On the occasion of the Heritage Days on September 20 and 21, 2014, the Hôtel des saints Pères opened its doors to the public. We were privileged to attend a private tour accompanied by a lecturer from the Ecole du Louvre to introduce us to this prestigious establishment in the heart of st Germain des Près.
This institution, a former mansion belonging to Daniel Gitard, the Sun King’s architect, now boasts 38 rooms and suites on 4 floors, all decorated with 17th and 18th century artworks, blending art and history.
The hotel is organized around the patio, inspired by Greco-Roman temples, a little baroque, yet classic with sober lines. The facade, built in 1658, features a representation of Daniel Gitard.
Behind the door of room 100 lies an extraordinary work of art: a mural covering more than 40m2, financed by Pierre Abraham, seigneur de Charange, tenant of the second floor of the hôtel particulier but also advisor and maître d’hôtel ordinaire to King Louis XIV, in 1666.
This fresco has been attributed to the Versailles school, made up of artists who worked at the château. It depicts Virtue, represented by a young virgin woman with a sun on her chest, crowning the Good Augur in the presence of Intelligence, here represented by cupid holding a snake (signifying sin or intelligence in this case).
The outline, composed of flowers and medallions, is also reminiscent of the Château de Versailles.
This representation was intended to exercise the mind, and thus succeed in reading the meaning, but above all to please during this artistic period under Louis XIV.
Among the fifty or so works on display are an 18th-century portrait by Natoire, echoing the fresco in room 100, the sculpture Adam et Eve by fine arts teacher Georges Jeanclo, and the portrait of Austrian Empress Maria Theresa in room 303.
Hôtel des Saints Pères
65, rue des Saints-Pères
75006 Paris
www.paris-hotel-saints-peres.com
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