Versailles

Louis as patron of liberal arts; it is a print of accomplishments of Louis as Louis is on top of all the liberal arts being their patron but the liberal arts support him; liberal arts of medicine, fame, music/poetry/theater

Louis and liberal arts slide

wood w plaster deco w gilded leaf making it very complex and expensive to show importance, sun face at top is Apollo as a personal symbol of Louis as the sun king

door of salon d' Apollon

6 pairs of sculptures that rep the signs of zodiac, refer to cycle of sun throughout the year, female personifications as women take on roles as symbolic and not active roles in society; Leo and vigro on slides

garden facade of chateau de versailles top floor

gilded cage reference to versailles, Louis brought nobles with him to versailles and wanted to keep an eye on them after try to overthrow him in Fronde, its nice to be at versailles but then also is a prison fro the nobles as they have to come w when Louis goes, also noble apartments were cramped and so nobles give up their freedom

gilded cage

served as stage sets and space for theater, Louis's ambition and ability to impose order shows the formal order of the garden=the order of the state, the theater is the enactment of the government that celebrates the monarchy and status of the nobles that were required to participate

importance of gardens

rebellion while Louis was young and had his advisors cardinal Mazarin and his mom, the aristocrats are being challenged by the cardinal to center their power to Louis, the rebellion causes the question of how to define the kingship with the insecurities in Louis early rule, causes Louis to leave Paris and thus his court comes with and start versailles

la fronde rébellion importance

salon d' apollon is part of north wing of inside apartments being the last one to show hierarchy, it is the ground floor room for Apollo and the throne room for the king

salon d' apollon significance

palace of the sun king Louis XIV/presentation of kingship and power

significance of versailles

salon d' apollon

skillful painting shows the ceiling to be opening up like the cycle of the day, apollo w chariot, have figures repining the seasons, flora is spring bacas is summer ceres is fall Saturn is winter, 2 females at bottom rep magnanimity and magnificence being the two qualities of the nation especially cuz girl wearing the bourbon dynasty pattern to personify the nation

artificial horizon w fountain of Apollo and the two trees conveying absolutism as Louis has power to create nature, unnatural forest and landscaping, jets in fountain of Latona that form unnatural pattern of water, artificial ponds and fountains, reflecting pools

theme of conquering nature in versailles

US first floor

versailles ground floor

NOT IN PARIS, south and east of it/ 18,000 acres

where is versailles/size