 | Paris and northern France |  |
34. Versailles.
Three different routes lead from Paris to Versailles, situated about
10 M. to the S. W. of the city: the two railways on the r. and l. banks
of the river, and the high road which lies between them. As the stranger
will probably desire to visit the extensive historical museum (closed on
Mondays) more than once, he may on each occasion agreeably vary his
route. Admission to the museum, see p. 171; fountains, see p. 184.
Railway on the right bank of the Seine (rive droite); first class
(diligence) 1 fr. 50 c., second class (wagon) 1 fr. 25 c., on Sundays and
holidays 2 fr. and 1 fr. 50 c. Trains start from Paris every hour from
7. 30 a. m. till 8. 30 p. m., and from Versailles every hour from 7 a. m.
till 10 p. m.; time of journey 44 min. Omnibus see p. 24. Station in the
Rue St. Lazare 124 (Plan, red 6).
Passing through two tunnels, the first under the Place de
l'Europe, the second penetrating the ramparts, the train skirts
the Docks Napoléon, and leaves the city behind. Between Clichy
and Asnières, where the "Casino d'Asnières" and a much frequented
swimming-bath are situated, the Seine is crossed. The
lines to Argenteuil, St. Germain and Rouen here diverge to the
r. (pp. 187, 221).
The Versailles line describes a wide curve. The long edifice
to the l. of the station of Courbevoie is a barrack erected by
Louis XV. for his Swiss Guard; under Napoleon I. it was occupied
by the Imperial Guards and is now tenanted by troops
of the same corps. The next station is Puteaux. The line traverses
elevated ground and affords an extensive prospect of Paris,
the Bois de Boulogne and the valley of the Seine.
Mont Valérien, the base of which is skirted by the railway
near the station of Suresnes, rises to a height of 600 ft.
above the Seine and commands a magnificent view. It cannot,
however, be visited without the permission of the commandant
which is not always granted. The summit was formerly occupied
by Le Calvaire, a monastery erected in the reign of Louis XIII.
and a popular resort of the pious. Napoleon I. caused the building
to be demolished and an establishment for the education
of daughters of members of the Legion of Honour to be erected
on the site. Under the Restoration the hill again came into the
possession of an ecclesiastical body, the Pères de la foi, and was
once more frequented by pilgrims. These ecclesiastics were dispersed
by the revolution of July, and ten years later the fortification
was commenced.
The train next stops at the station of St. Cloud (p. 185), then
passes through a short tunnel and skirts the deer-park of the
imperial château. Some distance farther, a second tunnel.
To the r. of the line is situated Ville d'Avray, a pleasant and
picturesque summer resort of the Parisians, and at the same time
the station for Sèvres (p. 187). Chaville is next passed and the
train reaches the viaduct which crosses the high road and unites
the lines of the right and left banks.
The station of this line (rive droite) at Versailles is nearly
1 M. distant from the palace. On the way thither after leaving
the station, the visitor will perceive an open space in which, to
the r., is situated Lemaire's Statue of General Hoche, "né à Versailles
le 24 Juin 1768, soldat à 16 ans, général en chef à 25,
mort à 29, pacificateur de la Vendée". Another monument to the
memory of this illustrious soldier has been erected near Neuwied
on the Rhine, where shortly before his sudden death at Wetzlar
he had crossed the river and repulsed the Austrian forces.
Railway on the left bank of the Seine (rive gauche); fares the same
as by the rive droite; the journey occupies 35 min. Trains start from
Paris every hour from 8 a. m. till 10 p. m., from Versailles every hour
from 8. 30 a. m. till 8. 30 p. m., also at 10 p. m. Station, Boulevard
Montparnasse 44 (Pl., blue 6), 35 min. drive from the Bourse. Omnibus,
see p. 25. The finest views are to the right.
On the way to the station, in the Rue de Sèvres, adjoining
the Hôpital des incurables (femmes), the stranger will observe a
fountain ornamented with a fine figure of an Egyptian woman
pouring water out of two vessels. Farther on, in the Rue de
Rennes to the l., is situated a small, new church, tastefully constructed
of wood. The Cemetery of Montparnasse is also in the
vicinity of this station.
The line skirts the village of Issy, where on July 3rd, 1815,
the last struggle for the possession of Paris took place between
Blücher and Davoust. On the same day the capitulation of Paris
was signed. On the field of battle rises the Fort d'Issy, forming
a portion of the fortifications of Paris. Clamart is the station
for Vanvres, Issy and Châtillon. Near the station, a German
Hydropathic establishment. The line skirts the slopes of the hills,
affording a fine view of Paris and the valley of the Seine.
Meudon possesses an imperial château, where during the Russian
campaign in 1812 the empress Marie Louise resided with the
king of Rome. It is now a summer residence of Prince Napoleon.
Bellevue is the station for the palace of St. Cloud (p. 185),
about 1½ M. distant. Near the station is situated a small Gothic
chapel, dedicated to Notre Dame des Flammes. It commemorates
a frightful railway catastrophe, May 8th, 1842. The train caught
fire, and upwards of 200 persons perished, amongst them Admiral
d'Urville (p. 166).
The next stations are Sèvres (p. 187), Chaville, Viroflay, and
then Versailles. The station of this line (rive gauche) is about
½ M. distant from the palace.
High Road. Omnibus (Chemin de fer américain), Rue du Louvre 2,
opposite the great colonnade, from Paris to Versailles by Sèvres every
hour from 8 a. m. till dusk; fares 1 fr. or (Impériale) 80 c.; on Sundays
and festivals 1 fr. 10 c. or 90 c.; time of journey 1 hr.
