NEWS
The Apollo Gallery (Galerie d’Apollon) as the most dazzling hall of the Louvre Museum, was one of the inspirations of a model for the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. After a catastrophic fire in the fateful year of 1661, architect Louis Le Vau was assigned responsibility for reconstructing the gallery. The extremely splendid ceiling decorated by artist Charles Le Brun, shimmers in paintings of the sun being the imperial symbol of Louis XIV and its movement through space and time. It is doubtless that the sun god Apollo was associated in this amazingly-decorated gallery by the Sun King Louis XIV.
View of the Galerie d’Apollon
Following another stunning renovation, the reopening of the Apollo Gallery has scheduled to March 2019. The restoration of the gallery consisted of building three new cabinets of exhibiting rare diamonds in order to reunite 23 pieces held by the Louvre in one place. The cases are grouped these jewels by period: jewels from pre-Revolution including the Regent and the Sancy, the First Empire including the Restoration and the July Monarchy, and the jewels from the Second Empire that gather together all that remaining adornments of the Empress Eugenie. Therefore, visitors from all over the world can now admire the grandeur of the glorious artworks and luxurious collections of jewelry.
The collection of the French Crown Jewels belonged to the monarchs and emperors of France is inordinately famous and shining. It was first assembled by François I in 1532 and grew with each of his successors until peaked under Louis XV. The one remaining Ancien Régime crown for the coronation of King Louis XV in 1722 is adorned with “Regent” diamond. This wondrous diamond weighed 140.64 carats after amazingly impressive cut is considered among the finest diamonds in the world.
Louis XV’s crown
The gold crown of Empress Eugenie who was the wife of Napoleon III contains 2,480 diamonds and 56 emeralds, topped with a diamond globe surmounted by a diamond cross. Moreover, the eagle and palmette representing recurrent royal symbols are encircled the crown interspersed with diamonds. At the 1855 World’s Fair, this masterpiece was exhibited and successfully drew the attention of the Queen of England.
Imperial crown belonging to Empress Eugenie
This pearl and diamond tiara was made for Empress Eugenie for her wedding to Napoleon III.
Empress Eugenie’s pearl tiara
Empress Eugenie’s diamond brooch
Apart from these incredibly luxurious crowns, Empress Eugenie’s amazing diamond bow brooch is presented in the center of the case. It was intended as a buckle for a diamond belt in the first place.
The glorious set of jewels interspersed of Sri Lankan sapphires is belonged to Queen Marie-Amélie who was the wife of Louis Philippe. Louis Philippe had purchased the jewel collection from the daughter of Napoleon’s first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais in 1821. The queen was wearing this incredible jewel set in an 1836 portrait by Louis Hersent.
Queen Marie-Amélie's sapphire parure
There are also numerous bijoux displayed in these cases, allowing visitors to see and examine the extremely brilliant jewels from different angles. The rest of the precious collections including gorgeous agate cups, antique hard-stone pieces, lapis-lazuli vessel and other marvelous treasures are all displayed in the sumptuous gallery. These inordinately stunning treasures that the Apollo Gallery houses are absolutely scintillating glitters like a strip of starry night in the history. The glory of Apollo dazzles visitors through the gallery itself including the frescoes, paintings and stuccoes as well as tapestries. American-British author Henry James wrote of the Apollo Gallery when he was just thirteen, he described as “The glory meant ever so many things at once, not only beauty and art and supreme design, but history and fame and power, the world in fine raised to the richest and noblest expression.”
Photograph © Licorne Unique. All rights reserved.