A key element in Stakenschneider’s decoration of the hall is the arcades with white marble columns. This motif is repeated in the surrounds of the two tiers of windows, which rest on demi-columns. The interior is made especially striking by the gilding and the patterned stuccowork on the ceiling and arches.
This part of the hall, planned as a place to rest, takes the form of a small apse with jasper columns and medallions set into the vault containing painted allegorical figures representing different art forms. Either side of the niche there are fountains whose water falls drop by drop from one seashell-like bowl to another. Hence the name “Fountains of Tears”. Set into the marble floor is a reduced-size copy of an Ancient Roman mosaic featuring subjects from classical mythology that was made by Russian craftsmen in 1847–51. The eight-sided Roman mosaic top of the table also repeats the design of the same ancient original.
