Hyacinthe Rigaud or the Sun Portrait, the exhibition at the Palace of Versailles opening late at night

He painted one of the most famous portraits of King Louis XIV: Hyacinthe Rigaud is being honored at the Château de Versailles, with the exhibition "Hyacinthe Rigaud ou le portrait soleil". The retrospective runs from May 19 to June 13, 2021. Before the end of the exhibition, enjoy two exceptional evening events on June 12 and 13.

As the author of the most famous portrait of Louis XIV, it's only natural that the Château de Versailles should host the first retrospective devoted to Hyacinthe Rigaud. The exhibition, entitled Hyacinthe Rigaud ou le portrait soleil, runs from May 19 to June 13, 2021.

The Château de Versailles closes this exhibition in style with two nocturnal visits: on Saturday June 12 and Sunday June 13, stay until 10 p.m. in the aisles of the château to discover Hyacinthe Rigaud and his works after dark. This is also an opportunity to admire the great nocturnal waters of the Château de Versailles, which return for a new season on June 12.

Discover the extraordinary career of this artist through 150 works brought together for the occasion. The son of a tailor who became a painter to kings, this brilliant artist produced over a thousand masterpieces in the course of his career. For over half a century, Rigaud dominated the portrait genre, helping to give it a new importance.

The exhibition retraces the life of the painter to the nobility in a chronological and thematic way. An entire section is devoted to the various portraits of Louis XIV. But perhaps most interesting of all is the part that reveals Hyacinthe Rigaud's creative process - a process like no other.

This exhibition is also an opportunity for the Château de Versailles to showcase the exceptional collection of portraits held by the château, and painted by this painter who was so famous and sought-after in his day. Monsieur, the Sun King's brother, Philippe V, Louis XV, Jean de la Fontaine, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the Duchesse de Nemours... They all passed under the artist's brush, as did hundreds of other important people of the time.

Italian architect Pier Luigi Pizzi, internationally renowned for his spectacular stagings, was chosen to design the exhibition. We can therefore expect an impressive tour, designed to sublimate Hyacinthe Rigaud's paintings.

Pier Luigi Pizzi is a connoisseur and lover of Rigaud's work. He has therefore chosen to convey themagnitude and magnificence of the artist's work through simple solutions that convey the splendor of the materials, the abundance and subtlety of the details so dear to the King's painter.

The staging of the works themselves promises to be beautiful: the Château de Versailles promises a setting of classical architecture, whose monumentality echoes that of the artist's work, with columns, entablatures and arcades. What's more, the walls are covered in a fabric designed by Pier Luigi Pizzi in collaboration with Rubelli of Venice. Inspired by colors from the artist's palette, this fabric, with gold thread inserted in the weft, evokes the splendor of the court and Versailles.

We can't wait for the château to reopen its doors and let us admire the exhibition Hyacinthe Rigaud ou le portrait soleil! Will you be there?