After the Versailles of Charles Le Brun, of which the Hall of Mirrors was the culminating achievement, the Marble Trianon, a secluded leisure palace set away from the court, paved the way for a new generation of painters who focused on the search for ornamentation and representation of nature. One of the central figures of this generation was Jean Cotelle, a famous artist at the time, whose 21 depictions of the groves of Versailles painted for the gallery of Trianon represent his major achievement.

The exhibition and accompanying catalogue are an opportunity to bring back to life a long-forgotten figure whose talents and abilities went further than first meets the eye. A skilled decorator and excellent miniaturist, Cotelle’s work covered almost all painting genres. Over the course of his long career he performed prestigious commissions for Louis XIV, Monsieur (the king’s brother), the Château of Saint-Cloud and the city of Marseille.

Edited by Beatrice Sarrazin,
with Editions Liénart, 2018
24 x 28 cm, 240 p., €39
ISBN 978 2 35906 236 6