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The Palais des Etudes
As shown by the name Musée des Etudes ("museum of
studies") inscribed over the main entrance, the Palais
des Etudes, which was completed in 1839, was intended by Duban
as an area for exhibiting the Ecole's collections of casts,
architectural models, copies of Greek and Roman art and also
prizewinning works by students.
Originally, the Palais' central courtyard had no roof. In 1863
Duban covered it over with a glass roof supported by a metal
structure; his successor, Ernest-Georges Coquart, was thus able
to put a larger number of Antique casts on display, and the
Musée des Antiques was inaugurated in 1874. In 1971 these
casts were moved to the Petites Ecuries in Versailles.
Behind the Palais des Etudes and in line with the main axis
is the "Hémicycle
d'honneur" which is used for official ceremonies ;
its main decorative element is the large painting La Renommée
distribuant des couronnes ("Fame Distributing Crowns"),
completed in 1841 by Paul Delaroche (1797-1856) which brings
together imaginary portraits of the most eminent painters, sculptors
and architects in the various European schools.
On the first floor, the original long room, lit by eleven tall
arched windows, was made into a library in 1863 by Duban, who
designed the shelves, the furniture and the light fittings.
The central section is decorated by bas relief sculptures setting
around a door which comes from the château d'Anet. Now,
this room is assigned to the Médiathèque. It includes
the Salle Stratis Andréadis, with a collection of about
30,000 books available on an open access and the Salle d'angle
with periodicals and audiovisual documents (audiotapes, videotapes,
CD Rom, CD). The Médiathèque is particularly rich
in contemporary art documents. It is open to the students and
the professors. |
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