The Château de Versailles is one of the most well-known palaces in the world. It was built in 1682 by Louis XIV, the then King of France. As the residence of the French Royal Family until the French Revolution in the 18th century, during the reign of Louis XVI, the Château played host to an elegant court culture. Over the four centuries leading up until the present day, the Château de Versailles has occupied a special place both in history and in the public imagination, with its beauty inspiring numerous artists and creators.
Yasumichi Morita has been a regular visitor to the Château de Versailles over several years, capturing in his monochrome photographs the genius of the Château’s baroque architecture bathed in dazzling golden sunlight, while paying particular attention to the subtle differences produced by the light as it varies over the four seasons. This exhibition showcases the diverse expressions of the Château de Versailles, as captured by Morita’s unique sense of aesthetics. With around 100 works, the exhibition presents the beauty of the Château as a study in contrasts, between light and shadow, between the visible and the hidden, between the above ground and the underground.
This collection of photographs, which were all taken under natural illumination (except those taken long after sundown), capture the lives of the past in the shadows formed by the constantly changing light. On the occasion of this exhibition, which is entitled “In Praise of Shadows”, after the work of the same name by the Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki, Morita writes “No venue is more appropriate than the Château de Versailles as a means of illustrating the light and shadow that accompany our lives, irrespective of the era”.
