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Exhibition from 4 May to 4 August 2019 Versailles v The 1 000 projects

of the kings’ 1660-1815 architects

Palace of Versailles Exhibition «Versailles. Dreams of . 1660-1815 Booklet produced by Booklet produced GAME REBUS Delightful dream Which character, close to Louis XIV, played an important role The gardens at Versailles have been redesigned many during the works?

century Welcome times. The painter drew a plan for To find out, th to the Versailles of Louis XIV! around Latona’s . Latona is a character from Roman solve this rebus… mythology, who was the mother of and and Solution page 8 17 was forced to fl ee by Juno… Le Brun imagined 17 alcoves, each containing representing gods and rivers… Versailles, a "permanent building site"! None of this was ever built, undoubtedly because of money problems and disagreements between The of Versailles was built 1682. He carried out major works to the building specialists at Versailles. by Louis XIII – originally as a country extend and improve the residence. fountains house, from which to go hunting in Architects wanted to adapt and Le Brun project for horseshoe fountains the neighbouring forests! Back then, modernise the Palace, but many of around Latona's fountain the roofs were slate and the walls were their projects were never built. The "Horseshoe" made from brick and stone. Louis XIV Discover Versailles as it never was – around the fountain, adored it and moved his Court here in but could have been! marking the transition between the upper part and the lower part Jules Hardouin-Mansart’s "Grand Design" of the gardens.

chimney's Project The various Architect Jules chimneys were to Hardouin-Mansart. One of the be installed on He designed proposed by Lebrun the extensives the chapel of roofs in .

The trident, Neptune's favorite Louis XIV, accessory! Neptune, also known the God of the sea, as the Sun King! was one of Latona's protectors: Thanks Project for an extra floor Lantern Charles Le Brun to him, she was able and proposed to find refuge on the islands of Delos and Dome A royal style give birth to Apollo Pavilion of architecture and Diana. roof In Louis XIV’s time, stone How do you was commonl y used Jules Hardouin-Mansart’s to lend prestige. propose … and a more projects never saw “Classical” architecture a project Here impressive version, the light of day… Because was preferred: , to the king? is a with the dome, the view of a lack of funds, but also pilasters (like a , because Louis XIV was tired but rectangular and The architects submitted simpler from the courtyard their best designs, and often of living in a permanent attached to a wall), version… would have been finials (a stone models in wood, to the king building site and did not magnificent! I added ornamentation resembling and the superintendent. more ornate decora- wish to embark on yet a flame-topped urn), etc. It was all very formal! tion…More Regal, more major works. The king really liked to I would say! present these projects 2 to his entourage… 3 GAME IN THE ARCHITECT’S SHOES! Louis XV’S Put these architecture terms in the right place to correctly describe Ange-Jacques century Gabriel’s project… th • Colonnade 18 Grand Project C • Dome • Pediment B • Pavilion A From despair to hope D Solution page 8

Work came to a halt following the death of Louis XIV in 1715. Later, in the middle of the 18th century, architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel presented his "Grand Project" to Louis XV…

Project to rebuild the façades overlooking A little more the courtyard of the palace "Giant Order" : of Versailles in 1759 The columns rose The roof is hidden privacy several storeys high by a balustrade Louis XV wanted things Check out to be a bit simpler. this impressive But also a bit quieter! side To achieve this, he had the rectangular chambers and other small courtyard…This is rooms redesigned… He felt what people were Dome more at ease there than able to see from in the grand apartments outside! of his great-grandfather Louis XIV, where Court life was conducted!

Do you remember? Jules The king's and Hardouin-Mansart had the queen's suggested an identical apartments, dome to Louis XIV. very symmetrical! No doubt that's where Gabriel got GAME the idea… The concert hall PUZZLE King Louis XV, The chapel known as Areas Town side I replaced “the Beloved”. in black are In red the Government those are the parts He was passionate the architect he wanted to Wing… about science! wanted rebuild: the I feature a large staircase, to keep. courtyard-facing façades. whose construction was completed This "Grand Project" e ectively in 1985… Architect Ange-Jac ues Gabriel. Among other projects, he built Place began with the construction of the New Wing Who am I? de la Concorde, in Paris, and the and Opera House at Versailles! beside the chapel… But it was interrupted 4 by the death of Louis XV in 1774. 5 Solution page 8 Louis XVI launches his Marie-Joseph Peyre Long live

century the Greeks th and Romans M-J Peyre's Here, too, it’s clear 18 architecture project the architects drew competition inspiration from classical antiquity: columns, Colonnade Pediments monumental staircases like you’d find in a Greek , Motivated architects imposing architecture, the desire for symmetry and straight lines, etc. By the time Louis XVI became king, the Palace was in need of modernisation and harmonisation. So, together with his Director-General of Buildings, the Comte d’Angiviller, he launched a grand competition! The architects came up with very di erent projects in response to this call for ideas… "Trajan"-type columns (inspired by the 40 metres high column in Trajan's forum, in ) J-F Heurtier's E-L Boullée's project project

rostral Ramps columns Majestic fountains !

