Coupole du Salon de la Paix (Cupola of the Salon of Peace) [pl. 44]

Massé employed the engraving technique, incising precise lines into a metal plate to create tonal gradations and spatial depth. The use of laid paper, with its subtle chain lines, adds texture to the surface. Delicate hatching and cross-contour lines model the figures, while ornamental borders of foliage and scrolls frame the scene, reflecting the decorative conventions of mid-18th-century French court art.

The print was made during the production of the *Galerie de Versailles*, a multi-volume series commissioned to record Le Brun’s ceiling paintings. Massé, who had served as court painter and trained notable artists like Liotard, contributed several engravings to this project. This particular plate was likely intended for scholarly or aristocratic audiences interested in the visual legacy of the royal palace.

The Salon de la Paix, part of Versailles’ State Apartments, was designed to celebrate the Treaty of Rastatt and the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. Its ceiling, painted by Le Brun, depicted allegories of peace and prosperity. Massé’s engraving served to disseminate this imagery beyond the palace walls, reinforcing the monarchy’s narrative of enlightened rule through accessible printed media.

Though Massé is less widely known today, his engravings preserved key elements of Le Brun’s decorative programs for future generations. This print exemplifies the role of printmaking in documenting and circulating courtly imagery during the ancien régime. Its technical precision and symbolic content remain valuable for understanding the visual culture of 18th-century French royalty.