Of all the places I dreamed of visiting in France, the Petit
Trianon was at the top of my list. The
simplicity and elegant beauty of this home, as compared to the gilded excess of
Versailles, made it easy to understand why Marie Antoinette loved spending time
there. I shot over 1,200+ photos at
Versailles that day and I thought I would share some of my favorites from the
Petit Trianon.
It was raining the day we went to Versailles, but as we
walked up the tree lined avenue to the Petit Trianon, the sun broke out and my
first glimpse of Marie Antoinette’s home was radiant…almost as if she was welcoming
me there after so many years of dreaming of this day…
The ground floor entrance takes you through the service areas first. The faded blue/grey painted door and window details made me sigh....not to mention the marble floors worn smooth over centuries of history walking over them...
The china storage room had beautiful plates displayed that belong to Marie Antoinette....
This simple room was where meals were prepared for serving.....
...and finally you come to the beautiful stairway that takes you up to the living floors....
The salon is simply gorgeous. The raspberry red fabric stood out against all the beautiful details of the walls, ceiling and floors....
After seeing this portrait in so many books over the years, it was a thrill to see it in person. I thought the beautiful carved and gilded frame was as beautiful as the actual painting!
Loved this chandelier too since the design is as beautiful as it is practical. The glass surround kept the candles from blowing out when the windows were open for fresh air.
....sigh.....
Beautiful paintings graced the tops of doorways and the details in the ceiling and wall moldings stopped me in my tracks several times....
...even the doors with their hand carved details, door knobs and latches were amazing to see...
Maries Antoinette's favorite room in the Petit Trianon...her sitting room with the moving walls of mirrors that could be raised and lowered to cover the windows to insure privacy.
Her simple bedroom which is very restful looking as compared to her formal state bedroom in Versailles....
This chair is original to Marie Antoinette as well as the fabric that covers it.....
I loved this life sized bust of Marie Antoinette and thought she would be beautiful in my studio wearing jewelry! You can buy copies in the gift shop....but at 2,300 Euros...it was a little out of my budget...LOL...besides, I think Air France would have made me buy an extra seat ticket for her on the return trip home....
Loved this blue carved bench too....it lines along the back wall of the Petit Trianon and was a beautiful place to take a break and enjoy the view......
....of Cupids Temple.....a lovely and romantic garden feature.
Thank you for visiting with me today and allowing me to share this very special place with you! As things are crazy busy in the studio right now, it's nice to take a break and remember the incredible beauty of the Petit Trianon. Merci ~ xoxo ~ Joy
