Sunday 31 March 2013

Grand Cabinet of Madame Victoire

Louis XIV used this room as a part of his bathing rooms - it was known as the octagonal room. At that time it was renowned for the extreme wealth in marble, paintings and sculptures that had gone into this room but that changed when the room was handed over to the Mesdames Tantes in 1763. They thought that the marble décor was too old-fashioned and immediately had the room redone after the new fashions. The only remaining parts of the original room are the cornice, the beautiful fireplace and the decorations in the corners - everything else had undergone a monumental change.

There is one object in particular that remains as a testimony to Madame Victoire's passion for music: the harpsichord by Blanchet. Madame Victoire was regarded as one of the finest players of this instrument - a thought shared by people outside the French court. Mozart himself dedicated his first six pieces on the harpsichord to the Madame.









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