artist. He was totally uninterested in psychology; as a result of this, a debate continues today concerning the depiction (illustrated right) of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, more specifically concerning whether this the meeting or the parting of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. Some experts claim they can detect a certain haughtiness in Cleopatra's pose which indicates that some form of farewell is intended, but opinion is strongly divided. The remaining state rooms, built around the internal courtyard, pale in comparison to the ballroom. Nonetheless, each of those other rooms is a masterpiece in its own right. As for the Green Damask Salone, in addition to its sculpted fireplace of inlaid marble it contains huge frescoes, and a ceiling by Pompeo Batoni. In the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries The wealth and power of the Labia family declined with the fall of the Serene Republic in 1797. During the 19th century the Palazzo fell into decay. This coincided with a period where Tiepolo's work was unpopular and unappreciated. In 1945 a munitions boat exploded close to the palazzo, shattering its already precarious foundations, and causing fragments of the ballroom frescoes to fall to the ground. In 1948 the palazzo acquired a new owner, Don Carlos de Beistegui (Charlie de Beistegui), French-born into a Basque-Spanish family heir to a Mexican fortune, who began an intensive restoration. Beistegui was a skilled natural interior decorator, and for the derelict palazzo, he purchased furnishings acquired from the palazzo's less fortunate neighbours, including frescoes by Raphael, Annibale Carracci, and Guido Reni. These works of art, coupled with newly acquired tapestries and antiques, restored to the palazzo its former splendour. So avid a collector was Don Carlos that his taste became known as le goût Beistegui (the Beistegui style)." On 3 September 1951 Don Carlos held a masquerade ball, Le Bal oriental, at the Palazzo Labia. It was one of the largest and most lavish social events of the 20th century. It launched the career of the Venetian fashion designer Pierre Cardin, who designed about 30 of the costumes worn by members of the "dolce vita" who attended. Christian Dior and Salvador Dalí designed each other's costumes. Cecil Beaton's photographs of the ball display an almost surreal society, reminiscent of the Venetian life immediately before the fall of the republic at the end of the 18th century. The party was to be one of the truly spectacular events