The route by Sèvres is extremely animated. For a long
distance it skirts the Seine, passes the bridges at the W. extremity
of the city, the Barrière de Passy and almost unbroken rows
of houses, and traverses the suburbs of Passy and Auteuil, much
frequented by the Parisians in summer and once a favourite resort
of Boileau, Lafontaine, Racine, Molière etc. Here the external
fortifications of Paris are intersected (the road to St. Cloud diverges
to the r.), the Seine crossed and Sèvres reached. The
drive from Sèvres to Versailles occupies 20 min. more; the road
passes under the railway viaduct and soon reaches the Avenue
de Paris.
The town of Versailles is indebted to Louis XIV. for its
foundation. That monarch, like his predecessors, had during the
first years of his reign made St. Germain his summer residence,
but, as is alleged, conceived a dislike to it from the fact of
the tower of St. Denis, the royal burying-place, being visible
from the palace. The palace and park of Versailles, termed by
Voltaire "l'abîme des dépenses" are said to have cost the enormous
sum of 400 million francs (16 million pounds); vast sums were
also expended on it by subsequent monarchs.
Near the statue of Hoche (p. 169) is the Church of Notre
Dame, erected in 1684; the second chapel to the l. contains the
remains of M. de Vergennes (d. 1787), minister of Louis XVI.
In the Quartier St. Louis, the S. portion of the town, at no
great distance from the palace, is situated the Jeu de Paume or
tennis-court, memorable in history as the spot where the National
Assembly held the decisive session of June 23rd 1789, in which
the Marquis de Dreux-Brézé appeared as the king's deputy and
pronounced the assembly dissolved, but received the audacious
reply from Mirabeau: "Allez dire à votre maître que nous sommes
ici par la volonté du peuple, et que nous n'en sortirons que par
la force des bayonnettes". The tennis-court is now disused.
Versailles (*Hôtel des Reservoirs, in the Rue des Reservoirs;
*Hôtel de France, Place des Ares 5; Café de la Comédie, in the
park, near the Bassin du Dragon; at the station (rive gauche) *Restaurant
du Coin), notwithstanding its population of 30,000 inhabitants,
its extensive palace, erected in 1660—1710 by Mansard.
its gardens, villas etc., has little to attract the stranger beyond
the incomparable **Musée Historique, founded by Louis Philippe,
and occupying an almost interminable suite of apartments in the
palace. In 1832 these rooms were entirely refitted and adorned
![illustration](https://iiif.lib.virginia.edu/iiif/uva-lib:111176/full/!1600,1600/0/default.jpg")
Versailles
the deficiencies being supplied by works of the most eminent
living artists. The first establishment of the museum is said to
have cost upwards of 600,000 L., the funds being derived from
the civil list. Subsequent governments have retained the original
disposition of the museum, and have greatly enriched and extended
it.
The gallery of Versailles may be regarded as a collection of
modern pictures and sculptures. The historical object, however,
was always predominant, to serve which, numerous works were
received often without regard to their merits as works of art.
The critical eye, therefore, will not fail to detect very inferior
productions intermingled with the efforts of transcendant genius.
The Historical Museum is open daily, Mondays excepted, from
May 1st to Sept. 30th 11—5 o'clock, during the rest of the year
11—4 only. The mass of pictures and sculptures is so overwhelming
that the stranger will find one visit totally inadequate
for the examination even of the most celebrated works. A walk
through the entire suite of apartments without a single halt alone
occupies 1½ hr.
Strangers are particularly cautioned against purchasing catalogues
from persons who hawk spurious and unauthorized editions
in the vicinity of the château. The best selection of works of
this description is to be found in the entrance-hall of the palace
itself, where the purchaser should be careful to make choice of
one which embraces the entire collection. As, however, the pictures
are all furnished with the name of the artist and of the
subject, a catalogue may be dispensed with in a cursory visit.
The Palace Court is entered by a handsome gateway, the
pillars of which are adorned by groups emblematical of the victories
of Louis XIV. over Austria to the r. (eagle) and Spain to
the l. (lion). In the court are placed two rows of colossal Statues,
some of which stood on the Pont de la Concorde in Paris until
the year 1837. To the right: Bayard (d. 1524): Colbert
(d. 1683), the able minister of Louis XIV.; Cardinal Richelieu
(d. 1642), regent of France under Louis XIII.; Marshal Jourdan
(d. 1833), Marshal Masséna (d. 1817); Admiral Tourville (d. 1701);
Admiral Dugay-Trouin (d. 1736); Marshal Turenne (d. 1675)
To the left: Bertrand Duguesclin (d. 1380), Constable of France
(p. 192); Sully (d. 1641), the celebrated minister of Henri IV.;
Suger (d. 1152), Abbot of St. Denis and regent under Louis VII.;
Marshal Lannes (d. 1809); Marshal Mortier (d. 1835); Admiral
Suffren (d. 1789); Admiral Duquesne (d. 1687); the Great Condé
(d. 1686), general of Louis XIV.
The friezes of the pediments of the two projecting lateral
pavilions bear the inscription: "A toutes les glories de la France."
in bronze, the horse by Cartellier, the figure by Petitot.
The palace is usually entered from the Cour de la Chapelle,
to the right. Sticks and umbrellas must be given into the custody
of an attendant at a charge of 10 c. each; overcoat 20 c. The
following description is in accordance with the prescribed order
in which the various apartments are visited. To facilitate the
progress of visitors through the apartments, attendants are posted at
intervals to indicate the route.
