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Versailles, Musée et domaine national du château

  • News Items : A Louis XV Commode Donated to Versailles 25/02/2014

    A royal commode recently joined the collections at the Château de Versailles, donated by the Fondation Edmond J. Safra. Intended for Louis XV's bedroom at the Château de Choisy, it was completed in 1744 by Antoine Robert Gaudreaus, cabinet maker (...)

    Lire la suite par Bénédicte Bonnet Saint-Georges

  • News Items : A Small Portrait by François Gérard Stolen at Versailles 25/02/2014

    A painting by François Gérard representing the portrait of Comte Regnault de Saint-Jean d'Angély standing has disappeared from the château's storage rooms as announced in Le Parisien and confirmed by the museum. The theft was noticed on 14 February (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Two Paintings by Alexandre Roslin for Versailles and Stockholm 06/12/2013

    A Swedish artist who arrived in France around 1752 where he lived the rest of his life, Alexander Roslin (whose name is often written in French as Alexandre) was one of the major portraitists active in Paris in the second half of the 18th (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Versailles Acquires a Louis XVI Clock and Sèvres Vases 22/05/2013

    The château de Versailles pre-empted a Louis XVI clock decorated with an Offering to Cupid depicted by bronze figures, at an auction in Metz on 24 March 2013. It was probably produced by Charles Leroy or his son Etienne-Augustin who became (...)

    Lire la suite par Bénédicte Bonnet Saint-Georges

  • Exhibitions : Versailles and the Antique 19/12/2012

    With over 200 works - paintings, sculptures, drawings, tapestries, art objects, furniture - the exhibition evokes in a magnificent manner the fascination and the presence of the Antique at Versailles at the time of Louis XIV. This is a (...)

    Lire la suite par Sylvie Blin

  • News Items : Jacques Moulin Appointed Architect of the Gardens at Versailles 18/09/2012

    We had announced it on 24 July, expressing our indignation. The appointment of Jacques Moulin as chief architect of historical monuments (ACMH) in charge of the gardens at Versailles went into effect on 15 August, after being signed by the (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Heritage : Chief Architect Jacques Moulin, Dismissed from Fontainebleau, Soon at Versailles ? 30/07/2012

    Versailles-land ? Our article at the time had caused somewhat of a stir. The entrance to the chateau, with the fake grille shining like a trinket and the gilt roof tops appearing as never before in the architectural layout, alas, would indeed (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Numerous Errors in the 3D Animations at the Château in Versailles 16/06/2012

    Bernard Hasquenoph, from the very useful site Louvre pour tous, was the first one to see it : the 3D animations, which take up a considerable amount of space in the new history rooms at Versailles are partly false. Here are some of the most (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Museums : Versailles : Opening of the Galerie de l’Histoire at the Château 15/06/2012

    The project to create a section at Versailles devoted to the history of the château was, in principle, a good idea as it is difficult for visitors to understand how the domain was established over time. This project, initiated by the previous (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : A Study by Noël Coypel from the Thuillier Collection Acquired by Versailles 25/05/2012

    The contents of the Jacques Thuillier collection were auctioned off to either the Musée départemental Georges de La Tour or the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy but one work was missing : a very beautiful study by Noël Coypel for the ceiling of the (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Heritage : The Solar Decathlon, another Threat to the Park in Versailles 07/05/2012

    We know that François de Mazières had supported the pernicious "urbanisme de projet" of Benoist Apparu, in his capacity of "Mayor of Versailles, President of the Agglomerated Community of Versailles Grand Parc, President of the Cité de (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • News Items : Furniture Exchange between Versailles and the Institut 20/03/2012

    The Institut de France and Versailles have exchanged two pieces of furniture each on deposit but which will now join the château for which they had been originally commissioned. The first is a bureau plat commissioned in 1715 from André-Charles (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Heritage : Versailles : 520,000 euros per Hectare ! 12/03/2012

    The city of Versailles, faced with the scandal rising from its PLU project, is now proposing to return the land corresponding to the former Pion barracks to the government. The conditions of this sale - still valid at time of publication - are (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • Exhibitions : The Napoleonic Wars. Louis François Lejeune, General and Painter 28/02/2012

    Louis François Lejeune was adept at wielding the sword, the brush and the pen, putting them at the service of the Empire and his own, as attested by the almost 120 works deployed in the Africa and Crimea galleries at the château in Versailles : (...)

