Exhibition - The King is Dead - Versaille

THE KING IS DEAD EXHIBITION FrOM 27TH OCTOBEr 2015 TO 21ST FEBrUArY 2016

Press Contacts Hélène Dalifard, Aurélie Gevrey, Elsa Martin, Violaine Solari +33 (0)1 30 83 75 21 / presse@chateauversailles.fr

3 CONTENTS

Press release

5

Foreword by BĂŠatrix Saule

7

The exhibition

11

exhibition layout

12

curators

16

scenography

18

1st septembre 2015 at the Palace of Versailles

19

organ concerts in the royal chapel

20

in connection with the exhibition

23

publications

24

a MOOC on the life of Louis XIV in the court of Versailles

26

a dedicated programme of shows at the Palace of Versailles

28

appendices

31

practical information

32

Press rELEASE

THE KING IS DEAD EXHIBITION FrOM 27TH octobEr 2015 TO 21ST FEBrUArY 2016 africa and crimea rooms

the public institution of the pal ace of versailles has dedicated a major exhibition to commemor ating the death of Louis XIV in Versailles 300 years ago, on 1st september 1715.

The death of the king, both as a man and an institution, was a key moment in the construction of the public perception of the monarchy, combining religion (the death of a Christian) and politics (the death and resurrection of the king, who never dies). From his final death throes to the burial it resembled a performance, a great Baroque show of huge significance to courtly society, which was affected more than ever by it.

– the first on the subject – will look back on the details of the death, autopsy and funeral of Louis XIV, which strangely are little known, and to situate them in the funeral context of European sovereigns from the Renaissance period to the Enlightenment. It also discusses the survival - often paradoxical - of this ritual from the French Revolution to the contemporary era.

The exhibition

The exhibition will bring together works of art and historical documents of major importance from the largest French and foreign collections, including ceremonial portraits, funeral statues and effigies, gravestones, the manuscript for the account of the autopsy of the Béatrix Saule Director and Head Curator king, coins from the Saint-Denis Treasury, gold medals, emblems and ornaments, and furniture of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et of funeral liturgy. Some of the pieces on display have never been exhibited in public.

exhibition cur ators

de Trianon

Assisted by Hélène Delalex Exhibiting these masterpieces has required grand scenography effects. Scenographer Pier Conservation Officer at the Musée National des Luigi Pizzi was asked by Béatrix Saule, the exhibition's Head Curator, to design the layout for this Châteaux de Versailles et great Baroque show. Across the nine sections, visitors will discover a veritable funeral opera de Trianon and Gérard Sabatier Emeritus Professor scenogr aphy

Pier Luigi Pizzi

conducted by the artist.

The subject of the exhibition will not fail to surprise, and is scientifically rigorous. It is based on an international research program on royal ceremonies in European Courts, undertaken over the course of three years at the Palace of Versailles Research Centre under the leadership of Professors Gérard Sabatier and Mark Hengerer and with the participation of a team representing a range of disciplines, from coroners to liturgists, from medieval to contemporary historians.

7 foreword

The sheer scale of the exhibition titled 'Louis XIV, man and king',

held in Versailles five years ago, was proof of the wealth of heritage in terms of art collections, institutions, monuments and royal palaces, but there was nothing relating to the grave of the great king, nor depitcting the grand funeral ceremony held in Saint-Denis. This was not without reason. Only three facts had been retained from the death of the monarch: the rigidity of the king right up to his final breath, the famous funeral oration beginning with Dieu seul est grand mes frères (only God is great, my brothers) by Jean-Baptiste Massillon, and the funeral procession crossing the forest of SaintGermain by night. All in all, the funeral ceremonies had been somewhat forgotten.

