where they each produced two pieces of art based on pictures taken at Trianon. A jury will select 50 to 60 of the pieces among all those created by participants. These works will be reproduced in a larger format and exhibited in June 2017 in the Palace of Versailles gardens as part of a unique exhibition. A catalogue will also be produced to provide a souvenir of this experience.
Hospital initiatives
Charles Foix Hospital The Palace of Versailles is collaborating with Charles Foix Hospital to offer patients, hospital personnel, children in the recreation centre and visitors with a number of activities throughout the year. As part of the exhibition, a series of music and dance-related activities will held on the topic, along with a visit of the exhibition. To conclude the partnership, there will be a lecture in February on 17th and 18th-century plays.
Necker Hospital The Palace of Versailles is being taken to hospitalised children and personnel at Necker Hospital and taking part in their programme: Participation in themed weeks in 2016 and 2017 organised by Necker Hospital: - Week of taste: historical tastings - Week of dance: baroque dance workshop - Week of music: presentation of baroque music - Week of sport: presentation of real tennis A cycle based on "Parties and Entertainment" will also be offered with dance and musical activities, as well as a "Fables on stage" workshop.
Versailles and word play: theatre at court From January to March 2017
This year, the Palace of Versailles is offering students in literacy courses, French language courses, or those participating in sociolinguistics workshops the opportunity to discover Versailles through 17th-century theatre.
Tours and activities will be conducted under the aegis of Molière, and each participant will be able to take on the role of spectator, creator, and actor at different moments.
Groups will participate in: - A sensory visit of the "Parties and Entertainment in the Court" exhibition - Two workshops on theatrical writing during which they will have the opportunity to write a sketch inspired by one of Molière's plays - A workshop on theatrical performance in order to stage the text that was written.
This programme of tours and activities will conclude with a closing ceremony during which each group will perform its sketch for all the participants. 56
Part II — In connection with the exhibition related products at www.boutique-chateauversailles.fr Librairie des Princes and in the RMN-Grand Palais boutiques at the Palace of Versailles
An exclusive line of products related to the exhibition An exclusive line of products is available in the Palace's boutiques and on www.boutique-chateauversailles.fr The Réunion des Musées Nationaux Grand Palais offers exclusive souvenir objects including tote bags, notebooks, notepads and magnets inspired by the works on display in the exhibition. Images are available on request from Sophie Mestiri: [email protected]
Music CDs
"À Madame", Divertissement pour Adélaïde An anthology of compositions played in the apartments of the Mesdames (Louis XV's daughters), especially Madame Adélaïde who was a talented musician and practised regularly. A number of composers (Simon, Rameau, Balbastre, Cardonne, Guignon) played for them and dedicated several works to them. The pieces on this album are world premieres, recorded in 2015 in the Mesdames' apartments on two harpsichords from the Palace's collections, faithfully recreating the forgotten beauties of the Enlightenment. A unique invitation to travel back in time for an afternoon of music at Versailles in the Mesdames' company. Julien Chauvin: violin by Nicola Gagliano (c. 1741) said to have belonged to Madame Adélaïde Olivier Baumont: harpsichord by François-Étienne Blanchet (Paris, 1746) Duration: 53 minutes. €15 on apartemusic.com
MUSIC PUBLISHING – ALPHA COLLECTION VERSAILLES A collection of recordings called "Musiques Retrouvées de Versailles" is available on CD and DVD in Alpha's Versailles collection. Available at outhere-music.com and chateauversailles-spectacles.fr
A limited series of bags and accessories made with exhibition banners Collection available from May 2017. Exclusively in the Palace of Versailles online boutique: www.boutique-chateauversailles.fr As part of its responsible and sustainable policy, the Palace of Versailles has been collaborating since 2012 with bilum, a French company that recycles advertising banners and uses the exhibition's promotional materials to create unique products. Each piece is handmade in France by companies specialising in leather goods and saddlery. A limited series of bags, handbags, cases and other accessories made with banners from this exhibition will be available on sale.
Part III the exhibition partners 60
Part III — The exhibition partners The patrons
Building on its 350-year history, Saint-Gobain has make a yearly commitment to supporting cultural and scientific projects which are related to its identity or strategy on the subject of habitat.
