Versailles

Wealth and Power

• In the early Seventeenth Century, Baroque art appealed to the Kings and Aristocrats - they believed it to perfectly portray their wealth and power.

Louis XIV

• Versailles was built to emphasize his significance and power. He called himself "The Sun King." He believed everything revolved around himself and that the power of the king is of upmost importance. He filled the Versailles Palace and gardens with sculptures, paintings, and fountains that all focused on himself and his power.

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Hall of Mirrors

• It was completed in 1686 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The king used the room to show his royal power and to awe his visitors.
• It features 578 mirrors, all made by Saint Gobain. Mirrors hang on the walls opposite the windows - placed to reflect the natural light. It measures 239.5 feet by 34.4 feet, with a soaring forty-foot ceiling.

Wealth of France

• Louis wanted to draw and attract wealth to France; he also wanted to keep as much wealth in France as possible. Another goal was to establish France as the capital of both taste and fashion.

The Hall of Mirrors both represented the economic stature of France but also represented the society of the royal court.

Treaty of Versailles

• The Treaty of Versailles was signed in The Hall of Mirrors on June 28th, 1919, formally marking the end of the First World War.

Intricate Ceilings

• The ceilings were painted to strategically place Louis in the company of the Greek gods.
• The ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors by Charles le Brun is one of the most noted art works in the palace Versailles.

Statues

• This statues is one of many reclining statues that signify the rivers of France.
• These sculptures surround the Water Parterres, which are large rectangular pools on the grounds.

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The King's Chamber and Art

• Louis's bedchamber is located in the east wing of the palace, strategically placed to face the rising sun.
• Picked by Louis XIV himself, his personal bedchamber features paintings by Le Valentin, Giovanni Lanfranco, Giovanni Caracciolo, Le Dominiquin and two portraits of Antton Van Dyck.

Here Da Sources 'Yo

• PBS.com
• 'The West In The World' by Sherman and Salisbury
• KhanAcademy.com
• ChateauVersailles.com
• Our Brains