Category: Versailles

Centuries of Treasure Bindings: Books Adorned With Beauty

June 24, 2023
Arts & CultureArts & TraditionBook bindingbooksBrightMarie Antoinettemedieval manuscriptsVersailles
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“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a popular adage that can be compellingly applied to many situations. However, its wisdom misses the mark in the context of treasure bindings. Treasure bindings, also known as jeweled bindings, are a type of bookbinding where covers are adorned with lavish materials which can include gems, silver,…

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True American Spirit: The Unlikely Mélange of Inspiration That Brought Washington D.C. into Being

June 27, 2022
American EssenceArts & CultureblueprintBrightcongressdesignHistoryVersaillesWashington DC
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When the United States of America was young, the established cities of New York and then Philadelphia served as seats for the country’s government. While Alexander Hamilton and many northerners were content with this, Thomas Jefferson and a lot of southerners were not—so a seat for the federal government was established in a more central…

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The Remote Gardens and Pavilions of Versailles

May 30, 2022
Ange Jacques-GabrielleArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightLife & TraditionLouis XVIThe Petit TrianonVersailles
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Set far back in the grounds of Versailles are the refined gardens and pavilions of the Petit Trianon. Together, they show how European garden design transitioned in the 1700s with two contrasting styles: On the west side, there’s a calm yet uplifting formal French garden, and on the east side, a romantic and picturesque English…

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The Return of Spring and 2 Versailles Masterpieces

March 17, 2022
Arts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightLife & TraditionVersailles
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Spring is near. “Spring it is that clothes the glades and forests with leaves … and the meadows ungirdle to Zephyrus’s (the West Wind’s) balmy breeze; the tender moisture avails for all,” wrote Virgil in his “Georgics.” The Palace of Versailles couldn’t have picked a more apt time to exhibit one of the last masterpieces…

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