KING LOUIS XIV ON HORSEBACK

Imposing and elegant sculpture in bronze with a brown patina representing King Louis XIV as a Roman emperor, on horseback and at a walk. His costume is adorned with numerous neoclassical motifs, his hand outstretched in a gesture of command. It is an imposing royal portrait of power and absolute monarchy, paying tribute to one of the most important sovereigns in French history.
Louis XIV’s 72-year reign, the longest in European history, not only strengthened the power of the monarchy, but made France the most powerful nation in Europe. The period during which he was King of France became known as ‘The Age of Louis XIV’.

This statue is a reproduction of the famous portrait of the Sun King by François Girardon (1628-1715), which once stood on the Place Vendôme before being destroyed less than a century later during the French Revolution in 1792.
A copy of the same size can be seen in the centre of the main hall of the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco.

French work in the style of François Girardon, executed around 1900.