However , for its 300th anniversary, the event had to be commemorated for what it was: the end of the

longest, and no doubt most glorious, reign of the French monarchy, one which had brought about radical changes in the history of Versailles. Moreover, 1715 also constituted a turning point for both France and Europe. Although it has been known since the masterful work by Paul Hazard that the ideas of the Enlightenment period started taking root in 1680, the fact remains that Louis XIV, Protector of order and stability within his kingdom, represented the final barrier against the development of these new ideas which, following his death, could finally develop unhindered. between the historical influence of the event and the scant attention given to the ceremony by historians. Of course, a feeling of relief, the desire to turn a new page and the urgency of organising the Regency may be an initial explanation, but the death of a king has always been a major ceremonial moment for the monarchy as well as an important one for courtly society, which was marked more than ever by the death. Would it have been any different for the death of Louis XIV?

There would therefore seem to be a par adox

the message of the exhibition The exhibition aims,

firstly, to show how well-established the sequence of events was and how well tradition was observed. It is based on concurring accounts from the era: - the Diary and Memoir of Dangeau, offering an account of the sovereign's final days from the initial onset of illness on 10th August to his death on 1st September. It gives such a detailed report on the succession of events that Desgranges, the Director of Ceremonies, recommended trusting the chronicler's work, saving himself from having to write another one.

-the Register of the Premiers Gentilshommes de la Chambre which describes each process in the ritual from the first mortuary vigil in the room of the deceased, to preparation of the body in the Bull's Eye Antechamber, its exhibition in the Chambre des Honneurs (Mercury Room), the procession of the heart, entrails and body, and the three ceremonies held at Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame and SainteChapelle.

- The Journal of Anthoine, which concords with the two preceding texts, includes personal opinions here and there, notably on the pomp and ceremony of the service at Saint-Denis which "surpassed everything of the kind we had seen until now".

8

In spite of their value and although they have been the subject of historical study, these documents leave questions unanswered and leave room for additional investigations. Research has cast light upon areas of uncertainty thanks, in particular, to the discovery of new documentation including a file concerning a dispute involving the Chamber, Stables and Directors of Ceremonies, which provided lists of the incredible amount of provisions required for the occasion; a more detailed ceremonial document than the Register of the Premiers gentilshommes offered a highly detailed description of the great bier, whose appearance was until then unknown; a copy of the plan of the layout of the choir in Saint-Denis, made at the time of the Restoration, compensated for the loss of the original one, and the exact position of the cavity once containing the entrails was revealed in a plan by Viollet-le Duc during restoration of Notre-Dame cathedral. New studies were begun in order to address or shed more light upon such diverse subjects as how the division in three parts was carried out, the itinerary of the funeral procession, the music played during the funeral service, the scale of the expenses incurred within the parish economy, the image held by those at the time of Saint-Denis, the behaviour of the Court in the face of the king's death and, especially, the highly complex question of mourning rules.

the theme of the exhibition is also largely based on work carried out between 2007 and 2009 as part of a programme by the Palace of Versailles Research Centre, led by Professors J. A. Chroscicki, M. Hengerer and G. Sabatier, and on the three volumes of Funérailles princières en Europe XVIe-XVIIIe siècle (Princely funerals in Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries), which supported the discoveries. Thanks to these sources, the theme has been enriched by different points of view; some, focusing on the past, help understand the customs and rites observed in 1715 and determine whether they were in accord with or broke with tradition, while others, offering a broader perspective, allow us to appreciate the actual effect of the great King's funeral in France and abroad, as well as the conformity or originality of funeral practices used in other courts in Europe.

With a wider chronological and geogr aphical scope,

right up to modern times, briefly going over the periods affected by changes of ideas and political regime, in order to show that these monarchical rites lived on after the sovereigns, constituting elements of appropriation or deviation.

L astly, we have also taken investigations

The sections of the exhibition were defined accordingly:

1. The loss of a King; 2. Louis is dying; 3. Operation and embalming 4. Exhibition and effigies; 5. The Court in mourning; 6. The funeral procession; 7. At Saint-Denis ; 8. Graves and mausoleums; 9. From monarchic to national funeral ceremonies.

