Salon+de+Mercure

=Salon de Mercure=

Basic Information
In the Palace of Versailles, in the Great King’s apartments, there is a room on the first floor called “Salon de Mercure,” or “Mercury’s Living Room,” representing the ancient god Mercury. It has two rooms adjacent to it, the Salon d’Apollon and the Salon de Mars, that represent the gods Apollo and Mars, respectively. It was built within the original construction of the Palace of Versailles in 1682.

History
The room is known for being very decorative and known for its illustrious paintings and designs. Inside the room there is a portrait of Louis XV painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1730, large red crimson draperies surrounding the walls and windows, gold fringe trimmings lining the walls, and the ceiling is a painting by Jean Baptiste de Champaigne. In the middle of the painting, Mercury is sitting on a chariot pulled by two roosters while they ride the clouds in the sky. His subjects around him are angels holding the Morning Star, a trumpet, and a crane. These angels represent holiness, the arts, and science, respectively.

The room has been most notoriously used in history as a sleeping chamber. After being built in 1682, Louis XIV preferred sleeping in the room as opposed to his own bedroom, giving it the nickname “bed chamber.” There are two other times when this room has been used for sleeping. In 1685, after the wedding of the Duke of Bourbon, the Duke and his bride slept in the room. Finally, in 1700, when the Duke of Anjou was proclaimed King of Spain, he used it as a sleeping chamber that day.

Current State Today
Between 2011 and 2012, the Salon de Mercure was restored after being sponsored by Martell & Co. It was a two-step process. In 2011, the paintings and carvings on the walls and ceiling were restored. In 2012, the bed itself along with other furnishings were restored, with as much resemblance as possible to the original chamber built in 1682. On October 25, 2012, the Salon de Mercure was officially opened to the public as a restored monument.