Salon d'Hercule

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The Salon d'Hercule (also known as the Hercules Salon or the Hercules Drawing Room) is on the first floor of the Grand Appartement du Roi at the Château de Versailles and connects the North Wing of the Château with the main building.

This large room was originally a chapel before the royal chapel was built. In 1710, this new salon was added as a reception area and was dedicated to Hercules. Hercules (or Heracles; Greek Herakles; French Hercule) was the hero of Greco-Roman legend.

Architect Robert de Cotte (1656 - 1735) started remodeling the room in 1712 during the reign of King Louis XIV. Architect Jacques V Gabriel (1667 - 1742) completed the room in 1736 during the reign of King Louis XV.

Claude-Félix Tarlé (marbrier ordinaire des Bâtiments du Roi) worked with the marble of the room and was paid 50,000 livres. (The room was also known as the Great Marble Salon.)

François-Antoine Vassé (1681 - 1736) worked with the bronze and was paid 9,230 livres. The wood and stucco sculptor Jacques Verbekt (1704 - 1771) also worked with the room.

With François Le Moyne's (1688 - 1737) massive ceiling painting (1733 - 1736) of the Apotheosis of Hercules ("L'apothéose d'Hercule") and (1681 - 1736) gilded bronze carving of Hercules slaying the Nemean lion, the room received its characterization as the Salon d'Hercule.

Besides the spectacular ceiling painting of 142 figures by Le Moyne, there are two paintings by Paolo Veronese (1528 - 1588; born as Paolo Caliara; "Veronese" is from his birth town Verona). The painting "Eliezer et Rébecca" is over the large fireplace. On the opposite wall, is Veronese's painting "le Repas chez Simon". (Jesus' supper with Simon the leper in Bethany is recorded in Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50; and John 12:1-8.) The Republic of Venice gave this painting to Louis XIV in 1664.

The fireplace is built with Antin marble (named after the duc d'Antin (1665 - 1736), the director of the Batiments, who oversaw a marble manufacturing facility in southern France.) This is the largest fireplace in the Château.

The Salon d'Hercule is one of the most decorated rooms in the Château after the Galerie des Glaces, the Hall of Mirrors.