Saturday, March 12, 2016

Voir Versailles Et Survivre

Wandering Far Away From Cottage

Le Château du Petit Trianon, Versailles


I never ever let more time to my pupils to do an assignment. But you're not my pupils, so I obviously gave you a lot more time to re-watch Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette than what I had originally scheduled. I hope that you used that time well and that you know the film by heart now...


Je déteste négocier avec mes élèves et je ne laisse jamais de temps supplémentaire pour faire les devoirs. Mais vous n'êtes pas mes élèves et je vous ai accordé plus de jours que ce qui était prévu pour regarder le film Marie-Antoinette de Sofia Coppola. J'espère que vous avez mis ce temps à profit et que vous le connaissez maintenant par cœur. 


The domain of Versailles is huge. Of course the famous big castle is the main attraction, but as you know if you read my blog every now and then, the surroundings can be equally gorgeous. I took you to the French gardens, to the Hameau de la Reine (if you missed those visits you can go back there by clicking on the words). Today, I'm taking you to a small castle that's close to the Hameau de la Reine, the Petit Trianon.
Carte administrative de Versailles

Le domaine de Versailles est immense. Bien sûr, le célèbre château principal est l'endroit le plus visité, mais si vous lisez mon blog de temps en temps, vous savez que d'autres lieux valent le détour et je vous ai déjà fait visiter le jardin à la française et le Hameau de la Reine (un petit clic sur les mots vous ramènera dans ces lieux magiques si vous le souhaitez). Aujourd'hui je vous emmène dans le petit château situé à deux pas du Hameau de la Reine, le Petit Trianon.

See original image
Compared to the main castle, the rooms are a lot smaller and there were many, many visitors that day, which made it impossible to take pictures of the whole rooms. So I concentrated mostly on details and stole some pictures on Wikipedia (all those who are not marked) so you could have an idea of what the rooms or the castle looked like.


Les pièces y sont bien plus petites que dans le château principal et il y avait beaucoup de monde ce jour-là, il était impossible de prendre des photos d'ensemble. Je me suis donc concentrée sur les détails et j'ai piqué sur Wikipédia quelques photos (celles qui ne sont pas marquées) pour vous donner une idée plus générale.


This is mostly a woman's building. It was used by royal mistresses, by Marie Antoinette (hence the chosen assignment), by Empress Eugenie... And it shows in the decoration which is very feminine.


C'est un bâtiment de femmes. Il a été utilisé par des maîtresses royales, par Marie Antoinette (d'où les devoirs), par l'impératrice Eugénie... Et cela se voit dans la décoration, très féminine.


The first room I'm showing you is on the first floor, the one that was mostly used by domestics. This is the room where dishes were kept and displayed. Most of the dishes were made in Sèvres, which was the royal fabric of porcelain.


La première pièce que je vous montre est au rez-de-chaussée, l'étage essentiellement destiné aux domestiques. Cette pièce est celle où la vaisselle était rangée et où elle est aujourd'hui exposée. Les assiettes que l'on voit sont surtout issues de la manufacture royale de porcelaine de Sèvres.

 
As you might figure out from my pictures, I was fascinated by the fact that the wood work was painted, mostly in muted tones. Here it's a grey with a hint of blue with added details in white. That's only the beginning.


Comme vous le devinez sûrement à travers mes photos, j'ai été fascinée par le travail de peinture sur les boiseries et sur les meubles en bois. Ici c'est un gris légèrement bleuté, rehaussé de blanc sur les détails. 


Now, let's go upstairs... The staircase itself is wonderful... I waited for a quite some time to take a picture with not too many people on it (second picture, obviously), while my father kept saying "can we go on with the visit?"


Direction le premier étage maintenant, grâce aux superbes escaliers... J'ai dû patienter un bon moment pour pouvoir prendre une photo pendant la seule seconde où les marches n'étaient pas pleines de monde.


On the landing is a very famous portrait of Marie Anoinette by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, untitled "Marie Antoinette à la rose". I've seen it in so  many books, that I found fascinating to see it for real. The use of colour on the Queen's face and the way the dress is painted are really amazing. I tried to take pictures, but the light coming low from the window on the right of the painting wasn't helping...


