Orestes was produced in 1750, an experiment which intensely interested the literary world and the public. In his Dedicatory Letters to the Duchess of Maine, Voltaire has the following passage on the Greek drama: "We should not, I acknowledge, endeavor to imitate what is weak and defective in the ancients: it is most probable that their faults were well known to their contemporaries. I am satisfied, Madam, that the wits of Athens condemned, as well as you, some of those repetitions, and some declamations with which Sophocles has loaded his Electra: they must have observed that he had not dived deep enough into the human heart. I will moreover fairly confess, that there are beauties peculiar not only to the Greek language, but to the climate, to manners and times, which it would be ridiculous to transplant hither. Therefore I have not copied exactly the Electra of Sophocles-much more I knew would be necessary; but I have taken, as well as I could, all the spirit and substance of it."

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Plus de deux cent cinquante chefs-d'oeuvre de l'une des périodes les plus glorieuses des arts décoratifs sont réunis dans cet ouvrage, depuis les splendeurs de l'art de cour de Louis XIV jusqu'aux éblouissantes créations suscitées sous Louis XV par Madame de Pompadour puis sous Louis XVI par la reine Marie-Antoinette. Les arts de la table, les somptueux meubles d'André-Charles Boulle et ceux de Charles Cressent sous la Régence, les magnifiques porcelaines et tapisseries issues des manufactures royales, offrent un large panorama des décors intérieurs, de l'artisanat du luxe et du commerce d'art qui incarnent un " moment de perfection de l'art français " jusqu'à la veille de la Révolution. Les nouvelles salles consacrées au mobilier des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles au musée du Louvre ont été inaugurées en mai 2014. Les quelque deux mille oeuvres qui y sont présentées sur près de deux mille mètres carrés forment l'une des plus belles collections au monde de meubles et d'objets d'art allant du règne de Louis XIV à celui de Louis XVI. Les salles sont organisées selon un parcours chronologique rythmé par de spectaculaires period rooms dans lesquelles ont été remontés de somptueux décors de boiseries provenant d'hôtels particuliers et de palais princiers parisiens du XVIIIe siècle. Reconstitution d'une époque révolue, évocation d'une ambiance disparue, elles mettent en scène les oeuvres les plus remarquables du département des Objets d'art: la restitution matérielle et intellectuelle de leur contexte passé les révèle dans toute leur beauté et leur rend tout leur sens.

"Dispersées à la suite des ventes révolutionnaires, des oeuvres exceptionnelles retrouvent aujourd'hui leur affectation originelle, l'écrin majestueux de Versailles. Aussi les auteurs de cet ouvrage ont-ils remonté l'histoire et enquêté sur ces meubles et objets d'art de première importance. Leurs passionnantes découvertes ont permis d'identifier leurs illustres propriétaires e d'en révéler les histoires étonnantes."--P. [4] of cover.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.