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About this book
Why has Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles, defining symbol of hedonistic opulence in 17th-century France and synonymous with the notion of the divine right of kings, continued to shape the aesthetics of cultural capital in the centuries since his death?
In Versailles Mirrored, Robert Wellington tracks this enduring fascination with the Sun King's palace through eight case studies spanning the 17th to 21st centuries. The book demonstrates how the extravagant palace style began as a symbol of the state in the 17th century; how it was adopted by the nouveau riche to show off their financial success in the 19th century; and, remarkably, how that palace look returned to play a role in statecraft in the hands of US President Donald Trump. Wellington links the aristocratic architectural traditions of France, England, and Germany to North America through the lens of Versailles, French architecture, and the decorative arts.
Opening with a brief overview of the history of Versailles and the political and cultural motivations of its creation, subsequent chapters address aristocratic buildings in France and Germany built by the Sun King's contemporaries; historicism in the 19th century in Britain, Germany, and America; and the present day, with Trump's buildings and Château Louis XIV, known as the 'world's most expensive home', purchased by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
In uncovering the motivations of those patrons, the book ultimately reveals why Versailles remains a powerful point of reference for those who wish to flaunt their social, cultural, and political capital.
In Versailles Mirrored, Robert Wellington tracks this enduring fascination with the Sun King's palace through eight case studies spanning the 17th to 21st centuries. The book demonstrates how the extravagant palace style began as a symbol of the state in the 17th century; how it was adopted by the nouveau riche to show off their financial success in the 19th century; and, remarkably, how that palace look returned to play a role in statecraft in the hands of US President Donald Trump. Wellington links the aristocratic architectural traditions of France, England, and Germany to North America through the lens of Versailles, French architecture, and the decorative arts.
Opening with a brief overview of the history of Versailles and the political and cultural motivations of its creation, subsequent chapters address aristocratic buildings in France and Germany built by the Sun King's contemporaries; historicism in the 19th century in Britain, Germany, and America; and the present day, with Trump's buildings and Château Louis XIV, known as the 'world's most expensive home', purchased by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
In uncovering the motivations of those patrons, the book ultimately reveals why Versailles remains a powerful point of reference for those who wish to flaunt their social, cultural, and political capital.
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Yes, you can access Versailles Mirrored by Robert Wellington in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Art & History of Architecture. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction – Worlds End
- Part One: The Old Regime
- 1 Making Versailles: Louis XIV
- 2 The Inveterate Francophile: Ralph Montagu
- 3 Reflections of the Sun: John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
- Part Two: The Age of Historicism
- 4 Sun King to Moon King: Ludwig II of Bavaria
- 5 Gilded Age Ambitions: Alva Vanderbilt
- 6 Frenchified Blenheim: Sunny and Consuelo, Duke and Duchess of Marlborough
- Part Three: Generation Wealth
- 7 Tanned by the Sun King: Donald J. Trump
- 8 Historicism Returns: Emad Khashoggi
- Postscript – A Hermès scarf
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Copyright