Grégory Bernard, painter-decorator, is currently involved in the restoration of Madame du Barry’s apartments. The objective of this project is to restore them as they were in 1770. The restoration is taking place at the same time, within fourteen rooms, so that the place regains its prestige and reveals the intimate history of the Palace of Versailles thanks to in particular to painter-decorators like Grégory Bernard.
On our shoulders, we carry the weight of knowing that we work in Versailles. We do our best, but in themselves, all projects are important. The Grail is to work at the Palace of Versailles.
Grégory Bernard, painter-decorator and works supervisor at Ateliers Gohard.
” The work of the painter-decorator is to blend into the decor, to understand it, to restore it, to restore it and to blend in. »
After college, Grégory Bernard apprenticed with a graphic designer and letter painter for two years. He completes his training in a construction and applied arts high school, passes the patent of crafts in graphics and painted decoration. Then he enters the companions of duty. For seven years, he travels while being an apprentice.
House painter, painter-decorator, gilder: originally a single profession
Graphic design, painted decoration, meetings, opportunities led Grégory Bernard to the Gohard workshops. Grégory Bernard likes color, trompe-l’oeil, gilding, ornamentation, materials. Everything related to the profession of painter-decorator.
” First, there are the architect’s requests and then the state of the support, the historical checks. In the trade, we have one of the fundamental works which is called the Watin (“The Art of the painter, gilder, varnisher, useful work for artists and amateurs” by Jean Félix Watin, 1773 edition), it is the first encyclopedia on the profession of house painter, painter-decorator and gilder because originally it was one and the same profession. This is why in my training, I wanted to learn house painting, in order to embellish the building by knowing the base and the fundamentals of the supports. »
” Then there is what we call the history of styles and techniques. According to the requests of the architect and the ethical policies of the profession, we will readapt the techniques of the period. Here we make all paints from A to Z from dry extracts. On the construction site, we only have pigments, binders and we remanufacture everything. There is also the patina, a history of time which is specific to the restoration of the Countess du Barry’s apartments. »
Evolving restoration techniques
18th century techniquese century are applied for the restoration of Madame du Barry’s apartmentand according to Grégory Bernard the restoration techniques to find the colors of the sets are evolving.
” We did a de-restoration, that is to say that we removed all the previous restorations with a reversibility of the paintings, we were thus able to find the original states that the Comtesse du Barry had been able to know in her apartments. We stabilized them and afterwards, we found the process to repatinate in addition to these period decorations. It is original work. »
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