File:Versailles and the court under Louis XIV (1905) (14763824174).jpg

Identifier: versaillescourtu00farm (find matches)
Title: Versailles and the court under Louis XIV
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Farmer, James Eugene, 1867-1915
Subjects: Versailles (France) -- Description France -- Court and courtiers
Publisher: New York, The Century co.
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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tate apartments,which began originally with the salon of Venus, and werecomposed of the following rooms: the salons of Venus, ofDiana, of Mars, of Mercury, of Apollo, of War, the grandgallery, the salon of Peace.1 The first six form the northside of the central projection of the palace, and their loftywindows look out on the parterre du Nord; but as the salonof War, which opens into the grand gallery, belongs properlyto the chapter devoted to that subject, let us consider nowonly the first five, named after the gods and goddesses of theold world, who figure here as satellites of the god of Ver-sailles, Louis the Sun King. If Louis could revisit Versailles to-day, and beginning histour of inspection in the salon of Hercules, turn in on theright, where a small sign, by no means artistic, announces theentrance to Les Grands Appartements de Louis XIV, hewould undoubtedly be surprised and shocked, and look vainlyfor his vanished magnificence. So much has been changed1Dussieux, I, p. 142.16
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The State Apartments of the King and cheapened, and yet in view of the way in which the Revo-lution ransacked the palace it is surprising that so much re-mains. But it was precisely that vanished magnificencewhich made the court what it was, and some notion of it isessential in any attempt to portray the court. THE SALON OF VENUS The salon of Venus opened originally upon the ambassadorsstaircase, and was therefore the first room of the state apart-ments. It is paneled throughout with marble, arranged inmosaic form, and so perfectly fitted that the joints have notchanged after two centuries.1 On the ceiling Houasse haspainted in charming color Venus crowned by the Graces, andthis central composition is surrounded by four other pictures,in which Augustus, Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander, and Cyrusfigure. Augustus is presiding over the games of the circus,Nebuchadnezzar is raising the gardens of Babylon, Cyrus isreviewing his army, etc.; but the courtiers understood per-fectly that these were

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