What I Hated About Versailles

I know, I know.

"But Jess!" you cry in disbelief, "Versailles is so impressive and gorgeous and historic and did I mention GORGEOUS!? How could you possibly have hated anything about it?"

Well, dear reader, let me tell you.

A couple of years ago the curators of the museum at Versailles apparently decided that the priceless objects on display dating from when the estate was in its heyday and the incredible artwork covering almost every square inch of the walls and ceilings wasn't enough, and since then they have been installing and featuring the works of different modern artists in the rooms of the chateau and on the grounds immediately surrounding the chateau.

This. This is what I hate. I hate this.

The thing about Versailles is that it doesn't need "modern art," nor should it want it. Versailles is a window into the 17th and 18th centuries; it is a vehicle for transporting you back in time to another age dedicated to outrageous wealth and pomp and circumstance and ceremony that lifted a king to the status of godhood. A place that Napoleon Bonaparte decided was a fitting residence for, you know, a guy who ruled the majority of the western world at the time.

Placing modern art casually next to the bed where Marie-Antoinette slept, or in the Hall of Mirrors where France deliberately forced Germany to sign their surrender during World War I as retribution for Bismarck crowning himself Emperor of Germany there at the end of the Franco-Prussian War, or hanging from the middle of an incredible mural covering the ceiling of one of the salons...it just ruins the illusion. Ruins. It.

And it's really a shame, because I thought a lot of this modern art was actually very cool and I would have enjoyed looking at it immensely if I were touring a modern art museum.

The artwork currently on display is done by a woman named Joana Vasconcelos and you can read about her exhibit here. She follows in the footsteps of artists like Jeff Koons, the first artist to have his work displayed thus in Versailles, including a giant purple balloon animal.

Judge for yourself:

A chandelier-type sculpture hanging in one of the rooms just before the Hall of Mirrors on the "King's end" of the Hall (a room full of symbols of war)

A matching sculpture hanging in the room on the opposite end of the Hall, the "Queen's Room" (full of symbols of peace)

This picture made it into my previous post about the rooms in the chateau, but I put it here again to emphasize the oversized Carnival costume decoration popping up in the corner. Guys, I'm no Ty Pennington, but even I'm pretty sure that this statue doesn't match the rest of the room. I particularly don't like the fact that one of the modern pieces is in this room, which I think is so gorgeous otherwise.

A pair of giant stilettos made out of pots and their lids. As you can see, this piece is in the Hall of Mirrors. THE HALL OF MIRRORS. Bismarck is turning over in his grave...

A pair of lobsters sharing a meal in what used to be the king and queen's formal dining room.

Casual.

The galerie des batailles features three of these giants stuffed cloth...whatever they are. I think these are actually very cool, but again, they don't belong in Versailles!

At least this one matches the gallery color-wise.

Me registering my bewilderment and disapproval.

Okay, this statue and the next one I don't have a problem with, because they're outside and really do sort of look like they belong in a garden.

And now, the piece de resistance:

A golden, pink-feathered helicopter covered in Swarovski crystals.

Looks like something Elton John might use to get around Versailles.

Seriously, WHAT IS THIS DOING HERE?!?

I give up.

Alright, end of rant. And end of posts about Versailles. More happy fun-time pictures of other stuff to come soon!

Grosses bises! xoxo