The Palace of Versailles is an emblematic site in the history of the Royal Mirror Manufacture, which later became Saint-Gobain, and the group demonstrates its commitment to the palace by regularly sponsoring exhibitions. After all, the mirrors in the Hall of Mirrors, which played host to so many balls and ceremonies, were Saint-Gobain's first major order! Following the exhibition André Le Nôtre in perspective 1613-2013, the Group is pleased to support Parties and Entertainment in the Court, notably by providing display cases. The exhibition showcases the sumptuousness and variety of these parties while also highlighting their role and symbolic importance, in an estate in which everything is show and magnificence in one way or another.
Saint-Gobain was founded in 1665 by Louis XIV and Colbert to counter the Venetian domination in the production of mirrors, which were a luxury good at the time. Saint-Gobain now designs, produces, and distributes a large range of construction materials designed to contribute to the well-being and future of all. These materials can be found everywhere in our housing and daily lives, in buildings, transport or infrastructures, as well as a in number of industrial applications. They provide comfort, performance and safety while addressing the challenges of sustainable construction, efficient resource management and climate change. Saint-Gobain had a turnover of €39.6 billion in 2015, is established in 66 countries and has more than 170,000 employees.
For more information about Saint-Gobain, visit www.saint-gobain.com and the Twitter account @saintgobain PrESS CONTACT
Susanne Trabitzsch To discover 350 years of history: www.Saint-Gobain350ans.com + 33 (0)1 47 62 43 25 susanne.trabitzsch@ saint-gobain.com 61
About Epson A world leader in innovation, Epson designs a large range of products, from inkjet printers and printing systems to 3LCD projectors, industrial robots, sensors and other electronic components. Today the company supplies the industrial sector, companies and individuals with efficient, compact and precision technology designed to exceed their expectations and needs. Led by the parent company Seiko Epson Corporation, based in Japan, Epson has more than 67,000 employees in 90 subsidiaries across the world and is proud of its ongoing commitment to environmental protection, in cooperation with local communities. For more information, visit http://global.epson.com/ Environmental vision 2050 http://eco.epson.com
About Epson France SA Epson France sells a large range of digital imagery products including printers, scanners, video projectors, point-of-sale terminals and augmented reality glasses in France, French overseas departments and territories, and French-speaking African countries. The company also includes the businesses that provide technical support for all the European subsidiaries. Epson France is a close-knit company that is particularly eco-friendly, and all of its activities comply with the Epson Group's Environmental Vision 2050, which aims to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote recycling of its products and protect biodiversity in cooperation with the local communities where it operates. For more information, visit www.epson.fr.
This exhibition was made possible thanks to Samsung's technology patronage 62
The Opéra National de Paris was pleased to help the Palace of Versailles recreate the Yew tree costume worn by Louis XV during the masked ball held in 1745 in the Hall of Mirrors. The king's costume was made by the Palais Garnier's dance costume workshop, thanks to the support of AROP (Les Amis de l’Opéra) and the Société des Amis de Versailles. As part of its commitment to supporting the teaching and transmission of skills of excellence, the Opéra invited a student from the Académie de l’Opéra de Paris as well a class from Lycée Octave-Feuillet to take part in this meticulous work.
The Opéra National de Paris' sewing workshops
The sewing workshops, located at Palais Garnier, are responsible for making dance costumes. Nearly 30 professionals work on costume restoration or design: the Flou workshop produces women's costumes, the Tailleur workshop makes men's costumes, the Modiste workshop makes hats and decorative features worn on the head, the Maille workshop makes "stretchy" clothing, and the Decoration workshop works with colours, volume, and jewellery.
The Académie de l’Opéra National de Paris
The Académie de l’Opéra de Paris works to promote a new generation of opera professionals: artists and artisans specialised in the artistic professions. This programme encompasses the diversity and breadth of opera-related professions including singing, music and stage direction as well as other artistic fields such as costumes, makeup, wigs, carpentry, upholstery, composite materials and the design office.
The future of opera and ballet must be prepared today. This is the Académie's guiding philosophy in creating training programmes for young artists at the beginning of their careers: musicians, singers, choreographers, vocal coaches and directors. Training programmes are based on a multidisciplinary approach that provides around 30 young artists with tools to complement and further their training while expanding their artistic practice to other art forms.
A new step was taken during the 2016/17 season with the launch of an artistic trades section for young professionals working in a variety of fields such as costumes, makeup, wigs, carpentry, upholstery, composite materials and design offices, thanks to the expertise and long-term support of Fondation Bettencourt-Schueller. The objective is two-fold: teaching ancient skills while adapting them to today's technological and digital world. operadeparis.fr/academie 63 ArOP – Les amis de l’Opéra
On 8 July 1980, a small group of opera lovers met as a constitutive assembly to create the non-profit organisation called Association pour le Rayonnement de l’Opéra National de Paris. The goal of this organisation is to "Promote the development and influence of the Opéra National de Paris in all ways possible".
