Grand Palace. Grand Palais - Grand Palace in Paris

Majestic Grand Palace fine arts(Le Grand Palais) decorated Winston Churchill Avenue at the very end of the 19th century. The construction of a major exhibition center in the Beaux-Art style began in 1897 and was completed in the spring of 1900 in time for the opening of the World Exhibition.

Thoughts about the beautiful and their embodiment

The start of construction of the Grand Palais was preceded by a competition architectural projects, and has not determined a single winner. By decision of the competition committee, the ideas of the architects Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas were recognized as the most interesting, and Charles Giraud was entrusted with the overall coordination of the work.

The building of the Grand Palace with a facade 240 meters long was erected on a part of the territory that was formerly occupied by the Palace of Industry, which did not meet the requirements of the time. It represents the culmination of the development of the eclectic Beaux-Arts style. Elements of classicism architecture are harmoniously combined in it with the constructions of the Art Nouveau era. The Paris Grand Palace belongs to those examples of architecture at the turn of the century, when the engineer acquires equal rights with the architect in shaping the aesthetic appearance of the building.

The impressive building with an area of ​​77 thousand m2 is located along the "republican axis" running from east to west. The large nave of the palace and the transverse paddock were designed by A. Deglan. He also owns the authorship of the colonnades along the facades, the model for which was the work of V. Lalu during the reconstruction of the Louvre.

Designed by A. Luve central part The buildings are covered with a magnificent dome. The weight of its metal structure and glass panels is 9 thousand tons, and highest point the vault is located at a height of 45 m. The western wing or Antin Palace (Palais d'Antin) was built by the architect A. Thomas. The use of a huge amount of glass in the construction of the Grand Palace allows us to call it the heir to the aesthetics of D. Paxton, who built the Crystal Palace in London in 1851.

decor art

Monumental copper sculptural compositions Georges Rechipon are symmetrically installed on the sides of the portal of the palace at a height of about 40 m. Closer to the Champs Elysees is the sculptural group “Immortality Conquering Time”, and from the side of the Seine, the composition “Harmony triumphing over Discordia” is the first to be installed. The facade of the palace is also decorated with numerous bronze statues by sculptors Alexander Falgier and Victor Peter.

Many halls of the Grand Palace are decorated with mosaic drawings. The floor of the Elliptical Hall is paved with brown, beige and greenish sandstone tiles. Its pattern repeats the cardboards proposed for interior decoration by the artist Louis Gist.


Ten mosaic panels are located on high altitude under the peristyle of A. Deglan. Their total area is 273 m2, and the total length of the work of art is 74 m. The plot of the mosaic paintings by Auguste and Rene Martin, created according to the sketches of Louis Fournier, was the history of great civilizations. Each episode focuses on the art of a particular region: ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, ancient egypt, the French Middle Ages, the Italian Renaissance, India, South=East Asia, Africa, China, Japan and the Americas.

Unity in Diversity

Upon completion of the construction of the Grand Palais, as expected, it became one of the leading cultural and exhibition centers in Paris. But if its western wing is the Antin Palace, since 1937 it has been constantly occupied by the exposition of the Museum of Discoveries and Inventions, then East End The palace was used very diversely.

Along with the organization of indispensable temporary art exhibitions in a number of halls, there were different years architectural workshops, customs, police station, Center for Germanic and Slavic Studies, Regional Center for Cultural Affairs, Mission for Photographic Heritage, National Gallery.


Creation in 2007 single center culture and art made it possible to introduce greater rationality in the use of the palace. Now it hosts National Gallery du Grand Palais, the Palace of Discoveries, the rehearsal rooms of the Comédie Francaise. The upcoming large-scale reconstruction of the Grand Palace in 2020-2023 will transform the building with more than century history and prepare it for fencing and taekwondo competitions during the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Grand Palais (Grand Palace) champs elysees- a luxurious building in the Beaux-Arts style, a major cultural and exhibition center.