The objects of the greatest interest, whether historical or artistic,
are enumerated in the following pages. Strangers who are unable
to pay more than one visit to Versailles are recommended to
direct their attention almost exclusively to those works which
are denoted by asterisks. Those whose time is less limited should
devote their first visit to a walk through all the apartments, in
order to gain a general idea of the whole, and subsequent visits
to the examination of the objects in which they may feel interested.
From the Veslibule de la Chapelle the visitor first enters the
five *Salles des Croisades, adorned with fine carving and the
armorial bearings of French crusaders, and containing a number
of magnificent modern pictures.
*1st Room. Signol, the Christians crossing the Bosphorus under
Godfrey de Bouillon in 1097. — Opposite, Signol, Taking of Jerusalem
(1099), the Christians return thanks for the victory. —
353. R. Fleury, Baldwin enters Edessa. — 350. Hesse, Adoption
of Godfrey de Bouillon by the Greek emperor Alexander Comnenus
(1097). — *356. Gallait, Taking of Antioch (1098).
*2nd Room. *365. Schnetz, Battle of Ascalon (1099). 374.
Signol, St. Bernard preaching the second Crusade at Vezelay in
Burgundy (1146).
**3rd Room. Among the armorial bearings on the central pillars
are those of Frederick Barbarossa, the Emperor Conrad III.
and Richard, Cœur de Lion; near them a mortar from the island
of Rhodes; opposite, the gates of the Hospital of the knights of
St John, from Rhodes, presented by the Sultan Mahmoud to
Prince Joinville in 1836. — Casts of the monuments of three
grand masters of the Maltese order. *453. Eug. Delacroix, Taking
of Constantinople (1204). — *451. Blondel, Surrender of
Ptolemais to Philip Augustus and Richard, Cœur de Lion. — 465.
Larivière, Raising of the siege of Rhodes (1480). — 472. Larivière,
Raising of the siege of Malta (1565). — Horace Vernet,
Battle of Toulouse (1212). — *428. Schnetz, Procession of Crusaders
round Jerusalem.
*4th Room. Rouget, Louis IX. receiving the emissaries of the
Old Man of the Mountain (1251). — 403. Jacquand, Taking of
Jerusalem by Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Templars
(1299). — 408. Lepoittevin, Naval Battle of Embro (1346).
Terrasse.
Parterre du Midi.
Parterre du Nord.
Rue de la Surintendance.
Rue des Réservoirs.
*5th Room. 380. Larivière, Battle of Ascalon (1099). — *387.
Hesse, Taking of Beyrout (1197). — 392. Gallait, Coronation of
Count Baldwin of Flanders as Greek emperor (1204).
The next rooms contain busts and statues, after examining
which visitors are invited to inspect the Theatre, where the ill-judged
fête to the Garde du Corps was given by the court in
Oct., 1789. Beyond the interest of this historical association, it
contains nothing worthy of note.
A suite of eleven rooms is now entered, containing historical
pictures from the time of Clovis to Louis XVI.
1st and 2nd Rooms: Large pictures from the campaign in the
Netherlands, of no great artistic value. 1st Room: 225. Hersent,
Louis XVI. and his family dispensing alms (1788).
3rd Room: 180. Philippsburg; 187. Freiburg.
4th Room: Similar pictures from the campaigns of 1672 to
1677; 148. Sinzheim; 144. Emmerich; 143. Wesel; 142. Büderich;
158. Philippsburg; 159. Mannheim; *154. Gallait, Battle of
Cassel in Flanders.
5th Room: Campaigns of 1644, 1645; 108. Bingen; 107. Mayence;
109. Creuznach; 106. Oppenheim; 104. Speyer; 105.
Worms; 116 and 114. "Passage du Rhin" (1672), mentioned at
p. 38.
6th Room: Small pictures of battles in Turenne's campaigns
on the Rhine (1644); 89. Durlach; 92. Philippsburg; 86. Freiburg;
90. Baden.
7th Room: Large pictures of no great value.
8th Room: 59. Schnetz, Battle of Cérisolles (1544). — 52.
Ary Scheffer, Gaston de Foix's Death at the battle of Ravenna
(1512).
9th Room: 49. Larivière, Taking of Brescia (1512). — 48.
Jollivet, Battle of Agnadello in the Venetian Dominions (1509).
10th Room: 34. Johannot, Battle of St. Jacob on the Birs,
near Bâle (1444). — 32. Vinchon, Coronation of Charles VII. at
Rheims (1429). — 28. Johannot, Battle of Rosbeck in Flanders
against Philip of Artevelde (1382).
11th Room: 20. Rouget, St. Louis (d. 1270) acting as mediator
between the king of England and his barons. — 8. H. Vernet,
Charlemagne wrests the passes of Mt. Cenis from the Lombards,
a large picture, occupying the principal wall. — 10. Ary Scheffer,
Charlemagne dictating his code of laws (799).
In the hall, at the egress of these saloons, busts and statues:
cast of the monument of Ferdinand the Catholic and Isabella of
Castille in the Escurial near Madrid. A spiral staircase is now
ascended; at the entrance of the next saloon statues by Pradier
of General Damrémont, who fell in 1837 at the siege of Constantine,
and the Duc de Montpensier (d. 1807), brother of Louis
Philippe.
The suite of apartments which is now entered contains some
of the finest pictures in the collection, among which is the
Algerian series by Horace Vernet.