The exhibits include a large number of manuscripts – including the king's will and its touching codicil, from the stronghold of the National Archives – there are few depictions and even fewer relics. A brilliant yet little-known painting, conserved in the English Royal collections since 1799, seemed to show the funeral procession of Louis XIV descending towards the plains of Saint-Denis, constituting the only painted portrayal of the king's funeral. However, after examination by N. Milovanovic, who identified it to be in the style of Van der Meulen, the painting was found to concern, once again, Queen Marie-Thérèse and not her husband. We must therefore rely on engravings. There were three engravings of the dead king in his death bed and ceremonial bed, presented with great freedom of interpretation, and four other redundant ones of the procession, as well as (and especially) the unusual engraving of the 'depositing' in Saint-Denis. The latter raises the question of why the engraver decided to show the temporary devices set up before the decoration of the nave, rather than the grand service, of which no illustration remains. It is the only example of its kind and the question remains unanswered.

Although the number of exhibits directly linked to the event

9

Apart from the fr agments of the king's heart conserved in a relics chest in Saint-Denis, which it would have been inappropriate to display, the only relics from the event suitable for exhibition are the plaque torn from the tomb in 1793 and the funeral gauntlets. The latter were part of the knightly honours, like the replica of La Joyeuse, the famous sword belonging to Charlemagne, on generous loan by the Louvre as well as other valuable iconic pieces from Saint-Denis. The graves themselves could only be evoked through drawings and mouldings, such as the perspective depiction of the monument for the heart from the Gaignières collection, or the gypsum copy of the kneeling statue of Louis XIV from the choir of Notre-Dame: the final image of the king commissioned to fulfil the wishes of Louis XIII, built near the cavity holding the entrails of the two kings. Other items have been included to clarify the context, others as equivalents, and some to provide a comparison. The first objective is met by portraits of participants or witnesses of the event as well as allegorical paintings, medals from the Histoire métallique collection and the medallions from Place des Victoires. They offer a glorious illustration of the monarch's reign that nonetheless includes a few caricatures.

In terms of equivalent relics, the funeral crown of the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, and the tabard belonging to the herald of arms of the King of England may evoke the lost emblems of the monarchy of the French Ancien Régime. On the other hand, and in closer connection, reproductions of the funeral ornaments from the last funeral ceremony for a French king, that of Louis XVIII in 1824, are a good indication of the splendour deployed. These include the cover for the grand bier made of violet silk velvet and decorated with 370 golden fleurs de lys, the Great Helm with its crest, the coat of arms, the spurs and gauntlets, the replicas of the golden sceptre belonging to Charles V, the hand of justice and the small royal crown.

L ast but not least, elements of comparison include the impressive account of the funeral ceremonies by Charles Quint, which remain an example of the kind; the impressive recumbent statue of Catherine de Medici which, while adding a more tragic aspect, highlights the absence of a Bourbon necropolis through its contrast with the magnificent Chapelle des Valois destined to house her grave. In addition to this is, of course, everything relating to Henri IV and Louis XIII as well as the section devoted to the period from the reign of Louis XV up to the contemporary era.

Developing the theme beyond a simple account of the death and funeral of Louis XIV has therefore encouraged the assembly of period works with of a wide variety materials, formats and levels of quality. In terms of paintings, for example, works by Pourbus, Rubens, Champaigne, Rigaud, De Troy, Hubert Robert and Isabey are on display alongside less well-known ones such as the striking depiction of La reine d’Espagne Marie-Louise d’Orléans sur son lit de mort (MarieLouise d'Orléans, Queen of Spain, on her deathbed) (New York, Hispanic Society of America), or even ones that have never been exhibited before like the immense panorama of the Funeral of President Sadi Carnot in the Pantheon (Funérailles du président Sadi Carnot au Panthéon).

The Collection of exhibits proved to be more or less problematic according to the topic.

