100% creation

The painter's art throughout the eras of Versailles according to Grégory Bernard

Audio 04:15

Grégory Bernard, painter-decorator - Ateliers Gohard - Madame du Barry's apartments - Palace of Versailles.

© Maria Afonso / RFI

By: Maria Afonso

4 mins

Grégory Bernard, painter-decorator, is currently involved in the restoration of Madame du Barry's apartments.

The objective of this project is to restore them as they were in 1770. The restoration is taking place at the same time, within fourteen rooms, so that the place regains its prestige and reveals the intimate history of the Palace of Versailles thanks to in particular to painter-decorators like Grégory Bernard.

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On our shoulders, we carry the weight of knowing that we work in Versailles.

We do our best, but in themselves, all projects are important.

The Grail is to work at the Palace of Versailles.

Grégory Bernard, painter-decorator and works

supervisor at Ateliers Gohard

.

“ 

The work of the painter-decorator is to blend into the decor, to understand it, to restore it, to restore it and to blend in.

 »

Restoration of Madame du Barry's apartments - Palace of Versailles © Maria Afonso

After college, Grégory Bernard apprenticed with a graphic designer and letter painter for two years.

He completed his training in a construction and applied arts high school, passed the crafts certificate in graphic design and painted decoration.

Then he enters the companions of duty.

For seven years, he travels while learning.

Restoration of Madame du Barry's apartments - Palace of Versailles © Maria Afonso

House painter, painter-decorator, gilder: originally a single profession

Graphic design, painted decoration, meetings, opportunities led Grégory Bernard to the Gohard workshops.

Grégory Bernard loves color, trompe-l'oeil, gilding, ornamentation, materials.

Everything related to the profession of painter-decorator.

“ 

First, there are the architect's requests and then the state of the support, the historical checks.

In the trade, we have one of the fundamental works which is called the Watin ("The Art of the painter, gilder, varnisher, useful work for artists and amateurs" by Jean Félix Watin, 1773 edition), it is the first encyclopedia on the profession of house painter, painter-decorator and gilder because originally it was one and the same profession.

This is why in my training, I wanted to learn house painting, in order to embellish the building by knowing the base and the fundamentals of the supports.

 »

Restoration of Madame du Barry's apartments - bathroom - Palace of Versailles © Maria Afonso

“ 

Then there is what we call the history of styles and techniques.

According to the requests of the architect and the ethical policies of the profession, we will readapt the techniques of the period.

Here we make all paints from A to Z from dry extracts.

On the construction site, we only have pigments, binders and we remanufacture everything.

There is also the patina, a history of time which is specific to the restoration of the Countess du Barry's apartments.

 »

Restoration of Madame du Barry's apartments - the library - Palace of Versailles © Maria Afonso

Evolving restoration techniques

The techniques of the 18th century are applied for

the restoration of the apartment of Madame du Barry

, and according to Grégory Bernard the techniques of restoration to find the colors of the decorations evolve.

“ 

We did a de-restoration, that is to say that we removed all the previous restorations with reversibility of the paintings, we were thus able to find the original states that the Comtesse du Barry had been able to know in his apartments.

We stabilized them and afterwards, we found the process to repatinate in addition to these period decorations.

It is original work.

 »

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