Les Grandes Galeries Européennes, Xviie-Xixe Siècles

A public place of passage, the space called "gallery" in some countries or sometimes simply "saal" as in Germany, was also for private use while remaining a space of representation, where the glory of the sovereign or the patron, highlighted by the etiquette, was also highlighted by the iconographic, historical or allegorical decoration, which could even invite the prince to virtue. Finally, the gallery was the privileged place to display the patron's collections, whose political purpose was served by their importance and artistic quality, sometimes writing or reinventing history, as shown by the printed descriptions or engravings published to impress people. In this, by its layout and the quality of its works, it could prefigure the museum in its modern sense.

This book is the first comprehensive study of the complex theme of galleries in princely residences and mansions throughout Europe (in France, Spain, Great Britain, etc.). It attempts to present various angles of approach, all of which are based on archival documents, drawings, engravings or inventories that explain or describe what still exists or what has disappeared.