It's a great night in Versailles ... The views of the Petit Trianon park light up for an exceptional night. The fires of the bundles in the ditches and the lanterns hanging from the trees or hidden in the flower beds allow you to see many small silhouettes in the darkness. The crowd rushes to discover the spectacle of the rotunda of the Temple of Love, masterfully illuminated. In this rare re-enactment of this garden in eighteenth-century art, the painter plays with chiaroscuro and reflections in the water. In the garden of the Petit Trianon sumptuous parties were organized under the aegis of Marie Antoinette. Here it would have been represented none other than the reception of June 6, 1782 in honor of the Count of the North, son of Catherine II, future Paul I of Russia.

This painting illustrates Hubert Robert, the inexhaustible chronicler of the events of Parisian life: parties, urban works, fires. Today this artist, with a notable official career, is best known for his depictions of ruins with sentimental content.

© Musée des beaux-arts de Quimper.