Après avoir monté l'escalier, on tombe très vite sur le célèbre portrait "Marie Antoinette à la rose" d'Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun. Je l'ai tellement vu reproduit dans les livres ou sur des sites Internet que le voir en vrai m'a captivée. Le rendu des couleurs sur le visage et des plissés de la robe sont vraiment bluffants. J'ai pris beaucoup de photos, mais comme vous le constatez, la lumière basse venant de la fenêtre sur la droite ne m'a pas aidée...


This portait is actually the consensual one painted after the first one, where the Queen is wearing a simple gauze dress - the kind she was probably wearing when she was having a relaxing time at the Hameau de la Reine - was judged scandalous and inapropriate for a queen.


Ce portrait est une version consensuelle peinte après le scandale du premier portrait à la rose dans lequel la reine était vêtue d'une robe de voile légère - le genre de robe qu'elle portait probablement lorsqu'elle se rendait au Hameau - qui fut jugée indigne d'une reine.

Marie-Antoinette en chemise ou en gaulle, vers 1783. 
Via Telerama.
After the painting, the madness began. in the next room, I found myself trapped between other tourits and a beautiful door, unable to move for a while, trying to eye where my father was (yes, when I go out with my parents, I'm always worried to loose them as if I was a three year old). So I snapped pictures of details, as my arms were the only thing I could move.


A partir de la pièce suivante, la situation a commencé à m'échapper. J'ai été coincée un long moment entre un groupe de touristes trop nombreux et une magnifique porte. Incapable de bouger, j'essayais de garder un œil sur mon papa (oui, quand je sors avec mes parents, j'ai toujours la peur idiote de les perdre de vue, comme si j'avais de nouveau trois ans). J'ai aussi pris des photos de détails, car j'ai eu tout le temps d'en observer certains...


On this floor, all wood work is painted as well, this time, it's a very soft blue-green with white details. Even my father turned around at some point, looking for me, and even if I was four or five tourists away, he yelled "Hey, it's the same colours as in your cottage"... So all tourists speaking French present that day - not a lot then - know that Marie Antoinette stole my colours (or is it the other way round?)


A cet étage, toutes les boiseries sont peintes aussi, cette fois c'est un bleu-vert très doux avec des détails recouverts de blanc. Mon père s'est retourné à un moment, m'a cherché du regard, m'a découvert à quatre ou cinq touristes de lui et m'a dit : "Ce sont les mêmes couleurs que dans ton cottage." Tous les visiteurs parlant français présents ce jour-là - cela ne doit pas faire beaucoup - sont donc au courant que Marie-Antoinette a copié sur moi.


Next is the music room which was flooded with light and impossible to take a picture of. But really, I didn't mind, because what I wanted to see was the "mirror boudoir" that's adjacent to it, as every one else.

Le salon de musique était baigné de soleil, ce qui rendait impossible toute photo correcte, mais peu m'importait, ce que je voulais voir, comme tout le monde, c'était le fameux "boudoir de la reine" qui lui est contigu.


It's forbidden to go in! You can only see it from the doorway. Now imagine dozens of tourists wanting to take a peek from one doorway... And you get a typical Magali moment. The man behind me had one of those headphones were there's a running commentary and the cord somehow got stuck in my long hair... That's why my only picture of the boudoir is so blurry! We had to go away from the doorway as untangling the hair from the cord took a few seconds and other tourists wanted to see the boudoir!

Il n'est pas permis de rentrer dans le fameux boudoir. On ne peut l'apercevoir que depuis le pas de la porte. Imaginez là des dizaines de personnes qui essaient de passer leur nez par l'ouverture et vous obtenez une situation idéale pour une aventure typiquement magalienne. Le monsieur derrière moi avait un de ces appareils audio avec un commentaire de visite. Je ne sais comment le cordon de son appareil s'est pris dans mes cheveux - aïe - d'où l'unique photo très floue de ce boudoir. Le monsieur et moi, bizarrement  reliés, avons dû nous éloigner pour démêler la situation ailleurs que sur un seuil de porte surchargé.


