Even More Drawings for Versailles

The Palace of Versailles has acquired several drawings during the Paris Drawing Week sales in March 2026, including a rare study by Charles de La Fosse for the royal chapel's dome decoration. The drawing, depicting a reclining nude man for "The Resurrection of Christ," was purchased at the Rossini auction of Paul and Florence Vercier's collection for €3,800. This acquisition adds to Versailles' growing collection of La Fosse works, following earlier purchases of an angel study in 2016 and a ceiling project in 2023.

These acquisitions matter because they fill significant gaps in Versailles' holdings of preparatory drawings for its own royal chapel, one of Louis XIV's final commissions. Charles de La Fosse's drawings for this project are extremely rare, making each new addition a valuable resource for understanding the artistic process behind a major Baroque monument. The purchases also demonstrate how French national museums continue to actively enrich their collections through the Paris auction market, even with modest budgets.