Hameau de la Reine, Early 19th Century Architecture in Europe - Emilia Kightley-Sutter

Garden  Paths of Hameau de la Reine vs. Versaille

Marie Antoinette  had this cute little village called Hameau de la Reine built for her, which imitated the lives of lesser fortunate people. It created the illusion that Le Petit Trianon was hidden in the countryside- this put the icing on the cake for her rural retreat- Rather it being on the grand Palace of Versailles grounds.  It was a return to nature and the vernacular, a less ordinate and stressful way of living. She took over villages and played alongside the common people and pretended to be starving to really get an authentic rustic feel with her privileged friends. She was really a young woman dedicated to her character. The built farms took 5  years to ultimately complete (in 1788) and removed extra ornament and played a revolutionary role in the progression of architecture. The farms weren’t supposed to wow viewers but instead provided charm and authentic appeal to the eye.

Such model farms were in fashion at the time among the high class French. Le Petit Trianon was designed to be a modest escape, but Marie wanted more. The spaces at Hameau allowed for more private encounters than the public platforms within Versailles or at Le Petit Trianon… perfect for her many affairs. The areas of emotional escape were purely for leisure and entertainment. Marie Antoinette hosted many musical concerts and performances within these grounds.

The architect Richard Mique had the aid of painter Hubert Robert, Hameau  revealed large meadow with water features, shrubs and flowers captivated the eye. Various buildings also returning to authentic or vernacular style were placed around an irregular pond which was kept moving by a stream and a mill.  Her personal rural scheme held a decorative tower in the form of a lighthouse looking over the plot,a billiards room, a guardhouse, a farmhouse, a barn (which was set on fire during the French Revolution), and a mill. The barn was on occasion used as a ballroom whilst the rest of the house was authentically decorated to serve the politically intense period.  

Under Louis XV the plot had been a flower garden, just baring natural landscape which featured the famous Versailles linear yard designs. To break from this royal pattern, Richard Mique transformed the land to have curved paths which wind and bend like an authentic and informal countryside. The irregular circles of flat ground and mounds were hugged by trees. Hameau was set up like a surreal garden stage set, sensibly relating to the Rousseau's (French philosopher and major influence of the French Revolution) important lessons of nature.

Hameau de la Reine perfectly opposed the grandiosity of Versailles, and its attention to detail impressed visitors for years to come. The comparable minimalist design provided a release from oppressive stone palaces of Versaille, which gave users headaches trying to comprehend the sheer size of the structure. Thatched roofs and false windows were to resemble repairs being made over the years, and a general decay of the modest plot.

Works Cited

• Nolhac, Pierre de, Le Reine Marie-Antoinette, 1892
• “A Retreat Fitted for a Queen: Marie-Antoinette Sought a More Intimate Refuge than Neighboring Versailles, in International Herald Tribune, 25 July 2006
• “Marie-Antoinette: She’s ba-a-ack,” in Oakland Tribune, 9 October 2006
• Fraser, Antonia. Marie Antoinette: The Journey. London: Phoenix, 2006. pag. Print.