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Anu Papp’s “Portraits of Nobility” Finds a Home at Le Jardin Romantique du Petit Trianon
There are some places which are not only places but living verses of history, art, and love. The Le Jardin Romantique du Petit Trianon, a masterful recreation of Marie Antoinette’s own sanctuary, is one of them. This newest marvel of the past is the meticulous build by its owner and artist, Anu Papp, in creative collaboration with builder Caroline de Rothschild. A retreat designed to transport the soul back to the 18th century, to a time of refined elegance and sunbathed strolls.
This October, Le Jardin Romantique’s hallowed grounds will be filled with an exhibition that beautifully mirrors its own aura. “Portraits of Nobility and the Grand Manner” is a spectacular exhibition curated by its creator and owner, Anu Papp. This is not just a photography gallery; it is a dialogue between the old art and new technology, a stunning conversation in the very heart of this digital Versailles.
The “grand manner” was the pinnacle of formal portraiture, a type of painting that immortalized the nobility by investing their portraits with classical allusion, dramatic pose, and indications of their authority and virtue. It was a style rooted in the beauty of the Renaissance and the melodrama of the Baroque. In this exhibition, Anu Papp doesn’t just replicate this tradition; she revives it.
Anu’s process is a marriage of historical respect and modern innovation. She begins with photographs of Second Life inhabitants—digital avatars themselves a new means of self-expression. Through sophisticated editing methods, she reworks these portraits into a new medium, imbuing them with the seriousness, elegance, and the rich visual vocabulary of the grand manner tradition. The result is a breathtaking body of work where virtual and past meet, offering a fresh and compelling vision of what it takes to be power and prestige.
As you walk along the virtual salons and sun-kissed gardens of the Petit Trianon, you’ll notice how Anu’s digital portraits find themselves in conversation with the classic masterpieces that inspired them. It is an odyssey that invites us to consider how subjects of identity, status, and artistic convention find relevance today.
Your Invitation to Elegance
The exhibition is a true reflection of the passion with which it was created. We are delighted to invite you to the October 18th, 2025 grand opening at 12 PM SLT. We will be open for 30 days, giving you ample time to take in this stunning presentation. It is an opportunity to witness how a heritage of rich artworks is refreshed in an era of virtuality, all within the grandeur and evocative environment of Le Jardin Romantique.
For more information about the artist and her work, visit anupapp.com.