The Avant-Foyer and the Lovers of Myth

From this terrace you can look down on the Grand Staircase, making it a lovely photo spot. When you're done, turn around.

This is the Avant-Foyer. "Foyer" originally means "fireplace" in French. In the old days the fireplace was the only source of heat, so when it was cold everyone gathered in front of it, and a place where people gathered came to be called a foyer. Today the word refers less to the fireplace than to the gathering space in a building itself, covering lounges, banquet halls, entrance halls and reception rooms. The Opéra Garnier has two foyers, and this is one of them. "Avant" means "front," so the name means "the foyer at the front."

The ceiling is decorated in mosaic and shows four couples from Greek mythology. From the left: Artemis, goddess of the moon, and Endymion, a young shepherd. Artemis put the beautiful Endymion into an eternal sleep so that he would never age, which is why his eyes are closed. Next to them, Eurydice, a nature spirit, holds hands with Orpheus, the bard and lyre player. Then comes Eos, goddess of the dawn, embracing Cephalus, a handsome hunter; she is said to have carried him off because he looked so beautiful hunting in the early morning. Last come Psyche, a mortal, and Hermes, messenger of the gods. They are the only pair who aren't actually a couple: Psyche's true partner is Eros, god of love. Eros wanted to marry the mortal Psyche and asked Zeus for help, and Zeus agreed to make her an immortal goddess. This scene shows Hermes, who can travel between the human and divine worlds, taking Psyche to the world of the gods.

Above the doors beneath the ceiling are sculptural decorations depicting the various workers who helped build the opera house, with winged angels holding construction tools such as saws and hammers.