More Charlottenburg

The little palace was soon expanded by the addition of "the New Wing" for Frederick the Great in an up to date classical style, as fashionable in the mid eighteenth century.

We start off in  hall of statues. I do love classical statues.

Then up the stairs to the apartments.

 This is the White Hall. Lovingly restored except for the painted ceiling which was of course totally destroyed in the War and so replced with a simple abstract bit of colouful daubing in the Seventies. It doesn't jar at all

 The Golden Gallery was ballroom/banqueting hall. Impressive multi-function space.

 There are plenty of paintings here that met the taste of the day for roccoco artists, notably French ones such as Chardin, Fragonard and Watteau.

The Embarkation for the Island of Cythera by Watteau.

 This is one of Watteau's masterpieces, and not  typical of his works, It was intended as a sort of sign for an art dealers shop. Note the detail below on the left with the lady examining carefully the brushwork on the foliage while the bloke is down on his knees for a good look at the nudes in the foreground.

The Cook by Chardin

 THE Winter Apartments were somewhat cosier, if one can say that of such a vast palace.