1st Room. Occupying the principal wall: Chr. Müller, Opening
of the Chambers on March 29th 1852. — 2000. Vernet, Marshal
Bosquet. Portraits of the marshals Regnauld de St. Jean d'Angely
and Baraguay d'Hilliers and of Admiral Bréat. — 1957. Rivoulon,
Battle of the Alma. — Several pictures (Balaclava, Magenta,
Solferino) by Jumel, a French staff - officer, are interesting on
account of the accurate delineation of the ground and the positions
of the troops.
2nd Room: Yvon, Retreat from Russia (1812); 1994. Dubuffe,
Congress of Paris (1856); 1964. Vernet, Storming of the "Mamelon
Vert" at Sebastopol.
**3rd Room: Horace Vernet, Taking of the Smalah of Abdel-Kader
(May 16th, 1843), a magnificent picture 40 ft. in length
and 16 ft. in height, containing numerous portraits as will be
seen by the sketch beneath it. The "Smalah" of Abdel-Kader,
consisting of his camp, his itinerant residence, his court, harem
and treasury and upwards of 20,000 persons, including the chieftains
of the principal tribes with their families, was taken by
surprise on this occasion by the Duc d'Aumale at the head of
two cavalry regiments. A booty of enormous value and 5000 prisoners
were the prize acquired with so little difficulty. Abdel-Kader
himself was absent at the time.
2028. Vernet, Battle of the Isly (August 14th, 1844), won by
Marshal Bugeaud: among the figures are portraits of Cavaignac
and Lamoricière.
1945. Horace Vernet, Storming of one of the bastions at the
siege of Rome (Juny 30th, 1849), in consequence of which the
city was compelled to capitulate.
To the left: View of Rome and the work of the French
besiegers, by Jung and Gobaut; portrait of Marshal Vaillant,
by E. Bien; Decaen, Taking of Tigvert Hala (1857).
To the right: Storming and capture of Laghouat (Dec. 4th, 1852),
by Beaucé; Tissier, Napoleon III restoring his liberty to Abdel-Kader;
Vernet, Marshal Pélissier; portrait of Abdel-Kader, by Tissier.
**4th Room: seven large (and seven small) pictures by Horace
Vernet: 2018. Battle of the Habrah (Dec. 3th 1835); 2021. Siege
of Constantine (Oct. 10th, 1837): in the foreground a churchyard,
the tombstones of which are employed in constructing intrenchments;
to the l. Constantine, a battalion of the Foreign Legion
and another of the 26th light infantry engaged in action; near
two cypresses the Duc de Nemours with his staff; General Damrémont
reconnoitring, beside him General Rullière; 2022. Advance
of the troops to the storming (Oct. 13th, 1837): in the foreground
of the besiegers under the Duc de Nemours; to the l.
General Caraman, commander of the artillery, to the r. General
Fleury of the engineers, in front the Duc de Nemours, Colonel
Lamoricière at the head of the Zouaves, in the central group
the English Lieutenant Temple. — 2023. Taking of Constantine
(Oct. 13th, 1837): in the centre Colonel Combes turning to those
following him, above him to the r. Lamoricière at the head of
the Zouaves; the drum-major with conscious dignity at the head
of his drummers and trumpeters. — 2024. Attack on the Mexican
fort St. Jean d'Ulloa by Admiral Baudin; the vessel was commanded
by the Prince de Joinville. — 2025. Storming of the
pass of Tenia de Mouzajah (May 12th, 1840). — 2016. Siege of
the citadel of Antwerp (1840).
5th Room: 1970. Yvon, Entrance of the tower of Malakoff. —
1969. Yvon, Storming of the Malakoff. — 1971. Yvon, Curtain
of the Malakoff. — Yvon, Battle of the Alma. — Portraits of
the marshals Mac-Mahon, Canrobert and Niel. — Yvon, Battle
of Solferino. — Barrias, Disembarkation of the army on the
coast of the Crimea.
6th Room: *1952. Bouchot, Bonaparte dissolving the Council of
the Five Hundred (Nov. 9th, 1799). — 1954. Vinchon, Louis XVIII.
tendering the charte of the constitution and opening the Chambers.
— 1951. Couder. Union of the National Guard with the
army in the Champ de Mars (July 14th, 1790). — 1950. *Couder,
Oath taken (June 20th, 1789) by the National Assembly in the
Jeu de Paume (p. 170), "de ne jamais se séparer, de se rassembler
partout où les circonstances l'exigeront, jusqu'à ce que la Constitution
du royaume soit établie et affermie sur des fondements solides".
7th Room *1948. Steuben, Battle of Ivry (1590); Henry IV.
rallying his followers with the words: "Si les cornettes (standards)
vous manquent, ralliez-vous à mon panache (plume) blanc, il vous
ménera toujours dans le chemin de l'honneur".
The long gallery of Statues is now entered. *Pradier's
monument of the Duke of Orleans (p. 87), the figure in a sitting
posture, with reliefs from the siege of Antwerp and Constantine.
As counterpart to those mentioned at p. 174: Marshal Bugeaud,
by Dumont; Count Beaujolais (d. 1808), brother of Louis Philippe,
by Pradier. — At the extremity of the gallery an admirable
statue of **Joan of Arc by the Princess Marie of Orleans
(d. 1839), daughter of Louis Philippe and wife of the Duke
Alexander of Wirtemberg.
