# Louis XIV

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Content updated: 2026-06-22

Louis XIV is an art and architecture spot in France, associated with a sculpture designed for the French king. Gian Lorenzo Bernini conceived the work as an equestrian statue.

The planned composition showed Louis XIV in a cuirass, holding a sceptre while riding a rearing horse supported by rocks. The design aimed to express the Sun King's power.

Students of the French Academy in Rome executed the final sculpture for a Parisian square. Louis XIV did not approve the result.

François Girardon transformed it into Marcus Curtius, the Roman hero, and the work entered the Orangerie of Versailles. The Orangerie of Versailles houses the transformed work.

A small terracotta group served as the original model, with filler material and pins supporting the horse's legs and the king's limbs. The model's front legs, tail, and feet received restoration.

Bernini's model drew inspiration from his Emperor Constantine for the Scala Regia in the Vatican. This listed spot is wheelchair accessible for visitors.

- City: [Paris](https://mytuur.com/en/city/paris/)

## Photos

- ![](https://mytuur-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/image_LouisXIV_67853a4debe7a333a71d3718_0.jpg) — [Image: wikimedia](https://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Louis_XIV_Le_Bernin_Louvre_120409_01.jpg)

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