After a day at the Getty Villa focused on ancient life, the next day we visited the Getty Center, which showcases art that dates after Ancient Rome.
While we were there, there was a special exhibit focused on Versailles, which thrilled my 18th century heart!
As I savored each step of the gorgeous tour, I learned more about how the Ancient Greek and Ancient Romans influenced French art…some of which we learned in our homeschool and expressed in our Becoming History presentations.
KING LOUIS XVI
Queen Marie Antoinette obtained these three vases (in the header photo) in 1776 from a French porcelain factory, Sevres, which had only just before their production figured out the secret to creating the beautiful white porcelain China makes.
Similarly made, King Louis XVI acquired these vases from Sevres in 1781.
ROCOCO STYLE
There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture. – King Louis XIV, 1663
Then we walked through splended rooms, as grand as a palace, where gorgeous artifacts from Versailles were beautifully displayed.
The rooms were so stunning and large that I felt as though I truely had a peek into Versailles…
From room to room, the damask wall paper changed hues while vibrantly showcasing royal furniture.
I learned so much that day from porcelain, to gilding, to lacquer wood…and even all about guilds responsible for these masterpieces.
Honestly, modern industrial production methods, which have created a consumable society, don’t come close to the strength and durability of these pieces.
Meticulously crafted by hand, these pieces are quite stunning to behold.
It’s believed that the purpose of the mesh screening is indeed to showcase collections for explorations in nature.
This intriguing piece is a planisphere clock, which impressively announces more than time, but also: the day and month, times in other cities of the world, including La Californie, phases of the moon, tidal times for local ports, and eclipses.
The small clock over the bed does not chime on the hour, so as to not awaken the sleeper. Instead, if one wants to learn the time in the middle of the night, the awakened sleeper need only pull a string to hear the chime of the time.
GOUT GREC (GREEK TASTE) – TRANSITIONAL STYLE
After the discovery of Pompeii in 1738, borrowed motifs from the ancients, in a style that transitioned from Rococo to Neoclassical.
NEOCLASSICAL STYLE
In 1765, the advent of the Neoclassical Style brought a lighter touch to the previous Rococo while continuing to blend the Ancient Greek and Roman motifs from the Pompeii excavations.
Whereas the molding on the left showcases the Ancient Roman fasces, the swags over the windows and fireplace are a nod to the Rococo style.
Love these stools made for Queen Marie Antoinette, which are a nod to the Ancient Romans.
This cabinet features scenes from Italy, especially ancient sites from Rome.
Wow! A photo of me taking a photo of this gorgeous Neoclassically styled Parisian room with motifs reflecting the Ancient Greeks and Romans. What a great memory of a swoon worthy experience!