Ascending to the second story and entering the Salle des
Académiciens to the right, the visitor will find a series of Portraits
of eminent French civilians from the commencement of
the 16th cent. to the present day. The following eight Salles
portraits of historical value only; also a collection of coins.
Descending to the first floor: ten rooms with Pictures representing
events between the years 1800 and 1835.
1st Room: (1830—1835). No. 1809. Court, Louis Philippe
signing the well known proclamation terminating with the words:
"la Charte sera désormais une vérité"; the portraits deserve
inspection.
2nd Room: (1825—1830). No. 1792. Gérard, Coronation of
Charles X. at Rheims. — 1791. Horace Vernet, Review of the
National Guard in the Champ de Mars in presence of Charles X.
3rd Room: (1814—1823). No. 1787. Paul Delaroche, Storming
of the Trocadero near Cadiz under the Duke of Angoulême.
— 1778. Gros, Louis XVIII. quitting the Tuileries on being
apprized of Napoleon's approach.
4th Room: (1813, 1814). No. 1770. Copy from Horace
Vernet by Henry Scheffer, Battle of Montmirail; Napoleon against
the Russians: in the foreground Davoust leading the old guard
to the charge. — 1768. Copy from Horace Vernet by Feron,
Battle of Hanau, Napoleon against the Bavarians: in the foreground
General Drouot attacked by Bavarian light cavalry. —
1766. Beaume, Battle of Lützen, Napoleon against the Prussians
and Russians under Blücher, York and Wittgenstein: in the foreground
Prussian and Russian prisoners.
5th Room: (1810—1812). No. 1765. Langlois, Battle of Borodino,
on the Moskowa.
6th Room: (1809). No. 1746. Meynier, Napoleon retiring to
the Lobau after the battle of Essling. — 1749. Bellangé, Battle
of Wagram. — 1745. Gautherot, Napoleon wounded on the battle
field of Ratisbon (engravings from this picture are common).
7th Room: (1807—1809). No. 1839. Hersent, Taking of Lands-hut.
— 1740. Thévenin, Taking of Ratisbon.
8th Room: (1806, 1807). No. 1803. Camus, Napoleon at the
tomb of Frederick the Great at Potsdam. — 1720. Vafflard, Monument
on the battle-field of Rossbach demolished by the French.
— 1727 (over the door), Rohn, Military hospital in the chateau
of Marienburg occupied by Russians and French after the battle
of Friedland.
9th Room: (1800—1805). No. 1709. Taunay, The French
entering Munich.
10th Room: (1800). Campaigns in Egypt and Italy. —
No. 1689. Langlois, Battle of Benouth.
As these rooms are quitted, a glimpse of the Chapel is obtained
from above.
The following Salon d'Hercule contains a portrait of Louis XIV.
and a picture representing the Passage of the Rhine (p. 37).
In the small room next entered: 2038. Siege of Freiburg in
1677, painted at that date by Van der Meulen.
The next two rooms contain several drawings in crayon, the
subjects being taken principally from the campaigns in the Netherlands
of 1745 and 1746.
In the contiguous *Corner-apartment, with the inscription:
"États généraux, Parlements, Lits de justice", a number of large
pictures: *2275. Couder, Opening of the Chambers, May 5th, 1789.
Above, continued round the entire room, Procession of the Assembly
to the Church of Notre Dame at Versailles, by Bellangé.
The following Salon de Vénus, de Diane, de Mars, de Mercure,
d'Apollon, de la guerre contain a number of large pictures
by Van der Meulen, subjects taken from the Netherlands campaigns
of Louis XIV. The long Galerie de Louis XIV. possesses nothing
of interest beyond its magnificent fitments and its delightful
situation facing the garden. To the left, adjoining this gallery are
the three following apartments: the Salle des Pendules, so called
from the intricate piece of mechanism it contains, by which the
days of the month, the revolution of the earth, the phases of the
moon etc. are recorded; the second is the sleeping apartment of
Louis XIV., preserved nearly in its original condition, from the
balcony of which (Sept. 1st, 1715) the king's chamberlain announced
to the people: "Le roi est mort!" at the same time
breaking his wand of office; then taking another, he exclaimed:
"Vive le Roi!"
The third room is the Œil de Bœuf, so called from the oval
form of a window at the extremity. Is was formerly the apartment
where the courtiers awaited the lever of the monarch and
was celebrated as the scene of numerous intrigues. To the left
are the Petits appartements of Marie Antoinette, whence the attempt
at escape was made on the night of Oct. 5th, 1789. The
rooms of Louis XVI. in the opposite wing are also deserving of
a visit; a meridian employed by that monarch himself is still in
the position in which he placed it.
Quitting the Œil de Bœuf and re-traversing the long gallery,
the visitor enters a series of rooms containing large pictures,
principally by Van der Meulen, the contemporary of Louis XIV.
In the 3rd Room: *2108. Gérard, The Duke of Anjou proclaimed
king of Spain as Philip V. (Nov. 16th, 1700).
5th Room (Salle du sacre de Napoléon): *David, Coronation
of Napoleon and Josephine in the Cathedral of Notre Dame
(Dec. 2nd, 1804). — *2278. David, Napoleon distributing the
Eagles to the army. — *2276. Gros, Battle of Aboukir (1799).
6th Room (campain of 1792—1793). *2327. Lami, Battle of
Hondschoten.
Small room to the left (campain of 1793—1794): *Bellangé,
Battle of Fleurus between the Austrians under Prince Cobourg
and the French under Marshal Jourdan.
