Interior view

The H�tel de la Vrilli�re (which today houses the Bank of France) was artfully sited by Fran�ois Mansart on a triangular plot near the Palais Royal. It had the standard front courtyard framed by three wings, the main one extending into a longer fa�ade overlooking the garden to the rear. Another long wing running along the garden held an orangery on the ground floor and a gallery upstairs. The gallery (Galerie Dor�e), with a ceiling vault decorated with frescoes by Fran�ois Perrier, housed a major collection of artworks It is worth noting that the patron’s taste in art was thoroughly Italian: his gallery featured Guido Reni’s Rape of Helena, as well as works by Guercino, Cortona, and Poussin (considered to be “Roman”). An inventory conducted in 1681 listed 240 works.