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Palace of Versailles and Petit Trianon

Some details of the Palace of Versailles and Petit Trianon through the eyes of the visitor (2024)

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Famille wares

Famille rose is a type of Chinese porcelain introduced in the 18th century and defined by pink overglaze enamel. The colour may actually range from pale pink to deep ruby. The gradation of colours was produced by mixing coloured enamels with ‘glassy white’, an opaque white enamel (lead arsenate).
Famille verte, adopted in the Kangxi period around 1680, uses green in a few different shades. The famille verte enamels may be painted on the biscuit (unglazed pre-fired ware), or over high-fired glaze, producing wares of different appearances. Wares with enamel painted on the biscuit usually have a solid-colour ground such as yellow, black or green, while those painted over the glaze may have a white ground.
Famille noire uses a black ground. Genuine famille noire wares were made in the Kangxi era. They may have a copper-green lead-based enamel painted over dry black cobalt ground on the biscuit, and a transparent green glaze was then applied, giving it a near-iridescent appearance.

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Shaker objects

The beauty of handmade shaker furniture and household objects lies in their high quality and simplicity. Their subdued, warm colors make the puritan furnished living spaces cozy.

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Edwardian-style

In the Edward-era (1901-1910) interiors, besides classic and formal furnishing, there are much lighter overall effect, more comfort and clearer lines compared to the preceding Victorian period. It’s main colors: magnolia, white and off-white, cream, pale greens, light greyish-blues.

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Diorama

Diorama is a three-dimensional scene in a glass box/box with glass front or under a glass bell. It can be a scale model (e.g. ship, building, battlefield, genre) or a still life made of stuffed animals, dried or faux flowers, seashells and other natural resources. In the Victorian era, it was fashionable to make them at home, which was then used to decorate the apartment.

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Historical interior design styles

To create historical interior design styles, let’s study the interior paintings of contemporary painters. Since neither photography nor interior magazines existed yet, they give a loyal picture of the furniture, wall and floor coverings, decorative elements and spaces proportions of those days.

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Gingerbread trim

The so called gingerbread houses were built during the Gothic Revival style in America. Their characteristic is the wooden, elaborately detailed, carved border that runs through the lining of the roof and the top of the balconies and patios.

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Piano nobile

Piano nobile is a specificness of baroque architecture. The first floor was architecturally highlighted: representative rooms (e.g. saloon, ballroom) placed there have much higher ceilings than those of the rooms on the ground floor or on upper floors – this is shown by the sizes of the windows. Mostly it has a balcony above the entrance which frequently runs all the length of it.

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Georgian style

The English Georgian style lasted from 1714 to 1830, named after the four reigning kings George. Its two periods are early and late Georgan, the latter is also known as Regency. Light colors (e.g. powder blue, sage, cream), open spaces and rich ornamentation are its main features. The influences of Classicism, Palladianism and Industrial Revolution are strong.

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Renaissance

Renaissance has three periods in history of art:
– Trecento (1300s) – early Renaissance. Major artists: Giotto, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Antonio Pisanello
– Quattrocento (1400s) – high Renaissance. Major artists: Fra Angelico, Botticelli, Brunelleschi
– Trecento (1500s) – Mannerism. Major artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Michelangelo

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