The Restoration of Dulin's masterpiece in front of the public

On the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the Invalides, this painted masterpiece of the Grand Siècle will undergo a major restoration, right before the public's eyes, in a workshop set up.

Discover the restoration of the big painting “The establishment of the Hôtel des Invalides” by Pierre Dulin during your visit of the Dôme the Invalides. 

The work will then be scanned in high-definition and displayed in the Salle Vauban, formerly the soldiers' refectory. 

Restorers will make sure their work is visible for the public. Some panels (in french ?) will explain to the public the whole restoration project. 

More about the artwork

In 1710, Pierre Dulin was commissioned to design a cartoon for a tapestry representing the building of the Invalides,a testimony of Louis XIV's attachment to this charitable institution which he considered as "the greatest idea of his reign". Completed in 1715, the painted cartoon of The Establishment of the Hôtel des Invalides was used to create a high-warp tapestry at the Gobelins factory in 1725. Greeted by the trumpet of Renown, the Marquis de Louvois, Secretary of State for War, presents the King and the Dauphin with a blueprint held up by the allegorical figures of Minerva and Architecture, while a winged Victory guides a group of invalid soldiers. 

A museum ticket ensures access to this masterpiece. This restoration is generously supported by Lazard Frères Gestion and the Fondation pour la Sauvegarde de l'Art Français.