The AROP now has more than 3,000 members, including both individuals and companies. The money collected each year provides the Opéra with the financial support needed to continue its work, thus contributing to its artistic vitality and influence in France and around the world.
Donations received and the profits from exceptional events are used to finance the creation of new shows, Orchestra and Ballet tours, the Opéra's Académie and École de Dance projects, publications, exhibitions etc. arop-opera.com
Lycée Octave Feuillet
Lycée Octave Feuillet is a Public Institution that is one of Paris' professional schools for the fashion trades. These training programmes provide qualifications ranging from the CAP (certificate of professional competence), the BAC (baccalaureate diploma) and the BMA (vocational diploma in the artistic trades). It prepares students for artistic trades in haute couture and costume-making for Parisian theatres. The institution also offers two additional local-initiative training programmes.
It is also an apprentice training centre and lifelong training centre for adults.
As part of the reconstruction of the yew tree costume, students from the school created laser-cut leaves based on an ancient mould, then embossed the 3,000 leaves used for the costume, providing its veins and shape. Next they mounted the stems. Their painstaking work was carried out with respect for the expertise required to create the original costume at the time. http://lyc-octave-feuillet.scola.ac-paris.fr 64
The Société des Amis de Versailles is a private non-profit organisation founded in 1913. For more than 100 years the organisation has worked with passion and enthusiasm to restore and beautify the collections and expand the influence of the Palace and Estate of Versailles. The Société des Amis de Versailles helps transmit this exceptional heritage to future generations thanks to more than 5,000 members, donations and bequests from individuals, and corporate patronage. It also exists beyond France's borders though its sister organisations: American Friends of Versailles and European Friends of Versailles.
The "Young Friends (up to age 25)" card is designed to encourage and make it easier for young people to visit the Palace by raising their awareness of heritage preservation issues and patronage. During its first year, the Young Friends were involved in two patronage projects: the restoration of Julius Caesar's bust in the Marble Courtyard, and contributions to theParties and Entertainment in the Court exhibition by recreating two stage sets used in 18th century theatre.
The characters in the exhibition, marotte and flame with the apparition of a ghost, along with their mechanisms, were recreated based on ancient drawings, using only traditional materials. They will be conserved by the Public Institution of the Palace, Museum, and National Estate of Versailles for educational purposes as illustrations of stage material and effects in the Queen's Theatre in
Contact Trianon.
Bénédicte WIART, In order to support the reconstruction of "Louis XV's yew tree costume", the Société des Director +33 (0)1 30 83 73 14 Amis de Versailles was also pleased to collaborate with the AROP and the Opéra de Paris. mecenat@amisdever- sailles.com
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Part III — The exhibition partners media partners
France Culture, the radio channel for all forms of knowledge and creation, provides listeners with the information they need to see the world differently, with greater understanding and perspective. France Culture covers all topics and genres, from news throughout the day and shows covering current affairs, to unique radio programming including documentaries and fiction, as well as shows focused on fields such as history, science and philosophy made accessible to all. France Culture is a radio channel with its own dedicated world:franceculture.fr , a website with a variety of portals (fiction, documentaries, lectures); Editions France Culture, which publishes the quarterly journal France Culture Papiers and a number of other works; France Culture forums; Imagine weekend; and the creation of cultural master-classes. Enlightening, universal, challenging, curious, accessible… That's France Culture! In Versailles, 93.5 FM Listen, listen again, podcasts: franceculture.fr
Each Wednesday, the Figaroscope - Le Figaro magazine's culture & lifestyle city guide - selects cultural events not to miss out on for the week in Paris and Ile-de-France. The magazine's experts review hidden and unusual locations for readers to discover, and on the first Wednesday of the month, Figaroscope publishes the editorial board's top restaurant picks, an essential resource for all foodies! The Figaroscope is also available on digital devices. Try our new mobile application to make sure you're never out of inspiration, and access the entire Paris agenda wherever you are! The Figaroscope is pleased to collaborate with the Parties and Entertainment in the Court exhibition.
