EXHIBITION Genius and majesty - Louis XIV by Bernini

Christophe Fouin

From 3 June to 28 September 2025, the Palace of Versailles is presenting an exhibition focusing on the famous bust of Louis XIV created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a key figure of the Italian baroque era in the 17th century, better known in France as ‘le Bernin’.

The exhibition

This exhibition is running in tandem with the restoration work which has been taking place in the Diana Room since October 2021 to restore the decorative painted and sculpted scheme on the ceiling, coving and overdoors to their former glory. This room offers a setting designed to reveal the full detail of the connection between the genius of the artist and the majesty of his bust of Louis XIV.

The exhibition, which is being presented in the Dauphine’s apartment, turns the spotlight in particular on one of the most iconic artefacts in the palace collections: the bust of Louis XIV, sculpted in marble by Bernini during his trip to Paris in 1665.

Restoration of the ceiling in the Diana Room

© EPV/Thomas Garnier

The first room presents the main protagonists of Bernini’s trip to France, which produced what some art historians consider to be “the most magnificent baroque portrait”. The second room focuses on Bernini’s work and French artists’ responses to it. This dialogue between the Italian baroque and French classicism marked the beginning of an artistic rivalry which would extend into the reign of Louis XV.

The bust of Louis XIV, which is usually displayed in an elevated position in the Diana Room some distance away from visitors, will now be accessible at close quarters, offering a unique opportunity to admire in detail this masterpiece of 17th-century sculpture. It will be displayed at eye-level and presented virtually as it would have been when it was first revealed to the king in 1665.

The artist and history

When Bernini made his trip to France, his reputation preceded him. Louis XIV’s invitation to Paris in 1665 came at a time when he was considered to be the most famous sculptor in Europe. Although the project for a new Louvre designed by Bernini had been a failure, the bust of Louis XIV, a truly idealized portrait of the king, was the high point of this extended trip, despite the issues associated with the choice of marble and the many criticisms it attracted. The famous bust celebrating the sovereign grandeur of Louis XIV, which was exhibited at the Tuileries and then at Versailles, is a work whose artistic inspiration transcends mere likeness and embodies timeless majesty.

Following this success, Louis XIV commissioned an equestrian statue from Bernini, but this received a less enthusiastic reception from the king.

The exhibition retraces this striking episode when art became a tool for representing power.

The bust of Louis XIV

© Chateau de Versailles/Christophe Fouin

Link to the collection site

Exceptional loans and artistic context

The exhibition is enriched with outstanding loans from French and international institutions; these make it possible to trace the context in which the bust of Louis XIV was created and offer an insight into the genius of Bernini.

They include the portrait of Bernini painted by Giovanni Battista Gaulli (Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini, Rome) and the bust of Alexander VII sculpted by Bernini (Fondation Palazzo Chigi Zondadari, Sienna) which reflect his popularity at that time and his relationship with his clients, notably Pope Alexander VII. Several works from the collections at Versailles will also be on display, including Advances in the Art of Drawing in the Reign of Louis XIV by Nicolas-Pierre Loir, which elevates the king to the status of a divine figure at the very height of artistic creation, and The Glory of Louis XIV Triumphs over Time by Baldassare Franceschini, which celebrates the immortality of the sovereign.

These works make it possible to explore the artistic and political issues associated with Bernini’s visit to the French court. Drawing on a selection of works and documents, the exhibition casts light on the prominent figures who turned this trip into an artistic and political event. One of the key players was Jean-Baptiste Colbert, whose portrait painted by Claude Lefèbvre in 1666 has been moved for the exhibition from the Louis XIV rooms to the Dauphine’s apartment.

This exhibition illustrates the artistic and political ambition of the reign of Louis XIV, and reveals the European dimension of his dialogue with the finest artists of his day.

Media partners

Practical information

Dates: from 3 June 2025 to 28 September 2025.
Opening times: please refer to the full opening times, closed on Mondays.
Location: the Dauphine’s apartment, access via Entrance A of the Palace

Curator

Curator: Lionel Arsac, Palace of Versailles Heritage Curator.
Exhibition design: Antoine Fontaine

Admission with a Palace Ticket or Passport (including visitors entitled to free admission)

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Ce billet donne accès au Château. Grâce à la réservation en ligne, entrez au Château dans la demi-heure suivant l’horaire choisi.

Il inclut l'accès :

au Château avec réservation horaire ;
aux expositions temporaires qui y sont présentées ;
à la galerie des Carrosses (tous les week-ends) ;
à la salle du Jeu de Paume ;
aux Jardins (du 1^er novembre au 30 mars seulement - pour accéder aux Jardins avant le 1^er novembre, il faut un billet Passeport ou un billet Jardins) ;
au Parc.

Vous avez la possibilité de prendre le billet Passeport qui permet d’accéder à l'ensemble du domaine de Versailles (Château, domaine de Trianon et les Jardins).

L’achat sur place est possible dans la limite des places disponibles.

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Passeport

Ce billet donne accès à l'ensemble du domaine de Versailles.

32 € Acheter

Passeport

Ce billet donne accès à l'ensemble du domaine de Versailles.

32 €

Passeport

Ce billet donne accès à l'ensemble du domaine de Versailles (Château, domaine de Trianon et l'ensemble des jardins). Grâce à la réservation en ligne, entrez au Château dans la demi-heure suivant l’horaire choisi.

Il inclut l'accès :

au Château avec réservation horaire ;
au domaine de Trianon ;
aux expositions temporaires ;
à la galerie des Carrosses (tous les week-ends) ;
à la salle du Jeu de Paume ;
aux Jardins (du 1^er avril au 31 octobre, entrée unique pendant les Jardins Musicaux et les Grandes Eaux Musicales) ;
au Parc.

Pour profiter de l'ensemble du domaine de Versailles, les jardins sont accessibles dès 8h, le domaine de Trianon dès 12h et la galerie des Carrosses dès 12h30.

Les jardins ferment exceptionnellement à 17h30 les samedis de Grandes Eaux Nocturnes du 7 juin au 20 septembre ainsi que le samedi 24 mai, le lundi 14 juillet, le vendredi 15 août et les 26, 28, 29, 30, 31 octobre.

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Carte "1 an à Versailles"

Pendant 1 an, profitez d'un accès illimité au Domaine, d'un accès coupe-file au Château, d'une programmation culturelle exclusive et de nombreux avantages.

65 €