Cupboard Love

A lot of ancient conveniences of daily life — such as cupboards — have all but disappeared from the rooms of the palace of Versailles where courtiers had them made to order, removed or refitted almost on a daily basis during the Ancien Régime. Today, I am eager to equip those rooms and appartments with those much needed cupboards and have them rebuilt where the ancient plans show they once stood.

Today’s cupboard will be fitted not far from the stairs shown in yesterday's post, in a very small new project that is going on right now.

More coming soon, hopefully!

A big thank you to J. C. de Frontenac who helped me with installing the new cupboard!

Overdoor

This overdoor painting by Francesco Guardi (1712-1793) is now decorating the Duchess's bedroom in Her apartments of the South East Pavilion of the Secretaries of State. A similar painting by the same Venetian artist is facing this one, above the opposite door. Work continues on the bedroom decoration. The antechamber, next door, has received a white wood paneling decoration and a new fireplace as well. We may show you a photograph of this last room when its floor is completed.

Versailles by Night 2

Anterooms in Versailles' King's Pavilion.

Gardes Françaises

The Gardes Françaises or French Guards were one of the many units from the Military Household of the King of France responsible for the safety and security of the King and the Palace of Versailles during the Ancien Regime. The French Guards' quarters were located inside the South East Pavilion of the Secretaries of States were, today, I dedicated a small room of the entresol were, before the Revolution, officers had their bedrooms, to pay homage to them. I've selected and display here a series of prints showing the different uniforms of these soldiers, and added two flags belonging to this famous regiment as well as some ancient and representative weapons. In fact, only the three men in bicorne hats (on the top right print) are from a different military unit, the Gardes de la Porte (or Guards of the King's Door). 

In fact, all these units had to work hand in hand with each other and did a pretty good job of keeping Versailles and the Royal Family safe during many years, until that is, in 1789 things get really nasty for the King and then, bye bye! The French Guard of the time defected to the Revolution.

Antechamber

This is a rare glimpse of the rooms of the attic of the palace. The attic of the South-East Pavilion of the Secretaries of State, in which the present antechamber is situated, is currently unoccupied as the rooms are being restored to their former glory. 

This antechamber presents an example of a fireplace positioned in a corner of the room but still parallel to the main wall. This bizarre setup is in fact not uncommon in the palace of Versailles.

As for the antechambers themselves, they are maybe the epitome of a room belonging to a rich mansion or palace from the past. Who can afford nowadays to have at its disposal such rooms (sometimes vast and beautiful) and not making them their living room, bedroom or dining room? Note that a lot of theses antechambers (generally the second one if you had two) were in fact used as a dining room. In the first antechamber stood your servants and waited the visitors of less importance.

Antechamber in the attic of the South-East Pavilion of the Secretaries of State.