Let them eat cake.

A phrase most often used to address Marie Antoinette, who many blamed for the political turmoil in France in the 18^th Century. Despite the politics, I absolutely adore 18^th Century interior design and fashion. Coined the term, “Rococo,” it represents the lavish life and elegance of the French royalty.

What attracted me most to this type of design was the excessiveness that it entailed. Though this was a large part of the reason for the French’s failing economy, it was a necessity to the construction of the Rococo era. In modern terms, the mentality of the ruling class was, “Go hard or go home.” Thus, both the architecture and dress for the French royalty embodied a sense of luxury through intricate designs, volume, and excess. All architecture was accented in gold, intricate patterns were woven into fabrics used for upholstery and fashion, and the women wore gowns made from the best couturiers in Paris. The French royalty wanted to make a statement that they were the ruling class and how lavishly they could live. The excessiveness of this era was to ensure that the French royalty had absolutely the best and most expensive of everything.

Though I know what this era represents in terms of French politics, I still can’t help but admire the gilded architecture and beautifully structured gowns of this time. My love for 18^th Century design was reaffirmed when I went to the Palace of Versailles during winter break of my junior year at Davis. Here, I truly saw how beautiful these designs were. What I fall short of in attempting to describe the miraculous designs of the Rococo era, I can show in some of the pictures I took on my trip:

This is Marie Antoinette's bedroom and one of my favorite rooms in the Palace. A perfect example of how excessive the Rococo era was. Here you can see how the patterns on the wall and curtains are almost too much for the eye to handle, in addition to the gold accents along the railing and lining the furniture and walls.

This is the Hall of Mirrors. Though hard to see in its entirety, the walls are lined with ceiling-to-floor mirrors and the hall itself is adorned with a multitude of chandeliers. Again, the walls are accented with gold, as well. The mirrors and chandeliers signify luxury and the amount that is used to decorate this room reaffirms royalty.

(Excuse the people in the picture...) The gold gates to enter the Palace is already a sign to the public that royalty lives here. The message: "This is a elegant and luxurious estate."