The boudoir is famous - other than for that anecdote - for its mirrors which can slide on the windows to cover them, or slide down (to a room on the first floor) to let the light in from the windows. But my favourite thing was the use of the Wedgwood blue paint. A quick Internet search confirmed that the room decoration was inspired by Wedgwood pieces that were beginning to be the lastest fashion at the French court.

Thank you Wikipedia for the non-blurry picture!

Le boudoir est célèbre - en dehors de cette anecdote - pour le mécanisme de ses miroirs qui peuvent glisser le long des fenêtres pour les occulter ou être escamotés vers une pièce située en dessous pour libérer les fenêtres. Mais, évidemment, ce que j'ai préféré, c'est le choix des couleurs, un bleu qui m'a immédiatement fait penser à du biscuit Wedgwood. Une recherche sur Internet en rentrant à la maison a effectivement confirmé que la décoration de ce boudoir avait été inspirée par la porcelaine de la fameuse fabrique anglaise dont la mode commençait à se répandre. (Le jeu de mot sur la pâtisserie - biscuit et boudoir - n'était pas fait exprès, mais il s'accorde tellement bien avec le film de Sofia Coppola que je le garde!)

Rare Wedgwood blue Jasperware teapot and cover. Circa 1785| Sotheby's:
An 18th century Wedgwood teapot, found on Sothebys.com.

I hope you enjoyed your time at the Petit Trianon.

J'espère que vous avez passé un agréable moment au Petit Trianon.

See you soon,

A bientôt,


PS1: I'm really sorry the blog posting isn't as regular lately as it usually is... School work is just crazy right now and it comes first, of course, even if I really enjoy my time with you on blogs (mine or yours).

PS 1 : Je suis bien consciente que les publications d'articles ne sont pas aussi régulières que d'habitude en ce moment, mais j'ai vraiment beaucoup de boulot à l'école et bien sûr, là est la priorité, même si j'adore passer du temps sur les blogs (le mien ou les vôtres).

PS2: Winter has finally found its way to Brittany and this morning everything was frozen. Welcome in March!

PS 2 : L'hiver est enfin arrivé en Bretagne et ce matin tout était gelé... Bienvenue au mois de mars !

PS3: I've updated the "Wandering Around" page that you can find in the tablets under the blog title, so you can go there and find all the Wandering Around post if you're in the mood for some travelling.

PS4: I'm sharing my inspiration with:
My Show and Share Party              inspire-me-mondays Link party logo                              

52 comments:

  1. Very beautiful impressions from the little white house

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  2. I cannot believe that Marie Antoinette stole your colors. She deserved the guillotine. Winter came to you while over here we have had unseasonably warm weather. We've had all the windows open all week.

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  3. Ah I have been there and loved it!Thanks for the reminding!The weather here is awful now and it is a long weekend which will be spent unfortunately inside because of the weather!Still there is so much to be done!Like read your blog!AriadnefromGreece!

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  4. thanks for the tour! most likely the only way I will see the castle ever!

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  5. OH MY! How I loved this tour! I do not know if I will ever travel to France, so this was absolutely wonderful. Thank you!
    xoxo,
    Lin

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  6. Loved this post, Magali. Every room is beautiful and the details are truly amazing. And yes, she absolutely did steal your colors. I bet there's never a dull moment when sight seeing with your father - gotta love it!

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  7. I so enjoyed this majestic place and your journey there! Thanks for sharing your visit.

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  8. I love wedgwood blue. I one tiny little piece from England. My daughter and I enjoyed the chateau, but what is funny is that I don't recall going upstairs that day. Love the music room. My daughter has long golden hair like yours and it was pulled at the Mona Lisa. Of course I had seen it, so I did not try to get close and protect her. She is very petite, "though she but little, she is fierce." It is so interesting how you were influenced by the colors there, and might not have realized it. I like you, painted most of the woodwork and trim grey, except for a few doors and two archways the same color as the walls because it gives it a cohesive look in a small home. I love that it was done at the chateau.Wonderful. Love French style. Have a wonderful weekend, Magali. xoox Su

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  9. There is just way too much to comment on here so I will just say THANK YOU for this lovely little visit to Versailles.

