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During this year in France, my daughter has been reading a series of French books set at Versailles during the time of Louis XIV’s reign. She was enthusiastic when I suggested a two-day trip there over her spring vacation. 

It turned into a weekend of strong contrasting emotions when the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral started while we were on the train from Paris to Versailles. We horrified by the images of the fire and the spire collapsing we saw that evening.

Live coverage of the fire

The next morning, we kept to our schedule (we had timed tickets).  We were awed by the palace with its gold gilding, sumptuous paintings, sculptures, fabrics, glass and mirrors.

Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles. Glass was a luxury in those days and Louis XIV used it to impress visitors.

After visiting the formal gardens and the Grand and Petit Palais, we arrived at the Hameau of Marie Antoinette in the late afternoon. What a joy to discover a hamlet with thatched roof cottages, intimate and well-tended vegetable gardens, and animals noisily interacting.

We loved the thatched roofs of the small farm houses designed in the late 1700s for Marie Antoinette. This part of Versailles felt so different from the palace in scale, mood, and tone. We felt right at home in the 18th century.

"Hog in a bucket" quick sketch (top)

Doing a quick watercolor of goats

We liked the Hameau so much, we decided to return the next day.  As luck would have it, the second day was sparkling and sunny.

Contrast between sunny and cloudy day light and its effect on the same garden scene

5 minute sketch of future oil painting

Returning on the second day, I immediately saw the completed painting in my mind.

It would be a painting about hope - the hope and excitement that neat rows of ready-to-plant garden beds bring (the new life to come from them). It would be about the light - the sparkle of spring light on the trees and blossoms, the vibrant blue sky - in contrast with the dark compost on the garden beds.

The composition would feature the tension between the horizontal and the vertical, the poplar trees rising straight up into the sky (in contrast to the spire that had fallen). It would, I hope, convey the joy and peace I found here at a time of great sadness. 

The essence of this painting was in my “mind’s eye” before I picked up the oil paints a few days later in the studio. My sketches, watercolor, and photos combined with the emotions of the trip and the lessons learned over years of gardening and outdoor painting all came together to create this work.

Studio Scene

It is so satisfying when I am able to “get on canvas” a vision I have carried around in my mind. I hope this painting brings you joy too! 

"Spring at Hameau, Versailles" Oil on canvas, 14 x 18" (Sold)