Surprisingly, mourning within the Court was difficult to present due to the almost total lack of clothes and accessories from before the 19th century, both in France and abroad. This can be easily explained by the fact that there was no reason to preserve them: neither for their material aspect nor their historical value. While we owe to the French Revolution the loss of the crown, sceptre and hand of justice, borrowed from the Saint-Denis treasury for Louis XIV' funeral, most of the other emblems and ornaments were destined to a short existence, being works of ephemeral art.

Although certainly a difficulty, this was also perhaps an opportunity…

10 Scenography Simply bringing all these objects together , as beautiful or informative as they are, could not be enough to convey the emotion that the people must have felt during these intense moments of paying tribute to the dead king, including the tributes in the flame-lit chapel sparkling with light and filled with constant prayers and faux-bourdon Musique de la Chapelle songs; the advance of the funeral procession and the members of the King's household to the muted rhythm of the drums; and the long funeral ceremonies in the church of the Royal Abbey and its spectacular liturgy.

Achieving this seemed an impossible challenge. Nonetheless, we have attempted to evoke the splendour and charged atmosphere typical of these ceremonies by using techniques designed only for short-term use, in keeping with the Menus-Plaisirs of the time, and focusing in particular on the bravura piece to which they applied: the Italian cenotaph.

The display of gilded gypsum statues, bas-relief works in imitation bronze, a trompe-l’oeil painted marble sarcophagus, garlands, medallions and girandoles alongside royal emblems covered in crêpe fabric, as well as skeletons and skulls beneath the black drapes decorated with tears from the fourposter bed and pavilion hanging from the vault, constitutes a collection of magnificent and thought-provoking references and symbols, like in the 'vanitus' frequently found in the painting and literature of the Baroque period.

These royal funer al ceremonies were among the grandest – if not the very grandest – of royal events, orchestrated like a show that was animated by the use of inventions, techniques and astounding effects whose aim was to leave an impression in the minds of the people through aweinspiring scenography. No one was better able than Pier-Luigi Pizzi, with his gift for re-creating Baroque architectural decoration and ornaments, to make visitors to the exhibition feel the effects of what was "the grand theatre of death".

Béatrix Saule

Director and Head Curator of the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon

part i

the exhibition

12 Part I — The exhibition

The exhibition layout

The loss of a king 1715: The turning point of an er a

1715 constituted a turning point and marked a period of societal change: the 17 th century had ended and the Regency was beginning. Visitors to the exhibition will browse the exceptionally long 72year reign through a frieze of medals from the king's gold Histoire mĂŠtallique collection, leading on to a wax portrait by Antoine Benoist of the king seven years before his death.

The exhibition will evoke aspects of illumination as well as darker areas of the reign: painted and sculpted allegories illustrating the splendour of the reign, such as revealed in the funeral orations, will contrast with a selection of satirical engravings.

Louis is dying The "good death" of a great king

On 1st September 1715 Louis XIV passed away at the age of 77, having reigned for 72 years. He died suddenly after a sharp decline in his health in the summer of 1715. Suffering from leg pain from the beginning of the summer, he declined rapidly and was gone less than 15 days after gangrene set in.

He died as he had always lived: in public, still carrying out his "job as King" with a rigidity and courage that can only inspire admiration. He settled the procedures for his succession, put himself right with God and said his farewells successively to his family, faithful servants and Madame de Maintenon.

Painted and engraved portraits and historical documents relate the sovereign's final days in his room in Versailles and, as an epilogue, the very first actions of the following reign.

13 Operation and embalming The king is examined

The day after the king's death his body was transported to the Oeil-de-bœuf Antechamber, according to tradition, to be cut open, divided into three parts (body, heart and entrails) and embalmed by doctors and surgeons in front of the principal officers of the Court, before being placed in a double coffin made of lead and oak.

The scene is well documented by eye-witness accounts, the register from the Menus-Plaisirs Administration and reports by the doctors. The display includes the copper plaque placed on Louis XIV's coffin (Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis Basilica-cathedral, Musée de Cluny storage archive), which was desecrated during the Revolution, as well as surgical instruments and apothecary drugs (Paris, Musée de la Médecine).

