Bust of Louis XIV sculpted by Bernini returns to star in exhibition at Versailles

From June 3 to September 28, 2025, the Palace of Versailles is dedicating an exceptional exhibition to one of its best-known treasures: the bust of Louis XIV sculpted in 1665 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Entitled Le génie et la majesté: Louis XIV par Le Bernin - Genius and majesty: Louis XIV according to Bernini, the exhibition curated by Lionel Arsac, heritage conservator at the Palace of Versailles, offers a rare opportunity to take a close look at a masterpiece that, although it has been at the center of the French art scene for centuries, is usually visible from afar, placed high up in the sumptuous Hall of Diana.

The ongoing restoration of that hall has made possible a temporary museographic solution that is transformed into an opportunity for a close dialogue with the work. Housed in the Dauphine’s apartments, the exhibition brings the bust back within sight, allowing visitors to grasp its energy, refinement, and plastic strength as never before. It also reconstructs the entire historical and cultural context in which the portrait was conceived, offering a privileged look at one of the most important moments in seventeenth-century European artistic diplomacy.

In 1665, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was at the peak of his career. Considered the most famous artist in Europe, his talent is now recognized by all the most prestigious courts on the continent. His fame is not limited only to sculpture, but extends to all the art of his time, from painting to architectural design. When Louis XIV, known for his love of the arts and desire to emphasize the magnificence of his reign, invited him to Paris, it was an unprecedented event. Bernini’s visit is not only a meeting between two giants of art history, but also takes on a diplomatic connotation: Pope Alexander VII grants permission for the trip, thus giving the venture institutional significance. Bernini’s trip to Paris is shrouded in an aura of great anticipation. It was the only trip the artist would make outside Italy, a gesture that testifies to the incredible prestige and international influence he enjoyed. Arriving in Paris on June 2, 1665, Bernini immediately set to work, accepting the commission for a marble portrait of the king that was entrusted to him personally by Louis XIV on June 20. On October 5 of that year, after months of intensive work, the work was finally unveiled.

Chantelou reports the artist’s emotion at that precise moment “He told His Ma[jes]té that the work was finished, that he wished it to be of greater excellence that he had worked on it with such love, [...] and finishing these words, which he mispronounced, he began to weep in such a manner, that it was impossible to speak more, and withdrew, the Roy treating him in the most honest manner in the world.”

The creative process and the relationship with the King

The creative process that led to the creation of the bust of Louis XIV is a fascinating tale of dedication and passion. Bernini begins his work by observing the sovereign during his daily activities, such as when he receives advisors or plays with his court. There are no formal poses, but a continuous study of the king’s gestures and movements, which allows the sculptor to capture the essence of his model without ever forcing its naturalness. Bernini also made use of sketches and a clay model, while work on the marble began with the help of Giulio Cartari, his assistant. During the laying sessions, which lasted weeks, Bernini executed every detail of the king’s face, even those that Louis XIV did not always like.

The bond between Bernini and Louis XIV is an extraordinary example of cooperation between artist and patron. Although the king usually hates the posing sessions, he accepts the artist’s requests, even worrying about his health. During the sessions, he shows interest in every detail of the bust, admiring the work on the hair and lace collar of Venice, but also inquiring about the likeness of the portrait, as when he is concerned about the nose, asking if it has been realistically reproduced. This interaction between the two men, each aware of the importance of the other, helped define the image of Louis XIV and a new concept of royalty, a majesty reflected in the pose and expression of the sovereign.

An emblematic work

The bust of Louis XIV quickly became one of the most iconic images of the Sun King’s reign. The work not only immortalizes the physical appearance of the ruler, but also represents an idea of royalty never seen before. Its proud stance and majestic expression are symbolic of Louis XIV’s power and unquestionable authority. Once completed, the bust was displayed first in the Louvre, and later in the Tuileries, and finally placed in the Palace of Versailles, in the Salon de Diane, where it has remained unchanged ever since. Its privileged position, at the exit of the Ambassadors’ staircase, underscores its symbolic importance: the king thus greeted the most distinguished visitors, who passed in front of his image and were immediately confronted with the sovereign’s grandeur and power.

The exhibition to be held in 2025 at the Palace of Versailles represents an opportunity to view the bust of Louis XIV from a completely new perspective. Usually displayed in height and at a distance from the public, the bust will finally be shown up close, allowing visitors to observe every detail as the sculptor would have intended. The exhibition will be set up in the Dauphine apartment and will be divided into two rooms: the first will present Bernini’s diplomatic trip to France, with a focus on the protagonists who accompanied the artist during his stay in Paris; the second room will explore his work through the comparison between Italian Baroque and French classicism, a dialogue that would also mark the reign of Louis XV. Works from public and private collections, both French and foreign, will accompany the public on a journey that explores the historical and artistic context that led to the creation of one of the most extraordinary portraits in the history of sculpture. The exhibition, set by Antoine Fontaine, will offer a new and in-depth reading of one of the most celebrated masterpieces of the 17th century, in a dialogue with the history, art and power of the Sun King.

Bust of Louis XIV sculpted by Bernini returns to star in exhibition at Versailles

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