    Lire la suite par Bénédicte Bonnet Saint-Georges

  • News Items : PLU of Versailles : City Hall’s First Concessions ? 08/02/2012

    Is Versailles starting a retreat, aware of its contradictions and that the debate concerning the PLU has now reached national proportions ? In any case, the press release issued last 27 January leads us to think (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • News Items : The SPPEF Files an Administrative Appeal against the Versailles PLU 01/02/2012

    Last 24 January, the new PLU for Versailles could have been officially applied thus preventing any further opposition. Fortunately, the Société pour la Protection des Paysages et de l'Esthétique de la France, presided by Alexandre Gady whom we (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • News Items : Restoration of the Salon de Mercure 01/02/2012

    At the same time as the press conference held yesterday by Catherine Pégard, on 26 January, in Versailles, we also visited the restoration site for the Salon de Mercure which should end in June 2012, after ten months of work supervised by both (...)

    Lire la suite par Bénédicte Bonnet Saint-Georges

  • News Items : Catherine Pégard Is Clearly Opposed to the PLU Projects for the Park in Versailles 01/02/2012

    Catherine Pégard held her first press conference as president of the Etablissement public du château et du domaine national de Versailles. She is definitely keeping a low profile stating that she relies on specialists (which has been confirmed so (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Heritage : Jean-Jacques Aillagon States his Position on the Versailles PLU Project 01/02/2012

    We spoke with Jean-Jacques Aillagon about the PLU Project for the city of Versailles and as we found his position on the subject particularly interesting, we asked him two questions which he graciously accepted to (...)

    Lire la suite par La Tribune de l’Art

  • Heritage : Versailles City Hall Blunders on the SDRIF 27/01/2012

    We have already explained here why the argument presented by the Mayor of Versailles claiming the Schéma directeur de la région d'Ile-de-France (SDRIF) as a truly restrictive document cannot be taken seriously. We can now definitely prove that it (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • Heritage : The Curious Response from Versailles City Hall 19/01/2012

    The response from Versailles City Hall to our articles, published here, is interesting. First of all because it does not bring into question any of our conclusions concerning the PLU, that is notably its consequences in terms of density and (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • Heritage : The Response of Versailles City Hall concerning the PLU 18/01/2012

    Upon reading the two articles in La Tribune de l'Art, it would seem that a certain number of legal points have not been taken into consideration. We find it useful to provide a few more enlightening remarks which will help readers to better (...)

    Lire la suite par Mairie de Versailles

  • Heritage : The Plan Local d’Urbanisme in Versailles : from bad to worse 16/01/2012

    The Versailles Municipal Council, on 24 November 2011, approved a revision of the Plan Local d'Urbanisme [Local Zoning Plan]. The city is therefore determined to implement its project consisting in replacing its current reversible zoning policy (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • News Items : Versailles : Jean-Jacques Aillagon Now Opposes the Previous President of the Public Establishment 03/01/2012

    In 2011, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, the president of the Etablissement public de Versailles, had supported the installation of the Roland-Garros tennis tournament on the property of the Matelots and the Mortemets, which had been promised to the (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner et Julien Lacaze

  • Publications : Versailles, la fabrique d’un chef-d’œuvre 19/12/2011

    Another book on Versailles, one might say (and the author, a major specialist of the château, has just collaborated as well in the imposing monograph published by Citadelles & Mazenod). However, this volume stands out from the rest. This is (...)

    Lire la suite par Claude Mignot

  • News Items : Part of the Domaine National de Versailles for potential sale at the Salon de l’Immobilier d’Entreprise 05/12/2011

    The City of Versailles is currently attempting to enact a new urban development plan (called Plan Local d’Urbanisme in French). In a long article, not translated, on our French website, La Tribune de l’Art, we showed how this plan was a serious (...)

    Lire la suite par Julien Lacaze

  • News Items : Marie Antoinette’s Bathroom Restored at Versailles 13/11/2011

    Let us begin in a positive way. Marie-Antoinette’s bathroom (La Pièce des Bains de Marie-Antoinette), located on the ground floor, at the left as you enter the vestibule from the marble courtyard, had been restored in 1984. Strangely enough, this (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : A pastel portrait of the Comtesse d’Artois , by Joseph Boze, acquired by Versailles 25/05/2011

    On 4th May, Versailles preempted a painting by François-Hubert Drouais (see news item of 6/5/11) at Drouot. A few weeks earlier, at Sotheby’s London, the national museum had acquired another portrait, in pastel this time, representing the Comtesse (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Versailles preempts a portrait of Mme du Barry by Francois-Hubert Drouais 07/05/2011

    At the Boisgirard auction on 4 May at the Hotel Drouot, the chateau of Versailles preempted a Portrait of Mme du Barry as Flora painted by Francois-Hubert Drouais, for the amount of 98.000 euros (without (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Marie Antoinette’s desk by Jean-Henri Riesener returns to Versailles 22/03/2011

    Despite current economic hardships which tend to see a decrease in patronage, the château of Versailles has just enriched its collection with a major acquisition : the desk which Marie Antoinette had commissioned from Riesener in (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Heritage : Versailles and Fontainebleau : two projects for hotels inside historical monuments 26/12/2010