Lefigaro.fr has developed multimedia content integrated into its Grands Formats application for the "Parties and Entertainment in the Court" exhibition. Available in full on iPads, the app provides users with a fully immersive experience, as if they were courtiers invited to the court of Versailles! Entertainment is offered in every season: a day of hunting in autumn, evening gatherings and concerts at the Royal Chapel in winter, outdoor games in the gardens in the spring, and fireworks in the summer. Images, videos, quizzes, and exclusive interviews have been developed for this exhibition. Excerpts are also available at lefigaro.fr. 67
With its diverse range of publications, Connaissance des Arts magazine provides its readers with all they need to better understand art from all eras: from archaeology to contemporary creations, from the art of gardens to photography, from design to architecture. In addition to a monthly magazine, (11 issues per year), Connaissance des Arts publishes around 40 special issues and art books. It also has a strong online presence; connaissancedesarts.com is the benchmark website for all national and international arts news, in-depth articles, portfolios, podcasts, and videos. Connaissance des Arts now has a digital version available through its application, which is enhanced with photos and videos. Every month, Connaissance des Arts keeps its readers abreast of current events around the world, with evaluations of exhibitions, auctions, fairs and trade shows by top journalists and experts.
Direct Matin, a free daily newspaper, publishes all the main news. Around 900,000 copies are distributed (OJD data from January-September 2016) in the biggest French cities. The paper has more than 2.4 readers each day (source: ACPM One 2015-2016 LNM), and the Direct Matin digital version makes it accessible all day. For local news, there are also regional editions thanks to an exclusive alliance with the PQR groups.
BFM PArIS, partner of the "Parites and Entertainment in the Court" exhibition at the Palace of Versailles
BFM PARIS is a local TV station that is available free of charge to the 12 million Ile-de-France residents on channel 30 on DTT, channel 63 on SFR boxes, channel 49 on Numericable boxes, as well as on its website and through its application. Focused on current events in Paris and all of Ile-de-France, BFM PARIS's "Bonjour Paris" morning show keeps viewers informed from Monday to Friday. All throughout the day, during the week and the weekend, the image-driven programme "Paris Express" provides continuously updated reporting and link-ups: local news, weather, traffic, transport, sports results, suggestions for cultural and leisure activities etc. Supported by the expertise of the BFMTV editorial board, BFM PARIS has a team of 35 journalists providing live coverage of everything happening in Paris and the surrounding area. BFM PARIS is the first local news channel to use smart phones as a primary filming tool. The station also boasts unprecedented technical resources, with helicopters and scooters that track news in real time. BFM PARIS greets Ile-de-France residents every day from 6am to 9am for the "Bonjour Paris" morning show hosted by Aurélie Blonde and Maxime Cogny, with Marc Hay (weather) and Franck Duret (traffic). Follow the highlights of the exhibition on BFM Paris, BFM PARIS.com, and on the station's social networks. BFM PARIS, Ile-de-France's top news channel
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practical information
For more Access information
+33 (0)1 30 83 78 00 RER C line to "Versailles Château - Rive Gauche" www.chateauversailles.fr SNCF trains from Gare Montparnasse to "Versailles - Chantiers"
Château de Versailles SNCF trains from Saint - Lazare to "Versailles - Rive Droite" facebook.com/chateauversailles RATP bus line No. 171 from the "Pont de Sèvres" to "Versailles Place d’Armes"
@CVersailles A13 motorway (towards Rouen), "Versailles-Château" exit twitter.com/CVersailles Place d'Armes car park. Paid parking, free for persons with disabilities and for evening shows, Château de Versailles starting at 7.30pm. plus.google.com/+chateauversailles
Chateauversailles instagram.com/ Opening times chateauversailles
Souvenir Photos flickr. The exhibition com/groups/versaillesfamille is open every day (except Mondays, on 25 December, and 1 January) from 9am to 5.30pm (last admission at 5pm). Tills close at 4.50pm. Château de Versailles youtube.com/chateauversailles
Versailles Media Prices media.chateauversailles.fr
Admission to the exhibition is possible with 1 and 2-day Passports; the Palace and Exhibition ticket, and the "A year in Versailles" card. Palace ticket: €15, reduced rate: €13 Passport (1 day) grants admission to the Palace, gardens, the Trianon palaces and Marie- Antoinette's estate and temporary exhibitions: €18 2-day passport grants admission for two consecutive days to the Palace, gardens, the Trianon palaces and Marie-Antoinette's estate and temporary exhibitions: €25 FREE for visitors under 18, EU residents under the age of 26, people with disabilities, job seekers in France etc. A list of conditions for free admission is available at www.chateauversailles.fr Free admission to the park and gardens every day in low season.
Free audioguide
An audio tour is available in French, English, and Spanish. It offers a better understanding of the exhibition with a special focus on key works.