The Hall of Mirrors (La Grande Galerie) #2

The Hall of Mirrors (French:Grande Galerie or Galerie des Glaces) is the central gallery of the Palace of Versailles and is renowned as being one of the most famous rooms in the world.
The principal feature of this famous hall is the seventeen mirror-clad arches that reflect the seventeen arcaded windows that overlook the gardens. Each arch contains twenty-one mirrors with a total complement of 357 used in the decoration of the galerie des glaces.

2011-04-03
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The Hall of Mirrors (La Grande Galerie) #2
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The War Salon (Salon de la Guerre)

The decoration of the War Room (Salon de la Guerre) glorifies the military victories that led to the Peace of Nijmegen. The walls are covered with marble panels decorated with six trophies and gilded bronze carvings. The wall has an oval plasterwork bas-relief representing Louis XIV on horseback trampling over his enemies. It is surmounted by two gilded Renommées supported by two prisoners in chains. The ceiling represents France in the centre, armed and sitting on a cloud, surrounded by Victories. The ceiling panels portray the king’s three conquered enemies: Germany, kneeling, with an eagle; Spain, threatening, with a ro#229 lion and Holland, upside down on a lion. The fourth panel represents Bellone, Goddess of war, enraged between Rebellion and Discord.

2011-04-03
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The War Salon (Salon de la Guerre)
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The Mars Salon

Mars is a planet but also the God of War. The choice of this military theme which inspired all the decoration of the salon can be explained by the fact that this large room was originally meant to serve as the guard room for the parade apartment. It was later reserved, at evening soirees, for music and dancing, so that it was commonly known as the "ballroom".
In the centre of the ceiling, Mars on a chariot drawn by wolves. The work is framed by two compositions; one, to the east: Victory supported by Hercules followed by Abundance and Felicity; the other, to the west: Terror, Fury and Fright taking over the powers of Earth.

2011-04-03
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The Mars Salon
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The Diana Salon

Like the Venus Salon, the Diana Salon served as a vestibule to the Grand Apartment and in Louis XIV's day, on evening soirees, as a billiard room. In Greek Antiquity, Diana, the goddess of hunting, was associated with the moon due to her coldness. She was also the sister of Apollo, the Sun God. The mouldings are decorated with hunting scenes of heroes of the Antiquity.
The central part of the ceiling represents Diana presiding over navigation and hunting. On the mantelpiece, the Sacrifice of Iphigenia and, opposite, over the console, Diana and Endymion.

2011-04-03
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The Diana Salon
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The Venus Salon

This salon, as well as Diana’s Salon, formed the main access to the Grand Apartment, since the grand staircase, known as the "Ambassadors’ Staircase" (destroyed in 1752) ended here. Like all the following rooms, this salon takes its name from a planet, the theme linked to the solar myth which inspired all the decor of Versailles in the 1670s. Here Venus is depicted on the ceiling with the features of the Goddess of Love who, in Greek Antiquity, was associated with this planet.

2011-04-03
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The Venus Salon
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The Abundance Salon

On evening soirees, the Abundance Salon was the place of refreshments, where a buffet served coffee, wine and liqueurs. It was also the antechamber of the Cabinet of Curiosities or the Rarities of Louis XIV (now occupied by the Games Salon of Louis XVI) which was accessed by the rear door. The king liked to show his distinguished guests the silverware vases, gems and medals which were kept here and which inspired the decor of the vault, where one can see in particular the great royal vessel depicted above the doorway.

2011-04-03
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The Abundance Salon
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The Hercules Salon

The first salon of the King's Grand Apartment, the Hercules salon was created at the end of Louis XIV's reign. The works on the Hercules salon lasted until 1736, when Francois Lemoine completed the painting of the vault depicting the Apotheosis of Hercules, which was supposed to show that "Virtue raises man above himself". This vast allegorical composition with 142 figures aimed to rival the masterpieces of the Italian fresco painters but it was painted on primed canvases, i.e. glued onto the support. The work was so exhausting that the young painter, despite the success of his work, committed suicide shortly afterwards.

2011-04-03
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The Hercules Salon
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Vasa stratbord

It took almost two years (1626-1627) to build Vasa. From dawn to dusk, carpenters, sawyers, smiths, ropelayers, sailmakers, painters, carvers, gun carriage makers and other specialists struggled to complete the navy’s great, new ship.

2011-04-03
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Vasa stratbord
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