We have already commented (Vol. IV, p. 701 etc.) on the decoration in general. In this section we are particularly concerned with the decoration of apartments: we will refrain from recalling the flights of fancy indulged in by the great majority of our artists in this respect. The number of plates which have circulated among the public show adequately enough how necessary it was that these frivolous productions should become outmoded, so that they could give way to less bizarre compositions. This aim has been achieved, judging by some of the productions of contemporary architects.

In order to support our claim, we are going to refer to several examples of both genres, before concluding these observations with a presentation of the recent decorations carried out in the apartments of the Palais-Royal, for the Madame the Duchess of Orleans, for the designs of Monsieur Contant, architect of the King, from whom we have a number of works of the greatest merit, and who on more than one occasion has produced evidence of his taste in architecture, and his genius in decorative works.

Without referring here to those of the ast century, which were of an admirable genre (a), apart from a slight weightiness and perhaps a little confusion, the interior decorations of the first order are those f the Palais-Royal which we have just mentioned, the hotels of Toulouse and Biron, the residence of Monsieur Bourette, the country residence of Monsieur d'Argenson in Neuilly, the gallery of the hotel of Choiseul, etc.; which, when compared with those of the palace of the Bourbons, the hotel of Soubise, the hotel of Rohan-Cabot, the residence of Monsieur Dionis, the country residence of Monsieur de la Valliere at Montrouge, of the gallery of the hotel of the Villars, etc., demonstrate clearly the preference which the former should have over the latter, and how dangerous it would have been if our most famous contemporary artists had not created a new type of decoration which destroyed as it were the frivolity which was the only merit of the apartments of the palace of Bourbons, etc., and also abolished the weightiness which we have already criticized in the old decorations of the great majority of our royal residences. We will enter into some detail on this matter with regard to the designs we are going t present, and which, as we have just stated, have been executed under the supervision of Monsieur Contant, by the most gifted artists, who have seconded this learned architect in producing the embellishments of the Palais-Royal.

Plate XXIX: Architecture, Elevation opposite the casements of the drawing room on the first floor of the new apartments of Palais-Royal.

Plate XXX: Architecture, Elevation from the side of the fireplace in the same room.

Plate XXXI: Architecture, Elevation of the games room from the side of the door which enters into the drawing room.

Plate XXXII: Architecture, Elevation from the side of the fireplace of the same room.

Plate XXXIII: Architecture, Elevation from the side of the fireplace of the parade chamber.

Plate XXXIV: Architecture, Elevation from the side of the lying-in-state bed.

Plate XXXV: Architecture, Plans of the three rooms which comprise a part of the new parade apartments of the Palais-Royal.

Plates XXXVI and XXXVII: Architecture, details of the principal ornaments distributed among the decorations of the three preceding rooms; Cornice of the ceiling of the lying-in-state chamber; panels of the lying-in-state chamber.

Plates XXXVIII and XXXIX: Architecture, Ground floor plan and interior elevation of the stairway which leads from the cloister to the dormitory of the Abbey of Vauluisant, executed from the designs of Monsieur Franque, architect to the King; First floor plan and interior elevation of the stairway which leads from the cloister to the dormitory of the Abbey of Vauluisant, executed from the designs of Monsieur Franque, architect to the King.