LE BRUN, Charles
(b. 1619, Paris, d. 1690, Paris)

Interior view

1679-81
Photo
Château, Versailles

It was in the interior of the château of Versailles that Louis XIV had to appear on the most important ceremonial occasions, it was here that he received the ambassadors of foreign powers, and it was here that the full complexity of court life was displayed. The interior decoration was oversaw by Charles Le Brun.

The seven rooms of the King's Appartement were named after the seven planets, culminating in the Salon d'Apollon, which was the Throne Room. In each Salon the particular attributes of the planet in question were set forth in fables or allegories alluding to the great kings of the past. In the Salon the Mars the great warrior kings of antiquity were expounded.

The Mars Room followed on from the two previous rooms and marked the start of the King's Private Apartments. It was used as a Guard Room, making its dedication to the god of war highly appropriate. To the left of the chimney is The Family of Darius before Alexander by Charles Le Brun.

The photo shows the Salon de Mars.




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