Virtual Museum Impressions: Versailles

February 11, 2021

        In a previous weekend, I went on a virtual trip to France with my husband and friends to celebrate a friend’s birthday. One of the places we visited was the palace of Versailles. I decided to write about my virtual experience since I have not written about museums outside of the United States before. I would love to visit museums outside of the United States someday when it is safer to travel instead of travelling during a pandemic.

There is so much to see in Versailles that my group decided to experience at least a part of the palace. During the trip, I participated in an activity called “Spot the 7 Differences” in which individuals look at four paintings that each one has a duplicate painting posted next to the original painting, and we looked at both paintings to see what the seven differences between the two paintings are.

We also visited the virtual exhibition section, and decided to visit the exhibit “A Place at the Royal Table” which was produced with the participation of thirteen royal residences from the Network of European Royal Residences. The curators of this exhibit were Élisabeth Caude and Géraldine Bidault. Inside the exhibit, it features 17th and 18th century still life paintings as well as photographs of dining rooms and artifacts to describe royal dining. I liked that in most of the exhibit it zoomed in to a specific part of a photo or painting to describe specific details within the whole painting or photo. For instance, there is a photograph of small glasses and a carafe (or decanter) that were placed on royal tables and these specific ones were designed simply which means they could be packed in a luxury compartment during a journey; there is also an up-close look at symbols painted on the glass, and according to the exhibit label:

They are decorated with heraldic symbols: coats of arms surrounded with badges of office indicating the status of Marshal at the Court of the Republic of Poland. This coloured, polished and gilded glassware, displayed at the Palace of Wilanów, comes from Huta Kryształowa, a big glassworks which produced chandeliers and crystal tableware in the 18th century.

There are more than 25 items within the exhibition and four sections within the exhibition. The four sections in the exhibition are Food, Dinner is served, The table is set, and Tableware.

The next place we visited inside Versailles was The King’s Chamber. According to Versailles’ website, the King’s Chamber is the most important and symbolic room in the Royal Apartment and was used at several times of the day including the king’s “getting up” and “going to bed” ceremonies, when he dined in private, and when he received certain courtiers or ambassadors. Louis XIV died in this Chamber on September 1, 1715 after reigning over France for 72 years. I was impressed with the amount of grandeur within the Chamber, and the bold colors were eye catching and almost overwhelming which is the point of the Chamber.

After the initial visit, I decided to go back to see what else Versailles has to offer in the in-person visit and in the virtual realm. Versailles’ website provides an interactive map of the site that is not only helpful for individuals visiting and learning more about the palace in-person at one’s own pace, but it also provides virtual visitors an idea of what the layout of the site is. The interactive map has five sections to explore: Overview, The Palace, Gardens, Park, and the Trianon Palaces and Marie Antoinette’s Estate. Each section provides information on where to purchase tickets, accessibility, bathrooms, where the entrances are located, and the history of the palaces and estates.

I recommend checking out Versailles for yourselves to see what they have to offer. Someday I hope to visit there in person so I can write about that experience.

Have you been to Versailles either in person or virtually? What are your impressions?

I’m on Buy Me a Coffee. If you like my work, you can buy me a coffee and share your thoughts. ☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/lbmfmusedblog

Links:

Virtual Exhibitions: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/resources/virtual-exhibitions#louis-xiv,-the-construction-of-a-political-image

Interactive Map: http://bienvenue.chateauversailles.fr/en/accueil#

http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/tour-of-the-king-s-chamber-palace-of-versailles-google-arts-culture/tQEGZI6I8meAWA?hl=en

Published by lindseystewardgoldberg

I am a passionate and dedicated individual who is determined to provide local and national history for future generations to appreciate their roots and teach the next generation. My love for museums began from a very young age. When I was a child, my family encouraged myself and my sisters to visit various historic sites and museums including Plimoth Plantation and Salem Witch Museum, and continued as I grew up when I saw places such as the Birthplace of Abigail Adams. My lifelong passion for history led me to earn my Bachelors degree in History from Western New England University and my Masters degree in Public History from Central Connecticut State University. While I was in the Central Connecticut State University Public History graduate program, I worked on the Connecticut Historical Society’s “Cooking by the Book” exhibit that my group came up with the original proposal for. I also helped set up art exhibits at CCSU’s art galleries, and wrote a lesson plan on women contributions to society in the eighteenth century as a final project in the program for the Stanley-Whitman House museum. Along the way, I gained various experiences within school activities and museums. My experiences include working with students in school programs at the Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington, Connecticut, Connecticut’s Old State House, and Connecticut Landmarks Hartford properties. I also volunteered at the Franklin Historical Museum in Franklin, Massachusetts where I provided tours for visitors, helped organize public programs connected with town events, and kept an inventory of the museum’s collections. I became a full time Museum Educator with the Long Island Museum where I teach programs, and take on administrative roles such as schedule programs. Today, I am an independent museum professional working on various projects for museums and historical societies. For instance, I joined the Three Village Historical Society working on various projects, both in person and virtually, in the education department. I continue to look for opportunities in which I educate school groups and the public on the significance of the arts, history, and sciences in our society through the museum education field.

1 Comment

  1. Pingback: Virtual Museum Impressions: The Morgan Library & Museum – Looking Back, Moving Forward in Museum Education!

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