Madame Elisabeth : Une Princesse Au Destin Tragique, 1764-1794

Exhibition at the Domaine de Montreuil, Versailles, 27 April - 21 July 2013

Sister of Louis XVI, Elisabeth de France was given the Montreuil estate for her nineteenth birthday, a real country house, even though it was located a few hundred metres from the Château de Versailles. Passionate about mathematics and geography, and gifted in drawing, Madame Elisabeth retained a taste for study throughout her life.

Showing heroic conduct during the Revolution, Madame Elisabeth refused to go into exile in order to remain close to her family. Imprisoned in the Temple with the royal family, she was guillotined at the age of just thirty. From then on, she became the object of a veritable cult which intensified with the Restoration from 1814 onwards.

This exhibition catalogue attempts to recreate the intimate atmosphere of the Domaine de Montreuil, presenting the life of Madame Elisabeth from her birth to her death, through a selection of various works: paintings, graphic arts, personal objects.