It was built for the 1900 World's Fair. At first, they doubted whether it would be possible to outshine the success of the Eiffel Tower at the last exhibition? We decided that this time the emphasis would be on art. The Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts (full name of the Grand Palais) became part of a massive redevelopment of the western part of Paris.

Construction was difficult. The soil could not bear the weight of the building, 3400 oak piles were needed, because of this the estimate was greatly exceeded. It required a huge amount of stone, steel, rubble, bricks, equipment and labor. One and a half thousand builders also created problems - strikes broke out.

The result was worth it. Appeared majestic building with a steel frame, a huge glass roof, big amount statues, friezes, mosaics. Bronze quadriga by Georges Resipon crown both wings of the facade - allegorical statues represent Immortality, ahead of time, and Harmony, triumphant over discord. An inscription on the pediment proclaims that the Republic dedicates this building to the glory of French art.

From the very beginning, the Palace has become a venue for exhibitions - dedicated to innovation and technology and, of course, art. It was here that Matisse and Gauguin gained recognition, it was here that cubism first made itself known, led by Picasso, who was still unknown to anyone.

During World War II, the building was requisitioned as a military hospital with a thousand beds. Artists and sculptors who were not subject to mobilization decorated the wards or made molds for prostheses. During the occupation, the palace was used for Nazi propaganda exhibitions, and during the liberation of Paris, as the headquarters of the Resistance.

Today, the Grand Palais is still an artistic center. Exhibitions, fashion parades (the Chanel fashion house holds its shows here), car dealerships, horse shows, book fairs, live concerts, the World Fencing Championship - it is difficult to list all the events taking place under the glass roof of the Grand Palace of Fine Arts.

Grand Palace (fr. Grand Palais) in Paris is located to the left of central street French capital- Champs Elysees, this is in the 8th arrondissement of the city. His majestic architectural appearance in an eclectic style, Beaus-Arts is able to impress even seasoned connoisseurs of art and antiquity. It is a major cultural and exhibition center.

For the glory of French art

From April 15 to November 12, 1900, the World Exhibition was held in Paris, which was visited by more than 50 million people - a number that remains a record today. For its opening, timed to coincide with the meeting of the new, XX century, it was decided to build a palace. It was planned that it would be one of the sites of the landmark exhibition event.

To implement the project, it was necessary to “move” the Palace of Industry that stood here, that is, to dismantle it and make room. In 1897, the construction of this facility began. And in 1900, before the eyes of the Parisians and guests of the city on the Seine, he appeared, the Grand Palais, shocking with his appearance all imagination. On one of its pediments you can see a pompous inscription that the Republic dedicated this building to the glory of French art.

The Grand Palace was rapidly gaining fame as a serious cultural center. Almost all the capital's official cultural events began to be held here. As for the World Exhibition itself, thanks to it, Paris has acquired several more attractions: eiffel tower, Orsay station (nowadays there is a museum), Alexandre III bridge.

When the Grand Palace and other objects specially built for that grandiose exhibition (we named them above) were put into operation, many skeptics predicted a short fate for them. But they stand to this day, being among the most important symbols of the capital of France. In 1925, the Grand Palais became the site for another World Exhibition - modern industrial and decorative arts.

Architectural features of the Grand Palais

The full name of the object, adopted then: Grand Palace of Fine Arts. The entrances to it from the northeast and from the southeast are crowned with two copper quadrigas by Georges Resipon. The artistic image of each contains its own allegory. The first - the one from the side of the Champs Elysees - symbolizes Immortality ahead of time. The other, from the side of the Seine, personifies Harmony triumphing over discord. The roof of the building also attracts attention: it is not quite ordinary, glass. At night it is illuminated by hundreds of lights - an incredibly beautiful sight!

