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The Petit Trianon, Versailles

Artist: Arnott, James Alexander · 1871-1950Artist: Wilson, John, OBE FRIBA · 1877-1959

The Petit Trianon, Versailles

The drawings in this portfolio were made during a period of study in Belgium and France undertaken by Arnott and his friend and colleague John…

The drawings in this portfolio were made during a period of study in Belgium and France undertaken by Arnott and his friend and colleague John Wilson.

Specifically they relate to the chateau built int he grounds of the Palace of Versailles by King Louis XV as a retreat for his mistress Madame de Pompadour.

Designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel the building was erected between 1762 and 1768 during which time madame de Pompadour died. Madame de Berry, her successor, was the first to take up occupancy.

In 1774 on the accession of Louis XVI, the chateau was given to his 19-year old wife Marie Antoinette for her personal use.

The building is an early example in the Neoclassical style and each of its four facades is architecturally different though with common elements.

Arnott and Wilson's accurate, measured drawings include elevations and plans of the chateau and were published in 1907 in a volume titled 'Le Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's Palace At Versailles'.

A selection of the plates, reduced by 50% and printed on single side only, were published as the 'Year Book of the Boston Architectural Club' in 1913, and an US edition of Morris and Wilson's original appeared in 1929, published by William Helburn Inc of New York and comprising 20 pages and 97 double-sided plates.

In 1904 Wilson went part-time to commence practice on his own account, and a School of Applied Art travelling studentship enabled him and James A Arnott to undertake a measured study of the Petit Trianon at Versailles which they published as a folio in 1907.

Wilson used to relate how he awoke from a lunch-time nap in the garden to see a lady in late-18th century costume leave the Trianon by one of the casement windows, only to realise that they had measured the window that morning and found it permanently fastened.