The Mars Salon

At the center of the ceiling, Mars, god of war, rides a chariot drawn by two wolves, with soldiers, weapons, and helmets scattered beneath him. Louis XIV was no warmonger, but he never hesitated when he judged war necessary — more than thirty years of his reign were spent at war.

The room displays further paintings on the theme of war, including "The Family of Darius before Alexander." It depicts the captured family of the defeated King Darius pleading for mercy before the victorious Alexander the Great — but mistakenly bowing before one of his close companions instead. Far from taking offense, Alexander is said to have extended his hand and replied, "You have made no mistake; Hephaestion here is Alexander too." The painting was meant to show that Louis XIV possessed the same mercy and generosity.

True to its name, the Mars Salon originally served as a room for the royal guards, who screened visiting guests by day and slept on camp beds here by night — a natural arrangement, given that the king's bedchamber lay just next door. When festivities were held, however, the room transformed entirely: two tiered platforms were set up on either side of the fireplace on the central wall for musicians, turning the space into a ballroom.