The Hall Of Mirrors and the 43 Chandeliers => The Hall of Mirrors, the most famous room in the Versailles Palace, was built to replace a large terrace designed by the architect Louis Le Vau and pays tribute to the political, economic, and artistic success of France.
The Hall of Mirrors
All of these Successes are illustrated through the 30 painted compositions on the vaulted ceiling by Le Brun, which depict the glorious history of Louis XIV during the first 18 years of his reign, the number and size of the 357 mirrors bedecking the 17 arches opposite the windows, demonstrating that the new French manufacture could rival the Venetian monopoly on mirror manufacturing, and the Chandeliers hanged throughout the 37-meter hall.
The hall contains 17 large chandeliers and 26 smaller ones made of solid silver and in total, the chandeliers held 1,000 candles. Impressed by the chandeliers at the court of Louis XV, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (Marie Antoinette’s mother) commissioned her own; her eponymous style of chandelier features two or more intricate tiers of beads and drops, usually on a silver- or gold-tinted structure
The Crystal Chandelier was a sign of wealth and status in the 17th century and it was the use of lead glass, or crystal, from around 1720 that transformed the chandelier into a highly decorative piece.
Throughout the grand houses and palaces of Europe and Russia, ornate chandeliers dripping with crystals and adorned with intricate details were hung as statements of power and wealth.
The chandelier today is more open to interpretation, it’s not just to showcase wealth or to light up a room, it is more a sculpture or a piece of art to convey the essence of a place, and they’re made from new materials and in new shapes. Luxxu is specialized in creating modern chandeliers that bring back the essence and statement of the chandelier, using traditional techniques with modern technology, materials, and design.