The Versailles Exhibition in New York, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

A major cultural venue on the island of Manhattan, the « MET » welcomes the most important exhibitions in the world. Facing Central Park, the 270 rooms of this neo-classic building, anchored on Fifth Avenue, shelters 250 000 art works of every style, of very era, and several days are necessary to really discover it. This Summer, the New York institution decided to create the event.

Versailles takes up its Summer residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 

« Visitors to Versailles » constitues the first large-scale collaboration between the château of Louis XIV and the internationally-renowned cultural American establishment. Its nearly 10 million visitors per year make Versailles is one of the most visited sites in the world, the Met exhibition features more than 300 works of the former Royal residence, spanning from the second half of the 17th century up until the Revolution of 1789, marking the strong ties between France and the United States.

This special room of the Met presents the « Extraordinary Ambassadors » paintings. © DR

To display the actual ceremony of « Princes on official visit », the château sent the armchairs where they actually sat. © DR

Gathering objects stemming from the museum and several private collections, the Met galleries will showcase the experiences of travelers coming from far and near to the palace and its grandiose gardens. Artists, musicians, writers, scientists, dignitaries from far-flung vistas, every one of them was fascinated by the opulence of the Sun King's Court. Paintings, portraits, furniture of great value, costumes as well as memoirs and journals have been compiled in order to illustrate the experience of visitors. This Summer, all the friends of Versailles have a rendezvous in New York…

This scene reflects how the exacting protocole was imposed on vistors who appeared at the Court. © DR