▁vel vet , ▁gold ▁leaf , ▁and ▁cher ub im ▁and ▁n ym ph s , ▁the ▁interior ▁is ▁characteristic ▁of ▁Bar o que ▁sum pt uous ness . ▁ ▁Grand ▁st air case ▁The ▁building ▁features ▁a ▁large ▁cer emon ial ▁st air case ▁of ▁white ▁mar ble ▁with ▁a ▁bal ust rade ▁of ▁red ▁and ▁green ▁mar ble , ▁which ▁div ides ▁into ▁two ▁diver gent ▁fl ights ▁of ▁st airs ▁that ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁Grand ▁Fo yer . ▁Its ▁design ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Victor ▁Louis ' s ▁grand ▁st air case ▁for ▁the ▁Thé âtre ▁de ▁Bor de aux . ▁The ▁ped est als ▁of ▁the ▁st air case ▁are ▁decor ated ▁with ▁female ▁tor ch ères , ▁created ▁by ▁Albert - Er nest ▁Car rier - B elle use . ▁ ▁The ▁ce iling ▁above ▁the ▁st air case ▁was ▁painted ▁by ▁Is id ore ▁P ils ▁to ▁dep ict ▁The ▁Tri umph ▁of ▁Apol lo , ▁The ▁En chant ment ▁of ▁Music ▁Dep loy ing ▁its ▁Char ms , ▁Min erva ▁Fight ing ▁Br ut ality ▁Watch ed ▁by ▁the ▁God s ▁of ▁Olymp us , ▁and ▁The ▁City ▁of ▁Paris ▁Rece iving ▁the ▁Plan ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Op éra . ▁When ▁the ▁paint ings ▁were ▁first ▁fixed ▁in ▁place ▁two ▁months ▁before ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁building , ▁it ▁was ▁obvious ▁to ▁G arn ier ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁too ▁dark ▁for ▁the ▁space . ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁two ▁of ▁his ▁students , ▁P ils ▁had ▁to