Equestrian statue of Louis XIV (Versailles)

The Equestrian statue of Louis XIV in the Palace of Versailles refers to several distinct sculptures and projects depicting the French King Louis XIV on horseback, created throughout his reign and posthumously. The most notable and historically significant is the marble statue commissioned from Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1665.

Bernini's original design, reflecting Baroque dynamism and theatricality, proved controversial upon its arrival in France in 1685. It was deemed too flamboyant and Italianate for French tastes, particularly displeasing to Louis XIV himself. Critics felt it lacked the regal gravitas and classical restraint expected in French royal portraiture.

Consequently, the statue was drastically altered by French sculptor François Girardon in 1687. Girardon reworked the original Bernini marble into a statue of Marcus Curtius, the Roman hero who plunged into a chasm to save Rome. This modified version was then placed at the end of the Pièce d'Eau des Suisses in the Versailles gardens.

Another equestrian statue of Louis XIV, cast in bronze, was commissioned from the French sculptor Pierre Cartellier in 1816, and completed after his death by Louis Petitot. This statue, depicting Louis XIV as a Roman emperor, was initially placed in the courtyard of the Louvre. It was later moved to Versailles and installed in the Cour d'Honneur. This is the prominent equestrian statue seen at Versailles today.

These different versions highlight the evolving artistic tastes and political considerations surrounding royal representation in France during and after Louis XIV's reign. They also illustrate the tension between French and Italian artistic styles in the 17th and 19th centuries.