Jean-François Heurtier

P-A Pâris's What happened next? Étienne-Louis project Boullée In the early 19th century, the planned to restore Giant order Versailles so that he could move in there. As a result, there were Arcades lots of projects, such as those proposed by Alexandre Dufour and Pierre Fontaine. But then Napoleon went o to war in 1812… And so the work was abandoned. In 1814, the "old wing" was demolished by Louis XVIII. The Dufour Louis XVI. Pavilion was built in its Born and married in Versailles, place, but it wasn’t actually he spent almost all of his time there! fi nished until … 2016! © Easels from Freepik- www.fl aticon.com www.fl Freepik- © Easels from

Crazy plans… cut short!

Some of the projects were completely unrealistic, such as Boullée’s! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED! From the exhibition documents, The architect suggested a utopian – a fanciful construction… find which projects feature And then, in 1789, the happened, whereupon GAME the following: all the works taking place at Versailles were interrupted. Pierre-Adrien Pâris 1. The 2. The Emperor’s 3. Statues 6 Solution page 8 7 snake carriage of horses GAME

QUIZ Which of these three illustrations You’ll find the answers to 4 is of a rostral column? this quiz in the exhibition and in this booklet… Off you go!

a. b. c.

Why did Louis XIII 1 build the fi rst residence at Versailles? Who was a. To go hunting 5 the Comte in the local forests. d’Angiviller? b. To be able to see his Versailles a. Louis XVI’s stonemason. cousins more often. b. The last Director-General c. To get some fresh air: of the King’s Buildings. he was asthmatic. c. Versailles’ fountains expert.

Who was 2 Le Vau?

a. Louis XIV’s called thenow the New Wing, Colonnade. Puzzle: Dome, D: Pediment, C: B: Pavilion, A: favourite sculptor. b. One of Louis XIV’s main architects. c. The painter who did the best-known portrait of Louis XIV. Colbert! (Coal/Bear) One of Louis XIV’s ministers. As superintendent of the King’s buildings, he often preferred to save preferred the King’s buildings, he often Louis XIV’s ministers. As superintendent of Colbert! (Coal/Bear) One of

Who was Jacques V Gabriel, 6 After 3 the father of the French Revolution, Ange-Jacques Gabriel? where were Versailles’ artworks moved to? a. The Court baker.

a. The Palace of . Alexandreby façade the for project a In 2. fountains. the horseshoe for Le Brun by planned sculptures In the 1. your eyes peeled: Keep b. Louis XV’s best friend. b. Les Invalides. c. His son’s predecessor as Versailles architect. c. The . money rather than pay for the projects of the architect ... When Colbert died, Louvois became the new superintendent. His favourite archi- When Colbert died, Louvois became the new superintendent. His favourite Louis Le Vau... the architect of the projects than pay for money rather In the architect’s shoes: tect was Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Gabriel Wing! Gabriel c. b; 6, c; 5, c; 4, Adrien Pâris. Quiz: 1, a; 2, b; 3, by Pierre the entrance to Palace, in project At Fontaine. 3. and Pierre Dufour Solutions to the games: Rebus: games: the to Solutions archi- When Colbert died, Louvois became the new superintendent. His favourite Louis Le Vau... the architect of the projects than pay for money rather Jules Hardouin-Mansart. tect was

Practical information Where? The , Upper Stone Gallery, North Wing. Entry to the Palace and to exhibitions is free for European Union residents aged under 26! When? From 4 May to 4 August 2019. The Palace is open every day, except Mondays and 1 May, from 9 am to 6.30 pm. To fi nd out more, please visit: www.chateauversailles.fr

Réalisé par les Opérations Spéciales de Bayard Media Développement pour Le de Versailles. Directeur : [email protected]. Coordinatrice : Adélaïde Jeanson. Textes : Lucie de La Héronnière. Maquette : Laurence McCormack. Illustrateur : Laurent Audouin. Crédits : Couv. à p.3 : © Château de Versailles (distr. RMN-) /Christophe Fouin - © Archives nationales (), 8 p.4 : © Château de Versailles (distr. RMN-Grand Palais)/EPV, p.5 : © Château de Versailles (distr. RMN-Grand Palais) /Jean-Marc Manaï - © Archives nationales (France), p.6-7: ©Château de Versailles (distr. RMN-Grand Palais) /Christophe Fouin - ©Bibliothèque nationale de France. Imprimé par Imprimerie Fabrègue. Avril 2019