The Billiard Room is placed on the ground floor and was originally supposed to be a gathering-place for the male companions of Madame de Pompadour. Apparently, Louis XV liked the idea and he procured a beautifully decorated billiard table for the room - sadly it no longer exists. Marie Antoinette changed the plan a bit. She had the elaborate billiard table moved upstairs and provided a simpler table instead; the room was now to be used for the entertainment of the guards whose salon was right across the hall of the main staircase. The new billiard table for the guards was sold during the revolution in 1794.
A beautiful marble bust of Marie Antoinette stands on the chimney in front of a large mirror. The floors are unlike those normally seen in royal residences at this time in France: they are of the so-called "herringbone"-style. In the corner a hidden door leads into the warming kitchen.
Two large paintings makes out the only other decoration in the room: one of Marie Antoinette by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and one of the royal family.
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| The painting of the royal family is just visible to the far right |
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| The large portrait of Marie Antoinette is placed on the opposite wall |
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| The hidden door can just be spotted to the right |
Nice post and the billiard room is amazing. The billiard table is very beautiful with nice blue colour. Keep posting interesting posts like this one.
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