*8th Room (1792): Portraits of celebrated soldiers who afterwards
became emperors, kings, marshals etc., represented according
to the rank they held in 1792. — No. 2335. Cannonade of Valmy,
and 2336. Battle of Jemappes, in both of which Louis Philippe
distinguished himself (copies from Horace Vernet), reminiscences
of his youth which that monarch appears to have specially valued.
His portrait is also here (to the l.), as "Louis Philippe d'Orléans,
duc de Chartres, lieutenant-général". — 2333. Cogniet, Departure
of the National Guard to join the army.
An ascent of a few steps to the left leads to the Salle des
gouaches et aquarelles des campagnes de 1796 à 1814. In the
first room pictures of French Uniforms, and sketches in Water-colours
by French staff-officers, interesting on account of the
subjects alone.
Returning to the Room of 1792: in the passage a statue of
Louis Philippe by Dumont.
The **Galerie des Batailles, a magnificent hall in two
compartments, is now entered. It contains 33 modern chefs
d'œuvre, and is adorned with the busts of 80 celebrated
generals who have fallen in battle. Their names are inscribed
on large tablets; those in the window-recesses record the names
of the slain in the Crimean and Italian campaigns.
To the left: *2670. Ary Scheffer, Battle of Tolbiac (496).
*2671. Steuben, Battle of Tours (732).
To the right: **2776. Horace Vernet, Second day of the battle
of Wagram (1809).
l. *2672. Ary Scheffer, Submission of the Saxon duke Wittekind
to Charlemagne (785).
r. 2772. Hor. Vernet, Battle of Friedland (1807).
l. *2673. Schnetz. Eudes, Count of Paris, delivers the city
from the Normans (889).
r. 2768. Hor. Vernet, Napoleon addressing the Guards before
the battle of Jena (1806).
l. **2674. Hor. Vernet, Philip Augustus defeats the Barons at
the battle of Bouvines (1214).
r. 2765. Gérard, Battle of Austerlitz.
l. 2676. Eug. Delacroix, Battle of Taillebourg (1242).
l. 2679. Henry Scheffer, Battle of Cassel in Flanders (1328).
r. 2756. Philippoteaux, Battle of Rivoli (1797).
l. 2691 H. Scheffer, Joan of Arc raising the siege of Orleans.
r. 2747. Couder, Siege of Yorktown in America under General
Rochambeau and Washington (1781).
r. 2744. Couder, Battle of Læffelt (or. Lawfeld) near Mæstricht
(1747).
l. 2715. Gérard, Henry IV, entering Paris (1594).
r. **2743. Horace Vernet, Battle of Fontenoy, Marshal Saxe
against the English (1745).
l. 2721. Heim, Battle of Rocroy, Condé against the Spaniards
(1643).
r. 2741. Alaux, Battle of Denain, Marshal Villars against Prince
Eugene (1712).
The *Salle de 1830, which is next entered, contains five
large pictures referring to the July Kingdom:
2785. Lurivière, Arrival of the Duke of Orleans at the Place
de l'Hôtel de Ville; to the l. by the door of the edifice Lafayette
in the uniform of the National Guard, his hat in his hand.
2786. Gérard, Reading of the declaration of the deputies, and
proclamation of the Duke of Orleans as "lieutenant - général du
royaume".
2787. Ary Scheffer, Louis Philippe as "lieutenant - general",
accompanied by the Duke of Nemours, receiving his eldest son
the Duke of Chartres (afterwards Duke of Orleans) at the head
of his regiment of hussars.
2788. Eugène Deveria, Louis Philippe in presence of the
Chambers and his whole family swears fidelity to the charter.
2789. Court, The King distributes flags to the National Guard
in the Champ de Mars. All these pictures deserve careful examination
on account of the portraits they contain of the promoters
of the July revolution.
Passing through a small door to the right, the visitor again
ascends to the second story (on the staircase: Vernet, Pope Gregory
XII.; Decaisne, Death of Louis XIII.) and enters the Galerie
des portraits de personnages célèbres, a series of apartments con-
containing an immense number of Portraits. Among others, in
the 4th Room: Washington and other American celebrities; Ma-
dame Roland, beheaded in 1793, wife of the minister, who was
banished after the fall of the Gironde; Charlotte Corday, by whose
dagger Marat fell, also beheaded in 1793. In the passage room
portraits of English celebrities, amongst them *Queen Victoria
and *Prince Albert, painted by Winterhalter in 1842.
The two Salles de résidences royales contain portraits of the
Napoleon family; among them, to the r., a well-known *picture
by David, Napoleon as First Consul on the St. Bernard, painted
in 1805; in the two Galeries des portraits de l'Empire et de la
Restauration are Portraits of the period of the empire, among
them the "Birth of the king of Rome" by Rouget, and portraits
of the Turkish emperor Selim III. (d. 1808) and of Feth-Ali-Schah
(d. 1834), king of Persia.
In the last room: Madame Campan (d. 1822); *Pope Gregory
XVI. (d. 1846), by Paul Delaroche; the Duchess of Berry
with her two children the Duke of Bordeaux and the last Duchess
a large painting by Paul Delaroche; Pope Pius IX. with several
cardinals, by Horace Vernet (d. 1863).
The last small room contains a picture representing a lecture
delivered by Professor Andrieux, containing 46 portraits of eminent
men of letters, actors and actresses, painted by Heim.