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  10. Exquisitely beautiful! I think in agreement that your travel posts are informative and fun!
    Keep warm with the kitties in Mr. Cottage, Kathleen in Az

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    1. Good thing I had tons of work for school so I had to spend the weekend indoors anyway!

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  11. c'est beau, c'est joliment décoré mais ces grands volumes semblent froids... je garde une préférence pour la jolie chaumière et son potager... bon courage pour les cours à préparer, les copies à corriger... bon dimanche !! monique59

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  12. That was a lovely visit, and one caught some of the flavour of a very popular tourist destination, as well as an historic site. I love the painted wood work - lots of inspiration here.

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  13. such an amazing place. Loved the tour. xo Laura

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  14. Thanks for the tour - just lovely! That woodwork....oh my, gorgeous!!

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  15. Thank you for the tour and history lesson. Just a side note, I have not been getting your posts so I signed back up again. I hate to miss out on your "tours" and on Cottage's updates.

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    1. Thanks for letting me know, Nancy. I use a free device to get my posts delivered, so I guess I can't really complain when there's a glitch, but I'm going to check the list of emails, just in case.

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  16. Beautiful place.. thanks for sharing... I've missed Cottage and of course you too ( haha)... how is Cottage these days? Can't wait to hear from the two of you soon and see pics of you enjoying your tea outside in the sunshine!

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    1. Cottage is not evolving a lot lately because I have too mucj work at school, but I'm planning things for next summer!

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  17. Of course the costumes and the rooms are gorgeous, it goes without saying, but who made the cakes? I've never seen anything like them, in or out of a movie. Utterly stunning. It reminded me of one of my favorite films, Vatel. Did you see that one? It's an oldie.
    Amalia
    xo

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  18. coucou magali, tu fais toujours des récits avec beaucoup de détails, on a presque l'impression d'y être avec toi, bon heureusement que non parce que ça aurait surement créé un embouteillage supplémentaire et rajouté du monde à la foule déjà présente
    L'époque était fastueuse et les détails ont été soignés à l'infini, voila qui a du couter cher au peuple mais ce qui en est resté est de toute beauté
    je comprends ton engouement pour le boudoir de la reine, j'aime beaucoup la théière et son bleu biscuit magnifique
    Bon dimanche et par avance belle semaine

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    1. Les détails dans ce château sont magnifiques et appartiennent maintenant à notre patrimoine à tous... Au point que j'y ai volé quelques idées pour des projets ;)
      Bonne semaine.

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  19. WOW. How I remember going here but our photos were ruined by the digital card we used. I just asked my husband if I could try opening our card again, but he said the card reads EMPTY. What a shame. I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to go here again, but what a sight to see!!!! The décor, I have to admit, is MY FAVORITE. HI, MAGALI! Thank you for coming to visit my post, and it's always fun to come see you.

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  20. Magali, Merci, merci, this post is amazing. While visiting Versailles we spent all of our time at the castle and grounds and I have not visited here. All of your photos have me glued to this screen. I am familiar with the faience Sèvres and I wold love to see this display as well as the MA portrait we all know. I'm sure you were impressed with the colors since they are colors you love. I now have a new excuse to visit this area again. Thanks for this post and tell you Dad we are sorry his visit was showed up a bit for the sake of you taking photos for you blogger friends to enjoy :). Love your braid Magali, you have such beautiful hair……………..

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  21. Lovely post, thanks for taking us along on your visit! Yes winter has returned here with winds, snow and freezing temps. We were so looking forward to an early spring but I do not think March will bless us with one! Take care, Patty/NS

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  22. Such lovely, feminine decor Magali! Definitely well suited for a Queen.

    I know what you mean about trying to take pics with so many people around. Every time that happens to me I can't help but think 'don't they know what I'm trying to do and why don't they leave'? Lol

    Thank you for the interesting visit to this gorgeous historical palace!

    xxx

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  23. How beautiful thank you for taking us along with you. What a gorgeous place to visit and soak up all the wonderful history.
    Kris

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  24. I am really enjoying the Marie Antoinette experience on your blog. I recently listed to her biography (one of many) and learned how young she was when she arrived to meet her husband. The size of her tiny shoe. seen in a Paris exhibit, suddenly made more sense. At the time, I thought, how could any grown woman's foot fit inside that shoe?

