Fantaisies pour un palais exhibition

The Centre des monuments nationaux is presenting "Fantaisies pour un palais", an exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through the imaginary world of fairy tales, using theatrical sets to introduce them to a world of fantasy guided by major themes such as the fairy cabinet, the magic palace, the mysterious grotto, the fairy garden and the enchanted island.
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through six stages based on the settings of these fairy tales. Visitors will discover the "fairy cabinet" of porcelain, gallant couples, golden carriages and swan-drawn chariots... The sets, animated by lighting effects and videos, lead to the Magic Palace, echoing opera stagings and theatre machines. They reproduce a "marvellous grotto", reminiscent of the artificial grottoes designed during the Renaissance for gardens, which became a recurring feature of palace decoration with the Rococo period. Nymphs, mermaids or fairies, fantastic creatures populate these dreamlike spaces. The play of flowers on mirrors transforms a boudoir into a fairytale grove, giving the illusion of a floating garden. Gilding and reflections are not forgotten in the "salon of mirrors", where costumed figures, as if escaped from Watteau and the "Fêtes galantes", can be glimpsed.
Finally, the journey ends on the shores of the "Enchanted Island", where you can moor up before continuing the historical tour to the heart of the Château de Bussy-Rabutin to discover the splendours and splendour of the court of Louis XIV and the 19th century.