Charles Le Brun was Louis XIV’s first painter and the leading designer of the decorative program for Versailles’s Hall of Mirrors.
Le Brun received the title Premier Peintre du Roi in 1662 after Louis XIV admired his paintings, especially The Family of Darius. He became the dominant artistic authority at the royal court, directing projects at Versailles and supervising the Gobelins manufactory. The king famously regarded him as the greatest French artist of his time.
The Hall of Mirrors was built between 1678 and 1684. Jules Hardouin-Mansart was the architect responsible for the gallery’s architectural construction, while Le Brun designed and directed its interior decoration, including the celebrated ceiling paintings glorifying Louis XIV’s military and political achievements. Thus, the quiz’s wording refers to Le Brun’s artistic design rather than sole architectural authorship.
The gallery is 73 metres long and contains 17 windows opposite 17 mirrored arches. Its mirrors symbolized royal wealth and technological power, while reflecting the gardens and candlelight. The hall later hosted major ceremonies, including the proclamation of the German Empire in 1871 and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.