Evening star., 1934-02-19
WRITER ATTACKS
VERSAILLES WORK
French Academy Member
Holds Restoration Is
"Too Thorough"

Restoration Of the palace Of Yer
sailles, from the great chateau to the
charming Marie Antoinette village on
the grounds, has been criticized by
member Of the French Academy. The
work. carried on with funds donated
by John D. Rockefeller. jr., is too
thorough, says the critic, and while it
has saved the palace of palaces from
falling into ruin, everything looks too
new. The French ministry Of fine
arts and the Historic Monuments
Commission, however, approve the
restoration.
While the palace Of Versailles is
generally conceded to be the ultimate
in royal residences, and the yard
stick by which magnificence is meas
ured, it may also be said to repre-
sent an eighteenth century Public
Works Administration project says
q bulletin from the National GEO.
graphic Society. lone of the reasons
given by Louis XIV for the construc-
ton Of the great chateau and its vast
park was that it would give employ
rent to some 10000 workmen for sew
eral years.
Built for reasons Of state, Yer
sailles soon became the setting Of a
court so dazzling that many Of the
French nobility closed their great
chateaux in the country and came to
take up quarters in a palace that
could shelter nearly 10000 persons.
And near the palace Louis built the
Grand Trianon, glorifled marble
bungalow, where he could retire from
the ceremonies and crowds with which
he had afflicted himself
Left to ruin after France became
q republic, Versailles was partially re-
stored by Napoleon I. five years after
he had installed 1000 Of his veterans
In the central wing of the palace. But
the greater part of the work Of trans
forming Versailles into a museum was
done by Louis Philippe, being COM
pleted in 1887. It's adaptation into a
museum of social and political history
has been natural and tasteful. The
great central wing, which is nearly a
half mile in length, now houses
unique collection of paintings, sculp-
lures, carvings and objetS dart The
palace itself was built principally by
Mansard around the hunting lodge of
Louis XIII. In reversal of the usual
sequence, the palace was built and
then the little town grew up. But q
wear after the removal of Louis XVI
and Marie Antoinette to Paris by the
mob, the town was SO desolate that
q Russian traveller could scarcely get
Q Wretched meal
"The salons and apartments OF
Louis XVI and his successors form
stimulating background for the imag-
tnative person who wishes to turn
back the clock to the days of the Sun
King and relive the glittering epoch
OF the Louis.
The original furniture and pictures
were lost, but the walls, ceilings, pan
cling and stucco still reveal the elab-
crate Louis Quatorze style. The rooms
given over to the historical museum,
founded by Louis Philippe and dedi-
Gated to all the glories of France,
contain a collection Of pictures and
sculpture retelling the history of
France through its famous characters,
battles, and events.
More than two centuries have
passed since the gardens of Versailles
astonished the Doge of Genoa and
the Ambassador of Siam Though
many features have been destroyed or
changed, the gardens are still magnifl-
cent. The first design was turned over
to lie Notre to complete, and it was
his genius which created the gardens
as they are known today. To lie Notre
were also intrusted the gardens Of the
Trianons. The park and terraces
alone cover an area of about six
square miles.
Although the playground for the
plutocrats Of the day, Versailles has
been a stage for more serious acting.
The Tennis Court oath of the fight
ing National Assembly was taken here
in 1889, and here in 1882 the new
United States of America had been
formally recognized by Great Britain
On September 10, 1870 the victorious
Germans, bands playing the Mar
seille,' entered Versailles. In jan
uary, 1871, King William, surrounded
by representatives of all the reigning
families of Germany, members of his
family, his generals and his ministers,
here established the new German En-
pire. And in the same Galleries des
Glaces in 1918 a defeated German ma
tion signed the Versailles treaty.
Nov restored, in strict accordance
with the original plans, this story book
palace will be protected and kept up,
1t is planned, by the government it
self for future generations"