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  25. Oh, Magali, this post is lovely, lovely, lovely! I enjoyed every moment! The portrait, the stairway, the beautiful painted woodwork and delicate furnishings - so inspirational. Now I must read up on Marie Antoinette, as my scant knowledge of her is just not adequate. Thank you for sharing and I do hope you didn't lose too much hair in your encounter. xo Karen

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    1. It'll be nice if you read a book about Marie Antoinette to be able to imagine her evolve in those rooms.
      Have a great week,
      Magali

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  26. Such an interesting place to tour! I remember touring several chateaus in Loire Valley in France and was so in awe!

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  27. I always enjoy traveling along with you and this time was no different! Lovely pictures and the colors do indeed remind me of Cottage! I am on spring break this week and plan to enjoy every second! I have been insanely busy as of late and am in need of some time to relax. Have a lovely week!

    Hugs, Vicky

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  28. Winter for you? I am hoping ours is over! lol

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  29. Beautiful, just beautiful! We are heading into spring and I can't wait even though it's been a mild winter. I ready to see green, beautiful green.

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  30. Hi...Fantastic post..my friend just got home from Paris 3 days ago..she was smitten with it..ready to move there..all your photos are Wonderful..the entire place is like a Beautiful work of art..i love those ginormous doors..and..your dad yelling at you..i hope you're not frozen for long..our temps. are pretty Great right now..finally in the 60's..an last Thurs was 80*..not normal for now..but i'll take it..hope you warm up soon..an you have a nice week ahead!

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  31. C'est tout de même incroyable que Marie-Antoinette ose copier les couleurs de ton cottage ! Pourtant, ce sont exactement les mêmes bleus très doux... Trianon est un véritable enchantement... Merci pour ces belles photos

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  32. Glad you risked your life (well maybe just your hair) to bring us beautiful photos. Loved the tour. Hope your weather warms up soon, Magali. It's spring here in Texas for sure. Have a good week.

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  33. A hair-raising adventure indeed! Thanks for taking us along on the tour. Love the architectural detail;s.

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  34. Where to begin? There's so much to admire in your photos. I adore the painted woodwork, and laughed out loud at your father calling out to you about the colors and your cottage. So funny. Cute, too. The ornate door hardware, the paintings and their frames, the dishes, furnishings (oh, that harp!), chandeliers and mirrors, and the staircase. Everything is stunning. Thank you for the tour. I doubt I'll ever see it in person, so I truly enjoyed seeing it through your personal eyes. (Sorry about your hair getting tangled in the man's headphone cord. What in the world was he doing so close to you, Magali? LOL)

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  35. I have been to Versailles twice and your beautiful post reminds me that I would love to go again! Have a wonderful week.

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  36. How I wish to visit that place one day Magali - magnificent! I love the painted wood detail. I've seen the movie, it was ok, but I did enjoy the broohaha more! ;-)

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  37. I loved your photos and dream of visiting some day! I know you're busy! Happy Spring! Hugs, Diane

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  38. Thank you Magali for this wonderful commentary. I loved looking at the beautiful colors that they used in these lovely rooms. Love them all. Jo

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  39. Thank you for the tour of this beautiful place, Magali! What a wonderful place to find color inspiration for your own home! The details of the ironwork and woodowrk are amazing!

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  40. I have to say, this is one of my favorites you wrote about. The thought of people living in there!

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  41. I'm catching up on your posts, Magali. Like you, I've been so busy these past couple of months working a big fundraiser, which is now over. I'm happy to pick up here at the beautiful Le Chateau du Petit Trianon. Until I hopefully get there some day on my own, I'm happy to tag along with you. Love the Wedgewood blue paint, and chuckled a little about the man's cord getting stuck in your hair!

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  42. Oh, I want to go there someday. The husband and I are actually taking a vacation to Ireland and Scotland this autumn!! So excited. In a few years though, it'll be France, when my babies are fluent and can speak for me.

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