The Hall Of Mirrors: History And Restoration

Built by Jules Hardouin-Mansart between 1678 and 1684, the Galerie des Glaces owes its name to the 357 mirrors covering its 17 arcades. In the décor painted between 1681 and 1684, Le Brun reminds of the glory of the seventeen first years of Louis XIV's reign.
After three centuries, because of the leaks in the masonry and the dirtying, first due to the candle lighting, then to the millions of visitors every year, this décor unique by its cohesion and richness had lost all its brilliance, legibility and power of fascination.

The restoration campaign, financed in its totality thanks to Vinci Group, not only gave back to the gallery its splendour, but also allowed a better understanding of Le Brun's workshop. As work progressed, the restoration and the results, in details and in their whole, were photographed, allowing thus offering an incomparable iconography for this book realised by more than 20 authors, historians, architects, restorers.