Conversation with our Curator - Cabinet du Roi

Description

Ushaw is home to a wealth of rare and unique treasures. Join us and experience the rich history of the Cabinet du Roi, a rare and important series of illustrated books from our Library collection, in the third Conversation with our Curator event on Thursday 27 April.

Led by exhibition curator Andrew Heard, you'll receive a private tour of our brand new exhibition, The Power of Image - Versailles & the Sun King. This exhibition reveals the beauty and detail of the Cabinet di Roi engravings Louis XIV commissioned in order to promote his image in France and beyond in the late seventeenth century. 

 

Through large-scale reproductions of the original prints, you'll discover how Louis expanded Versailles, which was a modest hunting lodge he inherited from his father, turning it into the grandest palace in Europe. 

 

You'll get an insight into the lavish festivals Louis hosted and three important but now demolished architectural features - the Ambassadors' Staircase, the ceiling of the Petite Galerie and the Grotto - will be revealed. The exhibition also features ten of the original finely bound Cabinet du Roi volumes.

 

The exhibition tour will be followed by an exclusive viewing of some of the Cabinet du Roi volumes that are not included in the exhibition.

 

Prior to the talk, enjoy a micro afternoon tea filled with delicious sweet/savoury treats and prosecco, the perfect celebratory fizz to enjoy your visit. Hot drinks will also be available as an alternative.

Date & Time

Thu, Apr 27, 2023 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Venue Details

Ushaw Historic House

Woodland Road
County Durham, Durham DH7 7DW

Ushaw Historic House, Chapels & Gardens