Versailles

Versailles is a palace near Paris, the former royal residence of France's monarchy. Originally a hunting lodge, the palace was expanded and developed by Louis XIII and Louis XIV as a residence; Louis XIV moved his court there in 1682. It continued as the French court under the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI. During the French Revolution the palace was largely abandoned and stripped of its contents; Napoleon later used it as a summer residence. In 1979 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and today is run as a visitor attraction, managed by the French Culture Ministry. This may be a prepatory sketch for a print. McBey was a self-taught artist who contributed to the etching revival of the early 20th century. He travelled widely in Europe, North Africa and America. He was made an official war artist in the First World War, working primarily in Egypt and Palestine. He moved to Tangier, Morocco, in 1932, then to America during the Second World War. He became an American citizen in 1942 and returned to Morocco after the war.