The interior décor

Behind the façade, on the first floor, are two magnficent reception rooms and a gallery. Divided in 1843, the Admirals' Hall and the Hall of Honour once formed the Gallery of Large Furnishings lit by seven French doors opening onto the balcony.
 

The Admirals' Hall

The interior décor of the Admirals' Hall is devoted to illustrious figures of the French Navy. As if in a gallery, two mirrored doors stand opposite the French doors that give onto the colonnade of the balcony. Portraits of great seafarers (Jean Bart, Duquesne, Tourville and Duguay-Trouin) painted directly onto the piers are highlighted by Napoleon III wall consoles.

The Hall of Honour

Practically none of the 18^th century appointments have survived, with the exception of the doors at the ends, part of the ceiling cornice and the acanthi of the ceiling rosettes. The existing décor featuring medallion portraits of six mariners (Suffren, du Couëdic, Latouche Tréville, Bougainville, Forbin and La Pérouse) dates from the late 19^th century.

The Golden Gallery

The Golden Gallery affords access to the halls from the courtyard side. In the 18^th century it housed the bronzes in the royal collections. Together with a second gallery that extends to the stair landing, its decorative style is consistent with the Hall of Honour and the Admirals' Hall.

The restoration work

The diagnosis given by the restorers highlighted numerous disorders in the décor of the halls and galleries that give onto the peristyle. The general colours of the portraits, giltwork and faux marbre had been subdued by soiling.
 

Investigations revealed the pastel shades of the original paintwork which had been buried under subsequent white or grey coats. Varnish had yellowed or oxidised. Electrical wiring installed in the 1930s and temperature variations – the State reception rooms face south – had fragilised all the woodwork, causing shrinkage and joint movement, which was particularly noticeable in the portraits. Fighting during the Liberation of Paris at the end of World War II had left much scarring in the form of gaps, temporary restoration work and fragility, especially on the cherubim of the west wall.

The décor of the Admirals' Hall, illuminated by large French doors opening onto the peristyle, is a unique example of mid-19^th century decorative work. The room, used by the French Navy for formal receptions, was given its name because of four portraits of famous sailors – Tourville, Duguay-Trouin, Duquesne and Jean Bart – painted directly on the wood panelling:. The architecture is surprising for its remarkable unity of style combined with a great variety of motifs.

The décor of the Hall of Honour is in perfect harmony with that of the Admirals' Hall. Portraits of other illustrious seamen painted on glued canvas are supported by sea horses highlighted in gold. A frieze was uncovered during the restoration of the decorative paintwork on the ceiling, just as in the Admirals' Hall. The protruding chimney breast featuring a bust of the republic amidst an oval of gold and green trelliswork was entirely dismantled and reinstalled. All the Louis-Philippe console tables beneath the painted panelling were also restored. The Empire furniture made by Bellanger has been reupholstered to match the paintwork.

The Golden Gallery, with its five doors and five windows overlooking the courtyard, leads to the second-floor reception rooms. Its décor is beige and gold with gilt woodwork and mirrors. Removal of some of these elements revealed the layout of the shelves used to display the Crown bronzes when the building was used to store royal furnishings. The ceiling coffers have been restored to their original colours of alternating blue-grey and river green.

The Naval Ports Gallery (formerly the Tapestry Gallery) was the subject of the largest interior restoration operation. The white and gold panelling was removed, revealing an outstanding décor with the names of France’s naval ports (Brest, Cherbourg, Lorient, Toulon) on panels painted in imitation of exotic timbers. Investigation of the undercoats on the walls and ceilings revealed an outstanding wood and gold polychrome. The doors once more boast their majestic décors of gilt bas-reliefs on elm-burr backgrounds. This period was reinstated on the advice of the Scientific Advisory Board for the project as testimony to a spectacular late 19^th century décor.

(Updated: April 2010)