La Galerie des Glaces

(Note: i took quite a bit of the info from the website...coz it's so much easier and i'm just plain lazy to paraphrase! LOL!)

The Hall of Mirrors (La Galerie des Glaces), was deliberately erected to the glory of Louis XIV. On the signing of the Treaty of Nijmegen, which represented the highpoint of his reign, Louis XIV ordered Le Brun to depict his government's accomplishments on the ceiling of the hall. Le Brun designed thirty compositions, framed by stucco-work, showing the monarch in various guises: Roman emperor, great administrator of the kingdom, and victor over foreign powers.

At one end is the Salon of War, at the other is the Salon of Peace. Seventeen windows overlooking the garden are matched by seventeen arcaded mirrors along the wall. These exceptionally large mirrors were made in a Paris workshop founded by Colbert to compete with Venice's glass factories.

The arches are set on marble pilasters whose gilded bronze capitals are decorated with the symbols of France_the fleur-de-lys and the Gallic cockerel_according to the new 'French order' of architecture invented by Le Brun.

The finest ancient statues in Louis XIV's collection, as well as busts of Roman emperors, dot the walls. The solid silver tables, lamp holders, and orange-tree pots that originally adorned the gallery, however, were all unfortunately melted down by Louis XIV himself in order to finance his wars.

In 1919, the First World War officially ended when Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors.

*whew*....see what i mean? -- back to me talking again..heee...

Took a shot of the garden outside. The patterns can only be seen from an elevated point. =)

For some persepective, this fireplace is up to my shoulder and width wise--- about the length of your bed??

The last few rooms had more depictions of Napoleon and his conquests....

These paintings are really huge...and i mean beeeg!!!....the people featured inside can almost be life sized...

And I was soon stunned by a hall full of them, and I said to ge:"Must have taken them eons to finish one!!...they have alot of time in their hands hor...hahaha..."

You could even see the detail in the horse's eyes lor....=S

The last of Jeff Koonz art in Versailles....=)