New-York tribune., 1904-08-13
MnE. DE MAINTENON'
The Opening of Her old Apart
ments at Versailles.

Paris, August Z
NJ Pierre de Nolhac, the curator oi ~. o,,,
sailles Chateau and Museum VINO Is just NO.,
busilv engaged in preparing mohosIa apA
Natter the court painter Of Louis |N' mas a.
ranged an agreeable surprise for VISITORS 10 INC
Chateau by opening 10 the puohc 'he "P"t'
roents once occupied by Nine de Maintenon'
THE rooms In which the morganatic wife ot lo"iS
XIV passed the better part of her lie are s11u-
o+ad az the top of the large marble staircase
foo;,g +he apartnlents OF the Roi SoleiI. 1heI
nosition alone indicates the influence eXeTSlseu
Inv the marquise at the court After the secie'
marriage with the King. celebrated on inc i4'9''
Of June T. 1854 Nine. de Maintenon pecaii'e
his confidential adviser, more powerful 'u',
any Minister. small ante-chanper sepa' a'eN
her bedroom from that of the King. IL "oS -
the adjacent sitting room, with three large wan
dov,s loking out upon the royal courtyard that
the long. earnest conversations described oy
saint-simon took place between the asea mon
arch and his intelligent but fanatical spouse
II was here that she persuaded Louis A4N 10
.ig,, the revocation Of the Edict OF Nantes Dc
side the large fireplace was the king afiHcha''
and near by d heavy wooden "IlIhs '"Oi-.
Near the table close TO the wall was the s'i4"'i
sa+taA for the Minister in attendance. and at
the other side of the fireplace was the tapestry
covered fauteuil in which Nine. de MalhIeIloh
used 10 sit in the days when her constantly pFol-
fered advice had the weight OF royal edlcI
Another adjoining room is the spacious salon
OF the ambitious marquse. 1t was here that
the dernoiselles de Saint-Cyr. carefully drilled
h,, Racine performed Esther in January
1850 before Louis XIV. In this large square
salon are hung some fine paintings that were
once the property OF Nine. de Maintenon' ana
which NJ de Nolhac recently discovered roIlea
I'M in old canvas bags in the garnet OF the
palace
From, a historical point of view the most IN
teresting of these pictures is large portrait Oh
Nine. de Maintenop. majestically seated IN her
armchair. her niece, Mile. d'Aubigne' respect
fnllv kneeling at her feet. In the background is
the chateau of Saint-Cyr. This remarkable
pieture is by an unknown artist, whose sig
nature is "F." In the same room is O portrait
Of the famous Superintendent Fouquet. with his
nervous. restless expression. painted by Sebas-
tien Bourbon, hanging next 10 strongly out
lined portrait of Fouquets great rival, Colbert
painted by Claude Lefebre. The great Minister
has severe. imposing appearance in his black
velvet costume set off with white lace rabats
and sleeves. There are also portraits or COL
bert's TWO sons both OF whom were Ministers.
There is a portrait of Louis XIV represented as
the protector of fine arts. There is portrait
Of the architect Mansart, by Troy, and an ex-
ceuent portrait or Mlgnarc, painted Dy hlsduu
Moliere Racine, La Bruyere and Boileau. the
sculptors Coysevox. Desjardins and Girardon
and the landscape gardener lie N0tre all appear
in somewhat dingy pictures that once belonged
10 Nine. de Maintenon. One Of the most pleas
ing portraits is that of Couperin, the Kings or
ganst, who is represented playing a clavecin IN
accompaniment 10 his daughter. Nine. de Main
tenon had very few portraits of women in her
collection. but prominent among them those
of the infant Duchesse du Maine blowing soap
bubbles. painted by Mignard. Among the his
torical works is the large picture by Coypel rep
resenting Louis XIV receiving the Persian am
bassadors at Versailles, with two charming can
vases by Van der Meulen commemorating
Louis XIV visiting the palaces Of Fontainebleau
and Vincennes. 1t is a pity that the beautiful
furniture that belonged TO Nine. de Maintenon
cannot be found. The fine mantelpeces, the
bronze and crystal chandeliers, the massive fire
irons and tenders nevertheless give the apart
ments more livable and more comfortable
aspect than might be expected. AS one leaves
these rooms the apartments OF the Dauphin may
be visited, and here are seen large portraits of
the Regent Philippe d'Orleans, by Santerre. and
OF Cardinal Fleury. by Rigaud. together with de-
lightful portraits of royal children by Alexis
Belle.
During the last week NJ. de NoIhac has places
IN the modern gallery at Versailles three legacies
from the late Princess MathiIde-an exceJlen+
portrait Of the Prince Imperial by Jules Le-
tebvre; that of Prince Napoleon by Flandrin.
and lie Jouer de Flote." by Boulanger.
C. I. B.