Ohhhh, Versailles! Is this our favourite day out in Paris? Just about could be.
Arrived a bit later than we hoped to and were faced with un formidable queue at the chateau entrance - and this was the entrance for those already holding tickets! We have never seen a crowd like this before. Knowing that the chateau gardens can be accessed without a ticket we decided to enter via the garden gate and head up to the Petit Trianon in Marie Antoinette's estate before attempting the chateau itself.
The gardens are glorious. You could never tire of the grandeur, the statuary, the symmetry.
We headed to the Petit Trianon to explore the Baroque Exuberance exhibition. This is a living exhibition of plants and vegetables created by a French landscape architect and landscape gardener. The exhibition is in the Jardin Francaise and comprises a number of installations designed to grow and flower during the course of the exhibition. Exquisite!
By the time we arrived back at the chateau entrance the crowd had dissipated and we could walk straight in. The chateau is currently exhibiting works by Takashi Murakami, a Japanese pop artist whose work Brent follows. It has caused quite a furore amongst the Versailles traditionalists but makes for an amazing visit. Last year when we were here the chateau was exhibiting works by French artist Xavier Veilhan and the previous year by American pop artist Jeff Koons, and it has become one of the highlights of our Paris trip. If the lavish-loving Louis was here today I'm sure he'd be enjoying every moment of the conflict and the show. For me, the gilt and unashamed extravagance of the Versailles salons is only enhanced by the wonderfully inventive installations of the artists' works we have been privileged to witness. Superbe!
Spent a little time wandering around the city-centre of Versailles, stopped to rest the weary, dusty feet and have a coffee, a short detour to McDonalds for the most used loo stop in town, and then the train trip home, just in time for heure heureuse! The days just don't get much better than this!
1 comment:
My favorite is Takashi Murakami's oyster inspired serving platter - his work is very interesting and reminded me of 'The Waterhole' by Gerda Steiner that we saw at ACCA this year. I love the organic forms that also look very science fiction - like a subterranean pacman!
Fi
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