Major events 2018 Press contacts Hélène Dalifard, Aurélie Gevrey, Violaine Solari +33 (0)1 30 83 75 21 [email protected] presse.chateauversailles.fr 4 Exhibitions p.7 “Jean Cotelle, 1646-1708” p.8 “Louis-Philippe and Versailles” p.10 contents External exhibitions p.13 New York: “Visitors to Versailles. Travellers, princes, ambassadors. 1682-1789” p.14 Arras: “Napoleon. Images of the legend” p.15 Abu Dhabi: “From one Louvre to another. Opening a museum for everyone” p.16 Versailles for everyone p.19 Mondays at Versailles p.20 Artistic and cultural education: “On ne copie pas, mais...” p.21 Choreographing Versailles, 2nd season p.22 Theatre at Versailles p.23 Démos, sharing music p.24 Restoration work p.27 Reopening of the Queen’s House p.28 Exterior restoration of the Royal Chapel p.29 Palace of Versailles Shows p.31 Versailles Grandes Eaux Fountain Displays p.32 The musical season p.33 Costume evenings p.34 Summer shows at the Orangery p.35 Practical information p.37 p.1: The Gallery of Great Battles © Château de Versailles / Thomas Garnier p. 2: The Queen’s House in the Hamlet © Château de Versailles / Didier Saulnier p. 3: The Cotelle Gallery © Château de Versailles / Thomas Garnier 5 6 Exhibitions part I 7 Jean Cotelle, part I 1646-1708 12 June 2018 - 16 September 2018 “Jean Cotelle, 1646-1708” is the first exhibition to be The series is completed by three works by Jean-Baptiste devoted to this forgotten 17th-century painter who Martin and Étienne Allegrain, creating a unique set nonetheless deserves to be rediscovered. The exhibition of paintings that reveals Louis XIV’s fondness for his will present his entire career, culminating in his most gardens. illustrious work: the gallery that bears his name in In an echo to these paintings, the exhibition will also the Grand Trianon and containing depictions of the display fourteen gouache illustrations commissioned most beautiful groves in Louis XIV’s first gardens, from the artist and showing the same scenes as the large designed by André Le Nôtre. Today, these paintings are paintings, but in miniature. It will also include lead an important source of reference for the illustration of sculptures evoking the decoration in some of the groves French formal gardens and our understanding of the that have since been lost from the among the gardens gardens at Versailles. at Versailles, like the Maze Grove and the Grove of the Over a hundred works will be on display including Domes, which has been largely destroyed. paintings, drawings, prints, miniatures and sculptures from public and private collections. Jean Cotelle, an illustrious career The exhibition will cover the artist’s entire career and Visiting the exhibition every facet of his talent. The son of a decorator and ornamentalist, Jean Cotelle probably trained under the Jean Cotelle, painter of the groves at Versailles portraitist Claude Lefèvre. After a long stay in Italy, he From 1687 onwards, the decoration of the Marble returned to the French Royal Academy of Painting and Trianon, a secluded leisure palace away from the Sculpture as a miniaturist. He was charged with the task Court, paved the way for a new generation of painters of illustrating the Campaigns of Louis XIV, and having who focussed on the search for ornamentation and earned a certain reputation he was solicited by Monsieur, representation of nature. One of these artists was Jean the king’s brother, around 1680 to decorate the jewellery Cotelle. His skills were much appreciated at the time and cabinet (which has since been lost) at the Château of he was appointed to carry out most of the decoration of Saint-Cloud. The artist was also one of those to receive the Trianon Gallery, comprising twenty-one paintings a commission for a May for Notre-Dame cathedral in which were probably produced between 1688 and 1691. Paris, depicting The Marriage at Cana. In 1693, he left For this location, measuring almost 53 metres long Paris for Marseilles where he became assistant director with 16 large windows positioned at regular intervals of the Opera and decorated the ceiling of the City Hall. and looking out onto the gardens, the artist opted for Thanks to his talents as a decorator he contributed to canvasses in portrait format. They depict every grove preparing the temporary decorations for the entry of the in the Gardens of Versailles with characters from Dukes of Burgundy and Anjou into Avignon. After his mythology and fables, organised into two registers return to Paris in 1703, his career appears to have been (earthly and heavenly) and modelled on the bucolic more low-key. landscapes of the Bolognese painter, Albani. Exhibition curator Béatrice Sarrazin, Head Curator at the Palace of Versailles, in charge of 17th century paintings Scenography Scenographers, Nicolas Groult, Valentina Dodi Exhibition catalogue Co-publication Palace of Versailles / Liénart Edited by Béatrice Sarrazin View of the Cotelle Gallery © Château de Versailles / Jean-Marc Manaï 8 restoration of the works of art New flower planting The 24 paintings in the Great Gallery, also known as From June to September, the gardens directorate of the Cotelle Gallery, are an invaluable testimony of the the gardens of Trianon will adorn the Grand Trianon appearance of the gardens during the reign of Louis parterres with flowers as depicted in one of Jean Cotelle’s XIV. Some of these works required urgent restoration. paintings: View of the Grand Trianon from the parterres, The operation was carried out thanks to support from with Flora and Zephyr. The parterre will be replanted multiple patrons (the Friends of Versailles Society and in close likeness to the painting using the same colour individual patrons) as part of the “Adopt a painting in palette: pink, red and white, with a bold green backdrop. the Cotelle Gallery” campaign launched in 2013. During the exhibition, the public will be able to discover these The earliest visitors to the exhibition will discover the masterpieces of 17th century painting in all their new- burgeoning flowers, and the sight of the parterres and found splendour. their colours will change continually until September as the different species come into flower. As part of the exhibition, a film will also be shown taking visitors behind the scenes of this major restoration. They will come alongside the restorers to witness the renewal of the fresh colours in the paintings, especially among the figures, and the delicacy of illustration of the groves. Grand Trianon © Château de Versailles / Christian Milet Restoration of View of the Grand Trianon from the parterres, with Flora and Zephyr View of the Grand Trianon from the parterres, with Flora and Zephyr. Jean Cotelle. Circa © Château de Versailles / Thomas Garnier 1688. © Château de Versailles, Dist. RMN / Jean-Marc Manaï the palace of versailles is looking for three lost works by jean cotelle In the late 20th century, all trace was lost of one of the painter’s drawings (The Toilette of Venus) and two gouaches (View of the Château de Choisy from the parterre side and the De Louvois family and Eliezer and Rebecca at the well), all probably now in private hands. Records of these works still remain through reproductions or publications attesting to their existence. The Palace of Versailles has decided to use social media to reach a wider audience in its search. A wanted notice has been posted on the Palace’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts, via the hashtag #ExpoCotelle, in the hope of finding these missing works, which are a source of valuable information about the painter. If found, they could greatly enhance our knowledge of the work of Jean Cotelle and could be returned to their proper place in the exhibition on display in the Grand Trianon. Internet users are invited to spread the word on this appeal as widely as possible. Anyone with information about these works can contact the Palace of Versailles at: [email protected] 9 louis-philippe and part I versailles 6 October 2018 - 3 February 2019 Heir to the Orleans family, Louis-Philippe shares little history with the Versailles of the Ancien Régime. After his accession to the throne in 1830, however, he expressed an interest in the Palace and began work on transforming it into a national monument. His aim was in part to reconcile the French people, but more especially to ensure that his reign left its mark in the country’s history. From that time on, there were two versions of Versailles existing side by side. In the central body, the royal residences with the restored and refurnished State Apartments kept their name and function. The life of the former monarchy was especially evident in the King’s ceremonial rooms, with the King’s Chambers marking the high point of the visit. Elsewhere, in the North and South wings, a great deal of work was undertaken. Louis-Philippe created Historic Galleries King Louis-Philippe and his sons leaving the Palace of Versailles by the Gate of Honour after reviewing the troops in the courtyards, 10 June 1837, Horace Vernet, 1846, Musée from one end of the Palace to the other, punctuating the des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon visit with major iconographic collections, including the © RMN-GP (Château de Versailles) / Daniel Arnaudet Gallery of Great Battles, from Tolbiac to Wagram; the Estates General Room and the 1792 Room; Napoleon’s For the first time, the Palace of Versailles is devoting Coronation Chamber and the 1830 Room to the glory of a major exhibition to Louis-Philippe, who turned the the new monarch; and finally, the Crusades and Africa former royal residence into a museum dedicated “to all Rooms, which remained unfinished in 1848 on the fall of the glories of France”.