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The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors facts for kids

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William Orpen - The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors
The famous painting showing the signing of the peace treaty.

The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles, 28 June 1919 is a famous painting by Irish artist William Orpen. He finished it in 1919. This painting shows a very important moment: the signing of the peace treaty that ended World War I.

The painting was specially asked for to remember the Peace Conference held at the beautiful Palace of Versailles in 1919. Today, you can see this artwork at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Painting the End of a War

William Orpen was chosen as a war artist in 1917. This meant his job was to create art about the war. He was also the official painter at the peace conference. His task was to paint three large pictures to record what happened there.

This painting was the most expensive artwork ordered by the British government for World War I. Orpen was paid £3,000 for it. This was a lot of money at the time. For example, another famous artist, John Singer Sargent, got £300 for his much bigger painting called Gassed.

The painting shows the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty was signed by representatives from Germany on June 28, 1919. It officially ended World War I.

The painting is a group picture. It shows soldiers, diplomats, and politicians who were at the conference. They are signing the treaty in the fancy Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. This palace was once home to the French king Louis XIV. High up on the wall, you can see words that say "Le Roy Gouverne par lui meme." This means "The King governs alone."

Orpen himself started to dislike the politicians at the conference. He thought they were too proud and cared only about themselves. In his painting, he shows them looking very small compared to the huge palace. This makes the palace seem more important than the people.

Who's in the Painting?

Many important people are shown in this painting. They were all part of the peace conference.

In the front row, you can see:

  • Johannes Bell: A German politician. He is sitting in a chair and signing the treaty.
  • Hermann Müller: A German politician. He is standing next to Bell, leaning over.

Sitting in the middle row, from left to right:

Standing in the back row, from left to right:

Artist William Orpen himself appears twice in the painting. You can see his unclear reflection in the mirrors behind the main people.

Other Paintings by Orpen

Orpen painted other pictures about the peace conference too. One shows early talks of a group called the "Council of Ten." This happened in the Hall of Clocks at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Another painting shows a coffin lying in a marble hall, covered by a British flag.

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