Louis XIV was just 26 when he decided in 1664 to extend the small palace built by his father Louis XIII in Versailles. He was a young king who had a passionate love of the arts. He wanted to express this love for beautiful things in a dazzling display in Versailles. And, for him and the people of this period, beauty meant antiquity.

Versaillesand antiquity

2

Antiquity is the period in human history that came after Prehistory and lasted from the appearance of writing until the very beginning of the Middle Ages. In Europe, it began in the 4th millennium BC (around the year -3 500, that is 5 500 years ago!), and finished in the 5th century AD (about 1 600 years ago). This period saw brilliant civilisations flourish, including the Greek and Roman cultures, which built great temples, invented a rich mythology, and produced astonishing marble statues with perfect physical features and fine clothing.

So what exactly is antiquity?

Beauty and power

and antiquity

Louis XIV wanted to have all these very ancient masterpieces for Versailles: his agents brought them back from Italy, Greece and even Egypt (which had also had a brilliant antique civilisation). He also commissioned the top artists of his own time to produce works of art as beautiful as those from antiquity. He wanted to create a new Rome in Versailles and to impress the whole world, especially the other kings of Europe, with the splendour and refinement of the palace. And it is this passionate devotion to beauty that we can see in this exhibition, in the paintings, the sculptures and various objects.

Observe this statue of Louis XIV: he is dressed like a Roman emperor but one detail is out of place. Which one do you think it is?

His short skirt.

His sandals with gaiters.

His long hair, more fashionable in the 17th century than in the time

of Julius Caesar.

1

2

3

3

A god for the Sun KingIn fact, this name of the Sun King was given to Louis XIV long after his death. But he himself had chosen the emblem of the sun to symbolise his own glory. So it is not surprising that he identified himself with Apollo, the god of Greek and Roman mythology who drove the chariot of the sun. Famous for his radiant beauty, Apollo was a dazzling young god with long hair. He was the one who inspired the poets, musicians and singers. He was also the god of healing and fortune-telling. Greek mythology tells all kinds of stories about him: how he killed the monstrous snake called Python, how he took his revenge on those refusing to obey him, and his great love for the nymph Daphne who transformed herself into a laurel tree to escape from him, etc.

Observe this painting showing Apollo to find one of the objects that this god always has with him (what we call an attribute):

a lyre

a halberd (combined spear and battle-axe)

a trident

1

2

34

Look at the painting and circle the goddess she took her inspiration from.

A god for the Sun King

Venus, goddess of love (whom the Greeks called Aphrodite).

Diana, goddess of hunting and sister of Apollo (called Artemis in Greek mythology).

a halberd (combined spear and battle-axe)

Fancy-dress ballThe Marquise de Pompadour disguised as a heroine of mythology.

1

2

5

By Jove!Names of gods, goddesses, strange creatures and figures from Greek and Roman antiquity are hidden in this grid. Can you spot them?

AlexAnderApolloAriAne

BAcchusdiAnAfAun

herculesMercuryMinervA

venus

6

Observe these fine gilt andirons in the form of a sphinx (andirons or firedogs are used to support logs in fireplaces). The artist who made them for Versailles was certainly inspired by some Egyptian works of art that Louis XIV had brought to him from the land of the Pharaohs.

But what was the special thing about the sphinx?

It replaced wooden horses on merry-go-rounds in Egypt.It guarded tombs and asked very difficult riddles.

An echo of Egypt

Weird creaturesPeople in antiquity liked to invent incredible creatures, hybrids (meaning made up of two different creatures): the sphinx, of course. But also the centaur, half-man and half-horse; the siren, half-woman and half-fish, etc.

It’s up to you now to draw your own imaginary hybrid creature!

2

1

7

In this painting by René Antoine Houasse, called Minerva Teaching the Art of Sculpture to the People of Rhodes, seven small mistakes have been included.

Open your eyes and spot them!

Spot the 7 differences

Con

cept

ion

Oria

nne

Cha

rpen

tier e

t Elo

die

Cou

lon

01

49

29 0

1 21

, ww

w.pa

rism

omes

.fr. R

édac

tion

: Oria

nne

Cha

rpen

tier.

Con

cept

ion

grap

hiqu

e : D

elph

ine

Che

dru.

©

RM

N-G

rand

Pal

ais (

Mus

ée d

u Lo

uvre

) / H

ervé

Lew

ando

wsk

i © C

hâte

au d

e Ver

saill

es (d

ist. R

mn-

GP)

/Jean

-Mar

c Man

ai ©

RM

N –

Gra

nd P

alai

s (ch

âtea

u de

Ver

saill

es) /

Gér

ard

Blot

, © R

MN

– G

rand

Pa

lais

(châ

teau

de V

ersa

illes

) / G

érar

d Bl

ot, ©

RM

N-G

rand

Pal

ais (

Mus

ée d

u Lo

uvre

) / H

ervé

Lew

ando

wsk

i, ©

RM

N-G

rand

Pal

ais (

Mus

ée d

u Lo

uvre

) / H

ervé

Lew

ando

wsk

i, ©

RM

N –

Gra

nd P

alai

s (c

hâte

au d

e Ver

saill

es) /

Dro

its ré

serv

és, ©

RMN

– G

rand

Pal

ais (

chât

eau

de V

ersa

illes

) / G

érar

d Bl

ot