A major artistic figure of the 17th century, Noël Coypel is little known among the public today. His work will be showcased in a new exhibition in the Grand Trianon from 26 September 2023.
the exhibition Despite his many works, Noël Coypel's name is eclipsed by that of his sons, Antoine and Noël-Nicolas Coypel, and his grandson Charles-Antoine Coypel.
Through a selection of over 80 works (paintings, drawings, tapestry cartoons, etc.), this exhibition highlights Noël Coypel's talents as a colorist and draughtsman.
Exhibition sequence The first part of the exhibition will be in the Cotelle Gallery in the Grand Trianon and will present works that evoke the painter’s greatest achievements. It will be a unique opportunity to discover lost decors, such as that of the king’s private apartment in the Tuileries, ensembles painted for the Grand Trianon, as well as works that are still visible today, such as the ceilings of the Dôme des Invalides and the parliament building in Rennes, which can be viewed on digital devices
The exhibition will continue in the Queen's State Apartment in the Palace of Versailles with the presentation of drawings and sketches relating to the ceiling of the Queen’s Guard Room, which was decorated by Coypel and was restored between 2015 and 2017.
Following this exhibition, the Rennes Fine Arts Museum will organise another exhibition on the artist’s whole career in 2024, in partnership with the Palace of Versailles.
Ceiling of the Queen’s Guard Room
© EPV / Thomas Garnier
noël coypel The founder of a dynasty of painters, Noël Coypel (1628-1707) excelled in several fields, including ceilings, easel paintings, graphic arts and tapestry cartoons.
Noël Coypel (1628-1707)
© Château de Versailles, Dist. RMN / © Christophe Fouin
Link to the collections website
After initial training in Orléans, he returned to Paris and worked on the sets for Luigi Rossi's opera Orfeo. Spotted by the painter Charles Errard, then director of the royal decorations at the Louvre, large-scale decorations became an essential part of his activity: those for the royal residences (the Louvre, Tuileries, Versailles and Trianon palaces), as well as those for the Parlement de Bretagne, in Rennes, and the Invalides royal church.
In parallel, Noël Coypel enjoyed a brilliant academic career. He was received at the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1663 and was appointed teacher at the Académie de France in Rome in 1664. He was head of the latter from 1673 to 1675 and was appointed head of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture 1695.
curators The exhibition will be curated by Béatrice Sarrazin, General Curator for Heritage at the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, and Guillaume Kazerouni, Head of Old Art Collections at the Rennes Fine Arts Museum.