Monday, November 23, 2009

Marie Antoinette at Versailles

One of the most popular rooms at Versailles is the queen's bedroom, most famous for its' last queenly occupent, Marie Antoinette. Her bust is seen on the mantlepiece.Meant to impress, the room is also very personal and displays her love of everything floral.
The beautiful tapestried walls hide a jib or hidden door that leads to her private boudoir.The room faces the gardens, as do most rooms in the palace, and the shutters feature exquisite gilding.The palace is designed in enfilade style and there is a series of rooms devoted to her, all elegant (as seen below) but none as pretty as her bedroom.It was here where the angry mob descended looking to rape and kill her (The women's march on Versailles) and finding her missing, due to her quick escape to the King's bedroom, destroyed the room instead. Marie and Louis of course left Versailles after that to live out the revolution in Paris at the mob's demand and Marie never used her bedroom at Versailles again.

11 comments:

Greet Lefèvre said...

I would love to visit the Marie Antoinette room! I love all about her! The dresses of her time, the furniture style,...
Thank you for sharing these wonderful pictures!

Greet

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous...¡¡¡¡ Versalles is fantastic....Maria Antonieta had a very good taste...¡¡¡¡ I follow your Blog it is alwayss very interesting for me ...¡¡¡ Berta

Kwana said...

It was the one room I could not wait to see on my trip to Versailles. Thanks so much. I want to go back again now.

home before dark said...

And the pox on the world after too much wealth and power at the top? Cottage cheese ceilings! I will always be conflicted at Versailles, but never its beauty.

Julio Muao said...

Wonderful post Stefan. I always love looking at images of rooms inside the Versailles. The mob's behavior was such a dark part of a revolution motivated by equality and civil rights that I have always viewed the establishment of democracy in France with both admiration and repulsion.

manuia le aso

ArchitectDesign™ said...

The history is complicated. While I feel sorry for the individuals, they were part of a larger system that was antiquated and spiraling out of control. Sad that they were punished so severely for things they couldn't really help.
The thing that can't be denied is the beautiful style that remains!

Lord Cowell said...

Such amazing ormolu work through-out: proof that 'too much of a good thing is wonderful'.
It is dazzling when people create things to be enchantingly beautiful over rigidly functional.Dx.

cotedetexas said...

I love the flowers on the walls. It makes me so sad to think how she suffered in the end. Regardless of whether she deserved it.

My Notting Hill said...

This was a treat. I've been to Paris three times but never to Versailles. What's wrong with me!

Unknown said...

Oh! It must be my favorite place on earth...Versailles! THere is something magical in the air there! Beautfiul post my friend.
xoxo
Judith~

andrew1860 said...

This is my favorite room in at Versailles. Everything is exquisite! Your photo's are beautiful thanks for brings back found memory's!