VISITORS TO VERSAILLES

Charles Cozette (French, 1713–1797). Folding Screen with Views of the Château de Versailles from the Avenue de Paris and the Cour du Cheval Blanc at the Château de Fontainebleau, ca. 1768–70. Wood, oil on canvas, painted leather, 79 1/2 x 153 1/8 in. (202 x 389 cm). Collection of Monsieur and Madame Dominique Mégret, Paris. Photo by F. Doury

The Arrival of the Papal Nuncio, 1690s. Oil on canvas, 48 7/8 x 61 in. (124 x 155 cm). Collection of Aline Josserand-Conan, Paris. Photo by Christophe Fouin

Versailles Experienced by 17th- and 18th-Century Visitors 

The palace of Versailles has attracted travellers since it was transformed under the direction of the Sun King, Louis XIV (1638–1715), from a simple hunting lodge into one of the most magnificent public courts of Europe.

Taking place from April 16 to July 29 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Visitors to Versailles" will track these many travellers from 1682, when Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles, up to 1789, when Louis XVI (1774–1792) and the royal family were forced to leave the palace and return to Paris.

Through paintings and portraits, furniture, tapestries, carpets, costumes and uniforms and many more, the exhibition will illustrate what the visitors encountered at court, what kind of welcome and access to the palace they received, and, most importantly, what they saw and what impressions, gifts, and souvenirs they took home with them. 

"Visitors to Versailles" (1682–1789) is currently on view at the Château de Versailles through February 25, 2018. Read more about the exhibition as of April 2018 under the heading Events.