The margravine's apartments in Rastatt Palace are a mirror image of the margrave's apartments. The ceiling frescoes are an important example of early Italian quadratura painting in Germany.
Raising Hercules
Giuseppe Roli, who painted the frescoes in the ancestral hall, also designed the margravine's rooms between 1704 and 1707, with the help of his students, Giuseppe Antonio Caccioli and Pietro Antonio Farina. These Bolognese artists were specialists in quadratura painting: Their illusionistic style makes spaces appear larger than they actually are. The scene in the audience room depicts “Raising Hercules”, which is a reference of Sibylla Augusta as a mother.
Original table clock with ivory relief
The margravine's rooms have been maintained in dark red and gold. The décor once included silver furniture and a magnificent clock with silver figures. Hangings around the bed and throne canopy were embroidered in red, silver and gold. After the Baden-Baden line died out, items from this magnificent décor were auctioned off. Remaining pieces include a four-part table stand and a clock decorated with gemstones and ivory carvings.
Hypnos, the God of Sleep
Above the alcove, Hypnos, the God of sleep, presses his fingers to his lips as if to say: “Quiet, this is the bedroom!” The ceiling fresco also makes reference to the subject of sleep with the scene “Sleep of Venus”, even though nobody actually slept here. The late Baroque Italian state bed is of the “Lit à la duchesse” style with a canopy suspended from the ceiling, like the one once owned by Sibylla Augusta.
Margravine Sibylla Augusta’s magnificent bedroom
See the private rooms as part of a guided tour
The three private rooms next to the state apartment are dominated by light colors and more vibrant designs. After 1747, Margrave Ludwig Georg had the rooms modernized in the Rococo style. Then they were paneled in wood and outfitted with cast iron stoves and stucco-adorned fireplaces. The ceiling frescoes still date back to the original construction and are the work of Bolognese quadratura painters. The Goddesses Tellus, Juno and Flora are depicted, symbolizing growth and life.
From the bedroom, look across to the ceiling of the miniatures cabinet – a masterpiece of stucco and painting.
From the bedroom, look across to the ceiling of the miniatures cabinet – a masterpiece of stucco and painting.
Two magnificent rooms in Margravine Sibylla Augusta’s private apartments