    The latest trend is making historical monuments profitable. Although we are generally against the idea, which often accounts for many abuses, we must admit that in some cases, it is well justified. The projects for Versailles – which Jean-Jacques (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : An update on the chateau in Versailles 18/12/2010

    Like every year, the chateau in Versailles organized a press conference to present the coming season. With his consummate communication skills, Jean-Jacques Aillagon knows how essential it is that he and the chateau be in the media constantly. (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : The new statute for Versailles published in the Journal Officiel 14/11/2010

    Last Wednesday the Conseil de Ministres examined the new statute for the public establishment of Versailles prepared by its current president Jean-Jacques Aillagon.

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Versailles : the antechamber of the Grand Couvert now restored 20/10/2010

    The château of Versailles continues its program of restoring the painted decors of the royal apartments, after notably the Salon d’Hercule and the Hall of Mirrors, work recently finished on the ceiling of the antechamber in the Grand (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Publications : Tableaux pour le Trianon de marbre 15/10/2010

    While Arthéna has published a new edition of Antoine Schnapper’s Jean Jouvenet, the RMN along with the Société des Amis de Versailles is now presenting a reedited version of an important book by this author, Tableaux pour le Trianon de marbre, with (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Exchange in deposits between Versailles and Montpellier : a Cabanel for an Albani 23/07/2010

    The very beautiful retrospective highlighting Alexandre Cabanel at the Musee Fabre which recently opened for a duration of five months and which we will soon review, has been chosen as the occasion to reveal a large painting by this artist, The (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Natoire and Coustou : two preemptions for Versailles and the Louvre 15/06/2010

    On Friday, 4 June 2010 at an auction in Paris at the Hôtel Drouot (auctioneers : Binoche-Giquello-Renaud) the Versailles château preempted a watercolour by Charles Natoire representing an Allegory for the Birth of a (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Museums : The ghosts of Versailles 22/02/2009

    We have already discussed Jean-Jacques Aillagon’s determination, stated repeatedly, to restore and reopen the rooms of the Musée de l’Histoire de France of Louis-Philippe

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Website for Musée de l’Histoire de France posted online 17/12/2008

    The public establishment of Versailles in its continuing endeavor to enhance the Musée de l’Histoire de France through its restoration is offering increased access to the general public by (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : A Savonnerie rug acquired by Versailles 03/11/2008

    While Versailles is on the point of acquiring, through patronage, a Savonnerie rug commissioned by Louis XV for the chapel in the Chateau

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : The architect in charge of Versailles represents himself as a Roman emperor 12/10/2008

    The French association for heritage protection, Momus (Monuments, Musées, Sites et Monuments), makes a very revealing disclosure on its new website

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Editorial : A stop to Versailles-land ? 05/10/2008

    The long interview which Jean-Jacques Aillagon, president of the Domaine de Versailles, granted us here gives us cause to be cautiously optimistic. We of course need to wait and see if his intentions are carried out. In any case, we must admit (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Reopening of the Petit Trianon after restoration 05/10/2008

    The Petit Trianon and the Pavillon Français have just been inaugurated and will reopen for the public this week after two years of restoration work.

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : The acquisition of a Saunier console by Versailles now confirmed 10/09/2008

    Last 11 December, Jean-Jacques Aillagon announced the acquisition : « of an important piece of furniture belonging to the first Dauphin, listed as a Trésor National

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • Editorial : Koons is not the real issue at Versailles 10/09/2008

    Some of our readers would like The Art Tribune to take a stand on the Jeff Koons exhibition at Versailles. Let us say that our views [1] were clearly expressed — in humorous form — in our review of the press conference given by Jean-Jacques (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Frédéric Didier admits that the grille at Versailles is not identical to the original one 27/08/2008

    Who are we supposed to believe ? Frédéric Didier, chief architect for historical monuments at Versailles, who went around stating that the royal grille recently inaugurated

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Several preemptions at the sale of Lefuel collection architectural drawings 20/07/2008

    On 26 June, Millon & Associés sold an exceptional collection of architectural drawings at the Hôtel Drouot, the whole accompanied by a luxurious catalogue.

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : Inauguration of the « Grille Royale » at Versailles 05/07/2008

    The grille which was recently built to link the Dufour et Gabriel Pavillions, on the site where the equestrian statue of Louis XIV commissioned by Louis-Philippe stood formerly, was inaugurated during a presentation to the press corps last (...)

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner

  • News Items : A painting by Mignard and a drawing by Gros preempted by Versailles and the Louvre 18/06/2008

    The Musée de Versailles preempted a painting today in Orléans by Pierre Mignard representing

    Lire la suite par Didier Rykner