Queens of France in the Grand Couvert
2004 © Maxim Tabachnik
Temple of LoveGardens of VersaillesLouis XV in the Salon de MercureApotheosis of HerculesThe Pilgrims at EmmausCandelabras, Hall of MirrorsWar RoomFountain of AmphitritePetting Goats at the Hameau de la ReineMax with Gary at Court of HonourColumn of the Temple of GloryMarie Antoinette’s BedMax at the Orangerie TerraceMarble CourtyardThe Orangerie and Swiss LakeMarlborough Tower and DairyRustic RetreatRiver God with ChildMom at the Hall of MirrorsParterre de l’OrangerieKing’s State BedThe Meal at the House of SimonAstronomical ClockQueen’s Bedchamber Canopy and AlcoveRoom of MarsAlley of the MusesStatue of Louis XIVCottage in Marie Antoinette’s HamletGalerie des BataillesLuis and JJ at the Cour d’HonneurLouis XIV on HorsebackLouis XIV as Roman EmperorParterre of the OrangeryMax, Luis, and JJ at Latona FountainApollo in His ChariotLuis and JJ in the Allée des Deux-TrianonsMercury Presenting the Arts to ApolloQueens of France in the Grand CouvertCarp in the Grand Canal

Queens of France in the Grand Couvert

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A row of full-length portraits of French queens (18th–19th cc.) hangs against deep red wall coverings, each framed in heavy gilded wood. One canvas centers Marie Antoinette in formal court dress, flanked by other royal consorts in similarly staged poses. Displayed in the Antechamber of the Grand Couvert at the Grand Trianon, they trace shifting ideals of royal femininity from Rococo grace to Empire restraint.