Two days ago we visited Potsdam and the park around the Schloss Sanssouci (Sanssouci Palace). I could never remember the correct writing of this name until I read in Wiki that it comes from the french words "sans souci", which means "careless", "without worries". King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, has built it in 1747 for his own pleasure, to be away of the royal concerns and routine.
Initially (mid-18th century) it has been only a small villa (10 principal rooms) built on top of a charming terraced vineyard hill. The king didn´t want to show off, so if you stand on the bottom of the terraces you can barely see the palace itself. But it surely brings you to the idea of the harmony between man and nature (pre-Romantic ideal).
I wonder if those vineyards produce any grapes??...
But with time (twenty years later) he decided to build another palace in the park, to oppose the first one, in order to display his power and strength to the world. Shortly, to show-off.
Funny thing is that despite king´s wish to build a proper fountain system, the knowledge of the hydraulics was very poor back then, and Frederick saw none of them playing. They stayed dry for almost 100 years.
18th century art is not possible to imagine without the influence of the Oriental style. Chinese rooms, chinese houses, chinese porcellan were usual attributes of the royal mode of life.
The Chinese House in Sanssouci is a tribute to the East (as it was imagined by the local architects who probably had no idea of the real China) mixed with rococo elements. Significant is the fact that all the figures displayed play an instrument.
Initially (mid-18th century) it has been only a small villa (10 principal rooms) built on top of a charming terraced vineyard hill. The king didn´t want to show off, so if you stand on the bottom of the terraces you can barely see the palace itself. But it surely brings you to the idea of the harmony between man and nature (pre-Romantic ideal).
I wonder if those vineyards produce any grapes??...
But with time (twenty years later) he decided to build another palace in the park, to oppose the first one, in order to display his power and strength to the world. Shortly, to show-off.
 |
| Baroque "Fanfaronnade" |
Funny thing is that despite king´s wish to build a proper fountain system, the knowledge of the hydraulics was very poor back then, and Frederick saw none of them playing. They stayed dry for almost 100 years.
 |
| In front of the Orangerie |
18th century art is not possible to imagine without the influence of the Oriental style. Chinese rooms, chinese houses, chinese porcellan were usual attributes of the royal mode of life.
The Chinese House in Sanssouci is a tribute to the East (as it was imagined by the local architects who probably had no idea of the real China) mixed with rococo elements. Significant is the fact that all the figures displayed play an instrument.
No comments:
Post a Comment