Jean Cotelle, des jardins et des Dieux, is the beautiful exhibition to be discovered in the Grand Trianon at the Château de Versailles, from June 12 to September 16, 2018. This exhibition, created on the occasion of the restoration of the 21 paintings in the Grand Trianon signed by Jean Cotelle, is a beautiful ode to nature.
As a reminder, located just a few kilometers from the Château de Versailles, the Grand Trianon de Versailles was imagined as a pleasure residence for the King, so that he could rest away from his court (yes, yes, a few kilometers can be enough, see Queen Marie-Antoinette's hamlet a few kilometers away).
The King commissioned 21 paintings from Jean Cotelle for this single-storey, 53-meter-long marble structure, punctuated by 16 large windows overlooking the gardens. The latter imagined vertical paintings (to match the bay windows overlooking the gardens), representing each grove in the gardens of Versailles embellished with characters drawn from mythology or fables!
For these paintings, Cotelle drew his inspiration from the Albanian painters. Small, eternally youthful figures recount the loves of the gods in harmonious, idyllic landscapes, whose gentle, delicate spirit suits the narration of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Alongside the paintings, lead sculptures from the decor of certain lost bosquets in the garden of Versailles, such as the Labyrinth or the Dome bosquet, are exceptionally presented in the exhibition.
In another room, we discover another facet of the artist. In particular, the decorator who helped design one of the cabinets of curiosities at the Château de Saint-Cloud, which belonged to the King's brother at the time. We also discover a magnificent replica of the fresco on the ceiling of Marseille's Hôtel de Ville, as well as the immense May for Notre Dame de Paris. A monumental painting that took a long time to get to the Trianon. Also on display are paintings belonging to Lenôtre, which undoubtedly influenced the artist at the time.
The highlight of this presentation, Les parterres du Trianon de marbre with Zephyr and Flore endormie, will delight the curious. Yes, all you have to do is head for the gardens from June to September, when Trianon's garden department refurnishes the parterres in the image of Jean Cotelle's painting, with a palette of pinks, blues and whites against a strong green background that evokes Cotelle's gardens.
To achieve this, the gardeners use 4 different types of Salvia sage (for the blue), Alstroemeria, Agrostemma and Ageratum (for the white) and Limonium sinuatum, for the crepe paper texture. Currently in the early stages of flowering, the flowerbeds will be at their best in two weeks' time, and the plantings have been designed to provide flowers all summer long.
For Catherine Pégard, President of the Domaine de Versailles, the exhibition was a major challenge: explaining the reason for the commission, and the choice of Jean Cotelle. She explains: "You don't just stroll through the Cotelle gallery as you would through the groves of Versailles. The gardens come alive with mythology drawn from Ovid and La Fontaine. They have the elegance of Le Nôtre's layouts, but are also a spectacle in their own right. We evoke the "tableaux" in the double sense of the word, looking at them with the "eye of the prince" as imaginary scenes. In twenty-one playlets, set in the intimacy of Trianon, Cotelle captures the passions and culture of an era. Why him? We won't really know.
The Grand Trianon at Versailles is definitely a hidden gem to visit this summer!
Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.
Dates and Opening Time
From June 12, 2018 to September 16, 2018
Location
Palace of Versailles
Place d'Armes
78000 Versailles
Prices
-26 ans UE, handicapés et chômeurs: Free
billet château + trianon: €18
billet coupe-file exposition: €18
Official website
www.chateauversailles.fr
More information
Opening hours : 12h-18h every day except Mondays