The visitor now retraces his steps, descends to the hall of
1830 and finally regains the staircase at the entrance to the
Galerie des Batailles, where the statues of Louis Philippe, Napoleon
I. and Louis XIV. are placed. Descending the stair to
the ground-floor, he then enters the Salles des campagnes de
1796 à 1810.
1st Room (1796). In the centre a small statue by Matthieu
Meusnier, representing the youthful Jos. Agricola Viala, wounded
and with an axe in his hand. When a number of Royalists were
about to march from Avignon against Lyons in 1793, this youth
severed with an axe the rope of the ferry-boat on the Durance,
thus retarding their progress. His heroic deed was scarcely accomplished
when he was killed by a bullet. The Convention
directed his remains to be interred in the Pantheon.
2nd Room (1797). 1488. The Battle of Rivoli, a copy from
C. Vernet. — 1493. Lethière, Conclusion of peace at Leoben between
Bonaparte, the Marquis de Gallo and General Merveldt.
3rd Room (1798). *1496. Gros, Battle of the Pyramids;
"Soldats, du haut de ces pyramides quarante siècles vous contemplent"
was Bonaparte's address to his troops. — In the centre:
Kleber's Death, a group in marble by Bougron.
4th Room (1802, 1803). 1501. Van Bree, Bonaparte entering
Antwerp.
5th Room (1804). 1505. Serangeli, Napoleon after his coronation
receiving the deputies of the army in the Louvre.
6th Room (1805). *1514. Victor Adam, Capitulation of an
Austrian cavalry brigade at Nœrdlingen.
The suite is here broken by the *Hall of busts and statues
of the Imperial Family; in the centre Napoleon I., a copy of
the statue on the Vendôme column.
7th Room (1805). *1546. Debret, "Napoléon rend honneur
au courage malheureux", the words reported to have been uttered
by the emperor as he raised his hat in passing a waggon containing
wounded Austrians.
8th Room (1805). 1551. Gros, Interview of Napoleon with
the emperor Francis during the bivouac on the day after the
battle of Austerlitz, Dec. 3rd, 1805. "Je vous reçois dans le
seul palais que j'habite depuis deux mois" were the words with
which Napoleon addressed Francis. "Vous tirez si bon parti de
cette habitation, qu'elle doit vous plaire", was the reply.
9th Room (1806, 1807). 1552. Meynier, The French army
entering Berlin, Oct. 27th, 1806. — 1553. Berthon, Napoleon
receiving the deputies of the senate in the palace at Berlin.
10th Room (1807). 1555. Gosse, Napoleon and the king and
queen of Prussia at Tilsit.
11th Room (1808). 1558. Reynault, Nuptials of Prince Jerome
with the Princess of Wirtemberg.
12th Room (1809, 1810). 1561. Debret, Napoleon addressing
his German troops before the battle of Abensberg, the Crown-prince
Louis of Bavaria on horseback beside the emperor. —
1565. Rouget, Nuptials of Napoleon with the Grand-duchess
Marie Louise.
*Salle de Marengo (1800). *1567. David, Bonaparte ascending
the St. Bernard. — 1566. Thévenin, The French crossing the
St. Bernard. — 1568. C. Vernet, Battle of Marengo.
A staircase to the right, by the statue of Hoche at the
entrance to the hall of sculptures, now descends to four small
rooms containing *Sea-pieces, the finest of which are by Gudin.
The long Hall of sculptures contains Statues and Busts of
celebrities of the republic and empire, generals who fell in battle etc.
The statue of Hoche (d. 1797) at the entrance, by Milhomme,
represents the general in a sitting posture; the reliefs pourtray
his passage of the Rhine and the engagement at Neuwied. To
the left, farther on, the naturalist Cuvier (d. 1832); to the right
Champollion (d. 1831), the eminent archæologist and decipherer
of hieroglyphics; in the centre of the hall two reliefs representing
the delivery of the keys of Vienna and the peace of Pressburg.
At the extremity of this hall is the issue from the S. wing
of the palace into the Cour des Princes.
The Visitor should, however, first inspect the Basement-story
of the principal part of the edifice, where a long series of apartments,
extending as far as the outlet into the Cour de la Chapelle,
contain numerous Portraits; the first two, Admirals and
Constables; the following, Marshals of France. Memorial tablets
record the names of the marshals whose portraits could not
be procured.
6th Room. *Count de Rantzau, a German who in 1635 quitted
the Swedish service for that of France, and subsequently commanded
the corps of Bernard de Weimar after the death of the
latter. This eminently brave man was repeatedly wounded in
battle and lost several of his limbs, to which allusion is made
in his epitaph in the Abbaye des Bons-Hommes at Passy:
Tout abattu qu'il fut, il demeura vainqueur.
Son sang fut en cent lieux de prix de la victoire,
Et Mars ne lui laissa rien d'entier que le cœur".
8th Room: Marshal Schomberg, born in 1616 at Heidelberg,
served successively in the armies of the Netherlands, France,
Brandenburg and England, and fell at the battle of the Boyne
in 1690.
9th Room: Vauban (d. 1707).
The Salle des rois, to the right, contains modern portraits by
Signol, Rouget, Blondel and Steuben of all (67) the monarchs
of France from Clovis to Napoleon III. Several apartments, adjoining
the latter towards the right, contain Résidences royales
and ancient chàteaux.
The Galerie de Louis XIII., facing the garden, is next visited:
*1066. Schnetz, Battle of Rocroy (1643). — Then three more
rooms with portraits of marshals:
1st Room: Saxe (d. 1750); Lœwendal (d. 1750), natural son
of Frederick III. of Denmark, successively in the Austrian, Saxon
and Russian service; both portraits by Couder.
