Louis XV, passions of a king: the sumptuous exhibition is visited by night at the Château de Versailles

An exhibition on Louis XV? His life, his family, his friends and enemies, his passions: on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of his coronation, the Château de Versailles is organizing a major exhibition on the Beloved King. From October 18, 2022 to February 19, 2023, come and discover Louis XV, passions of a king.

Crushed between two giants of French history, the discreet Louis XV is less known than his great-grandfather Louis XIV, and his grandson Louis XVI. To bring this"Beloved" king back to the forefront, the Château de Versailles is organizing a new exhibition from October 18, 2022 to February 19, 2023.

The exhibition will end soon... Don't miss its last days! If you can't go during the day, take advantage of the evening events organized at the Château de Versailles. From February 15 to 19, the exhibition remains open from 5:30 pm to 10 pm for night owls. Reserve your ticket now!

On the occasion of the tercentenary of his coronation, come and discover Louis XV, passions of a king, an exhibition gathering nearly 400 works, which retrace the life of the monarch, his relationships, and his passions. This exhibition is divided into 3 parts:

The private man who looks back on his childhood
The king's passions
Louis XV and the arts of his time

A great lover of art, Louis XV lived his life in luxury, among the great minds and the most exceptional works of his time. Consecrated in 1722, Louis XV was the king of the Age of Enlightenment. Under his reign, France imposed its culture and art all over Europe, and thus obtained its reputation as a nation of arts and good taste.

Portrait of Louis XV aged 5 years on his throne

Theexhibition allows us to discover the life of this monarch, from his childhood to his death, through his family and his entourage. For the occasion, exceptional works are brought together, some of which are unveiled for the first time in France. Paintings, sculptures, objets d'art, furniture and period pieces allow us to better understand the personality of this lover of science and the arts.

Louis XV as a child, aged 5 - Antoine Coysevox

This discreet king, who preferred to lock himself up in his private chambers to study and cultivate his passions, rather than give grand parties, received a very thorough education, and was influenced throughout his life by key figures.

Madame de Pompadour - Jean-Baptiste Pigalle

Very religious, he was very interested in science, botany and animals. He also carefully studiedarchitecture, especially the way buildings could influence politics in his kingdom.

African Lion and Polish Bear - Jean-Jacques Bachelier

Louis XV was a very curious king, who financed great research trips, maritime expeditions, botanical experimentation laboratories...

The renovated Passemant clock - astronomical clock

He also ordered geographers and astronomers to map France in detail, which allows us today to admire magnificent terrestrial and celestial globes, as well as planispheres.

Moving globe - Claude-Siméon Passemant

This passion for science went hand in hand with a pronounced taste for the arts, and more particularly forrocaille art, or rococo art. The king greatly pushed this style that breaks away from geometric rules and symmetry. The art world was suddenly turned upside down and freed from the old shackles of beauty, the fashion was then to the loaded pieces, decorated with a thousand details, colors, textures, shapes ...

Chandelier with nine arms of light, with the arms of Madame de Pompadour - Jacques Caffieri and rocaille

Finish the exhibition by discovering the incredible Commode of the bedroom of Louis XV, icon of the reign of Louis XV, the portraits of Madame de Pompadour and Madame Du Barry but also the exhibition of a contemporary creation called"Après nous, le déluge" made by the collective Lignereux which shows us the splendor of this period before the decline.

On the occasion of the exhibition Louis XV, passions of a king offers us an exceptional privilege: the exhibition tour allows us to visit some of the most representative places of the Versailles of Louis XV. We discover theapartment of Madame de Pompadour, those of the Dauphin, the small apartments of the king ... But above all, after 18 months of work, theapartment of Madame Du Barry, which testifies to the intimate life of Louis XV, opens again to you, freshly restored.

The apartment of Madame Du Barry