The architecture of the Grand Palais also attracts attention with contrasts - a strict 240-meter facade and structures decorated in the Art Nouveau style, which, however, harmoniously combine with each other. And next to Grand Palace there is his "younger brother" - the Small Palace (fr. Petit Palais). Although they are the same age: the Petit Palais was also built for the World Exhibition at the beginning of the last century. The palaces are separated by Place Clemenceau, named after the French Prime Minister during the First World War, Georges Benjamin Clemenceau.

Grand Palace: today

Today, the palace houses two museums. Located in the north wing Art Gallery, and in the western one - the Museum of Discoveries and Inventions. The latter appeared in 1937, when another world-class exhibition was held in Paris. It was originally conceived as the Museum of Science, as opposed to the Museum of Arts and Crafts, which had a technical focus. Since about the 70s of the last century, the lines between them began to gradually blur. Now everything has come down to the fact that Parisian students can see within its walls the practical embodiment of the theoretical calculations taught by him at school.

The art gallery does not have its own permanent exhibition. However, its territory is a venue for various artistic and cultural events. And of the highest level: for example, the Chanel Fashion House (Chanel) holds its shows here every year. If you ask any artist or sculptor from any country in the world, he will definitely tell you that exhibiting your work here means achieving a high level of recognition of your work.

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It is almost impossible not to notice the Grand Palace of Fine Arts in Paris. giant building with a whimsical glass roof, copper quadrigas on the pediments and a high spire topped with a tricolor, it attracts the eye of any traveler, wherever he is - on board a sightseeing boat sailing along the Seine, on the second floor tourist bus crossing the Pont Alexandre III, on observation decks Arc de Triomphe or Eiffel Tower. The Grand Palace was built for the World Exhibition of 1900 and marks the end of the era of the great redevelopment of Paris - together with the Petit Palace, it closes the line stretching from the esplanade of Les Invalides to the Champs Elysees.

Story

The architects of the future pavilion faced a very difficult task: to create a majestic, beautiful and at the same time original building (it was necessary to take into account that the construction would certainly be compared with the Eiffel Tower). As a result, the authorities of Paris preferred the project of the "three musketeers" - Henri Deglane, Albert Louvet, Albert Thomas. Charles Giraud, the creator of the Small Palace, was called upon to coordinate the external architectural appearance of the Grand Palace. The authors preferred to get away from the modernism of Gustave Eiffel and completed the building in the Beaux-Arts style, which involves a combination of various artistic and engineering trends - therefore, in the Grand Palace, antique bronze quadrigas on the pediments, baroque wall decor and an advanced construction of a glazed roof, reminiscent of Eiffel Tower.

The production of the main vault of the Grand Palace took 6,000 tons of steel - more than during the construction of the "First Lady of Paris". Its glazing area is 13,500 sq. m - even in our time, the roof of the palace is considered the largest glass roof in Europe.

The construction was difficult: the weak riverside soil could not withstand the weight of the grandiose building, it was necessary to urgently strengthen the foundation - pretty soon the budget was exceeded, and due to insufficient overtime pay, the builders staged mass strikes. Nevertheless, by some miracle they met the deadline: “The building dedicated by the Republic to the glory of French art” (this inscription can still be read on the pediment) was opened just in time for the World Exhibition of 1900.

Grand Palace today

Today, the monumental structure is divided into two unequal parts: the smaller one is occupied by the "Museum of Discoveries and Inventions" ( favorite place excursions of French schoolchildren), and a large one - the Art Gallery. It does not have a permanent exhibition, but temporary exhibitions are consistently of the highest quality - annually they attract up to 2 million visitors to the Grand Palace.

Practical information

Address: Paris, avenue Eisenhower, 3. Website

How to get there: the most convenient way is by metro (Champs-Elysees - Clemenceau or Franklin D. Roosvelt stations) or RER (Invalides station).

Opening hours and ticket prices: as a rule, the Grand Palace is open on any day except Tuesday, from 10:00 to 22:00. Hours of operation may vary on individual exhibition days. Ticket prices also vary depending on the events.