2nd Room: Prince Soubise (d. 1789), defeated at the battle of
Rossbach by Frederick the Great in 1757.
3rd Room: Luckner, first in the service of Hanover during
the Seven Years' War, then (1763) in that of France, guillotined
in 1794; Murat (d. 1815); Gérard (d. 1852).
The three following rooms contain portraits of all the Marshals
of the Empire, the next two "Guerriers célèbres", not marshals,
from Godfrey de Bouillon (d. 1190) to Eugène Beauharnais
(d. 1824), viceroy of Italy. Finally the halls containing "Bustes
d'officiers généraux tués en combattant pour la France," among
them General de Bréa who perished in the revolution of 1848.
The Gardens and Park, with their numerous fountains and
celebrated Orangerie, some of the trees in which are several centuries
old, are nearly in the same condition as when first laid
out by Le Nôtre (d. 1700). the most eminent landscape gardener
of his time. The greater part of the grounds, which are not of
very considerable extent, may be surveyed from the terrace.
The garden contains an immense number of groups, statues
and vases, some of which are copies from celebrated antiques,
others originals of the 17th cent.
Some of the finest groups adorn the Parterres du Midi et du
Nord; by the steps which descend to the garden are two large
basins, the Fontaine de Diane and the Fontaine du Point du Jour,
both adorned with fine groups of animals by Keller.
At the foot of the steps is situated the Bassin de Latone,
consisting of several concentric basins surmounted by a magnificent
group in white marble of *Latona with Apollo and Diana,
by Marsy. The goddess entreats Jupiter to chastise the peasants
of Lycia who refused her a draught of water; they are accordingly
metamorphosed, some partially, others entirely, into frogs
water on Latona in every direction.
The Statues and Groups in the crescent or Pourtour de Latone
are the finest in the garden to the left a singular statue
representing Melancholy, by La Perdrix, the book, purse and
bandaged mouth being supposed to indicate its peculiarities. Then
Antinous, Tigranes, Faunus, Bacchus, Faustina, Hercules Commodus,
Urania, Jupiter and Ganymede, and opposite, Venus in the
shell. — On the other side the Dying Gladiator, Apollo Belvedere,
Urania, Mercury, Antinous, Silenus, Venus Kallipygos, Tiridates,
Fire, Lyric Poetry.
At the extremity of the Tapis Vert, a long, narrow lawn, is
situated the Bassin d'Apollon, a magnificent fountain, environed
with tritons, nymphs and dolphins. In the centre Neptune and
Amphitrite are represented seated in an enormous shell, on the
E. side Proteus and on the W. the Ocean. The upper border
is adorned with a number of vases ornamented with reliefs.
The Canal, situated to the W. of the Bassin d'Apollon, is
nearly 1 M. in length. Its form is that of a cross, the two arms
of which together measure about ⅔ M.; the N. Portion extends
to the vicinity of the Grand Trianon.
To the right and left in the grounds of the park, which are
laid out in a symmetrical but simple style, are several other basins.
These, however, possess nothing worthy of mention and
need not be visited except when the fountains (les grandes eaux)
play, an imposing spectacle which is computed to cost about
10,000 francs on each occasion, and may usually be witnessed on
the first Sunday of each month from May to October. (Comp.
Galignani's Messenger.) At 4 o'clock the minor fountains (les
petites eaux) begin to play: Bassin d'Apollon, Bassin de Latone,
la Salle de Bal ou des Rocailles, Bosquet de la Colonnade, Bosquet
des Dômes, Bassin d'Encelade, l'Obélisque ou les Cent Tuyaux.
The greater of these fountains, the Bassin du Dragon ou
l'Allée d'Eau and the Bassin de Neptune begin to play about
5 o'clock; the columns of water which issue from these are upwards
of 80 ft. in height. As the spectacle does not last more
than twenty minutes, visitors are recommended to secure a good
point of view in time (chair 50 c.).
Vast numbers of visitors flock to Versailles on these occasions
and all the public conveyances are crowded. Strangers will
therefore act wisely in starting from Paris at an early hour and
not returning until late in the evening when the crowd has considerably
decreased.
The Grand Trianon, a handsome villa situated about ¾ M.
from the terrace of the palace, was erected by Louis XIV. for
Madame de Maintenon. It contains several sumptuous apartments
and some fine modern works of art. The Salle de Malachite derives
of Russia to Napoleon on the conclusion of the treaty of
Tilsit. The interior may be visited daily (Mondays excepted)
(gratuity 1 fr.): for those, however, whose time is limited a
glance at the exterior will suffice.
The Petit Trianon (card of admission from the Ministre de
la Maison de l'Empereur necessary), a short distance to the N.E.,
was erected by Louis XV. for Madame Dubarry. It is tastefully
fitted up, but contains nothing remarkable. The garden,
however, is worthy of a visit. It possesses some magnificent
trees and an artificial lake, once a favourite resort of Marie Antoinette
and the Duchess of Orleans. The villa was also occasionally
occupied by the empress Marie Louise.
Between the two villas a "Musée des voitures" has recently
been formed, containing a collection of state-carriages from the
commencement of the first empire to the baptism of the Imperial
prince in 1856.
Strangers may now, instead of returning to Paris, prefer to
proceed to St. Germain-en-Laye (p. 187), to which an omnibus
runs daily about 4 p. m., starting from the corner of the Rue
des Reservoirs and the Rue de la Paroisse.
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