Blue Salon, formerly known as the Battle Salon

The Blue Salon, formerly known as the Battle Salon, derives its name from the battle scenes of the War of the Austrian Succession (1742-1747) that were once depicted in the panels. These scenes included the battles of Fontenoy and Lawfeld, as well as the captures of Ypres, Menin, Courtray, and Fribourg. In 1746, these scenes were commissioned by Count d’Argenson, who was then the Minister of War, from the military painter Pierre Lenfant (1704-1787), a pupil of the royal painter Charles Parrocel (1688-1752). This series was contemporaneous with the one commissioned by King Louis XV to Parrocel for the Choisy Castle, executed mostly by Pierre Lenfant from 1757 to 1771 and eventually placed in the Salon de Diane at the Ministry of War in Versailles. Featuring Count d’Argenson alongside Louis XV, these scenes, highly appreciated, aimed to highlight his proximity to the monarch.

They were dispersed in public auctions during the sale of the castle’s assets in 1977-1978. The neo-rocaille woodwork and cornice date from 1906 and were created by the Parisian sculptor Planquette. The period or Louis XV-style furniture in this salon and the following ones has been recently arranged to restore the castle’s interiors to their former glory. On the left of the 18th-century fireplace (classified as a Historical Monument), one can observe a pianoforte dating back to 1789. The current owner has transformed this salon into a music room.