Versailles: Treasures from the Palace.

The National Gallery of Australia is hosting a once in a lifetime exhibition with more than 130 pieces from the Palace of Versailles on display to the Australians public.

NGA Director, Gerard Vaughn said, “If ever absolute power can be expressed through unbridled opulence, this is it.”

This exhibition hosts a range of pieces from the Palace of Versailles during the reigns of Kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI.

These extravagant French artefacts right here in Canberra are giving visitors a chance to experience the most luxurious and powerful period of French history.

Stepping into this once in a lifetime display, visitors of the spectacle are immediately swept away to France with a video montage setting the scene for the rest of the exhibition.

Visitors then witness a snapshot into the indulgent lifestyle of French royals that was sustained for generations.

Grand paintings, gold-plated ornaments and intricate tapestry astonish all who experience it. It is difficult to ignore that each artefact played witness to everything that happened within the walls of the famous palace since the 1600’s. The centrepiece of the whole exhibition is the fascinating display of the 1.5-tonne statue of Latona and her children, one of Frances most iconic fountains. Visitors are offered the experience of getting up close and personal with one of the white marble figures and are taught about the significance of the treasured statue.

After visitors have finished exploring through the displays they are then taught about the intricacy of the underground pathways and the technical practicalities of the hydraulics within the Grand Petit Trianon palace.

The final epilogue of the exhibition explains to visitors the financial cost of this period for the French population of the time, which ends the exhibition perfectly.