Exhibition and effigie Death ceremonials

On the third day Louis XIV's coffin was displayed for a week in the Mercury Room in the King's State Apartments in order for tributes to be paid. In contrast to the long-established tradition, no wax effigy of the deceased was made but the coffin was simply covered in the pall of the Crown.

This break with the effigy ritual, which fictitiously extended the life of the monarch, can be explained by a change that was both judicial and religious. In other countries in Europe, however, the ritual of displaying the body (visibly or as an effigy) was still observed.

The court in mourning White, purple, bl ack: the colours of mourning

During periods of mourning, the appearance of the Court was transformed according to a strict etiquette that was more than ever apparent among its members. Certain rooms in the apartments were hung with black drapes.

However, it was most evident in the clothes and accessories worn. After Mary Stuart, the last 'White Queen', women sovereigns adopted black, like Marie de Medici. Kings on the other hand, in both France and England, wore crimson violet or purple during mourning.

For the members of the court there were subtle variations between 'grand mourning', 'semimourning' and 'minor mourning', according to the 'mourning period', the rank of the person in mourning and their family relationship with the deceased. These differences are revealed in the exhibition by large-scale images based on the Collection of Fashions in the French Court (Recueil des modes de la cour de France), alongside extremely rare accessories. The reception by Louis XIV of the Prince-Elector of Saxony in 1714 reveals the atmosphere in the French Court at the end of Louis XIV's reign: a court still in mourning under the weight of the successive loss of all the king's descendants.

14

The funeral procession Saint-Denis, the basilica of kings

The funeral procession transporting the body of a sovereign to its final resting place has always been an important moment. Collections of engravings have preserved the image of the most luxurious corteges.

Louis XIV's funeral procession, which left Versailles on 8th September 1715 at 7pm to arrive at dawn at Saint-Denis, is evoked by engravings, the Great Stables supplies register, plans showing the order of the procession and the journey from Versailles to Saint-Denis, as well as L’Arrivée du convoi funèbre de Marie-Thérèse en vue de Saint-Denis (English royal collections) and the exhibition's scenography which uses light (nocturnal effect), and sound (Funeral March by Philidor).

At Saint-Denis Saint-Denis, the basilica of kings

Four themes will be developed regarding the splendour of the funeral ceremonies: the royal Abbey of Saint-Denis and what it represented in France at the beginning of the 18th century, the decoration for the great funeral service, a grand show organised by the Menus-Plaisirs Administration, the ceremony itself (attendance, the service, emblems, the burial and the proclamation) and, last but not least, the repercussions of the ceremony in France and abroad.

Graves and mausoleums The king's three gr aves

In accordance with a tradition dating from the death of Philippe le Bel (1314), the bodies of French kings were separated into three parts (body, entrails and heart), each with its own grave, thereby increasing the number of places where homage could be paid to the dead king.

The body at Saint-Denis. Louis XIV's coffin was placed here in the Bourbon tomb, without a monument. This detail is made even more surprising by the fact that the preceding dynasty, the Valois, was honoured with large graves made by the greatest artists, such as the Effigie funéraire de Catherine de Médicis (Girolamo Della Robbia, 1565, Musée du Louvre).

The entrails at Notre-Dame de Paris. A recent discovery has allowed the identification of the exact location of the barrels containing the entrails of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, at the foot of the steps to the sanctuary and the statues placed there. This group of statues built in 1715 executed the wishes of Louis XIII. The heart in the Eglise des Jésuites on Rue Saint-Antoine in Paris. Dedicated to Saint Louis, patron saint of the French monarchy, and constructed thanks to the support of Louis XIII, this church contained the monuments for the hearts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, destroyed during the Revolution.

15 From monarchic to national funeral ceremonies From vandalism during the revolution, to the restor ation

During the French Revolution royal necropoli were vandalised by the revolutionaries, the vaults of the kings were opened and their remains scattered. At the time of the Restoration the royal Abbey, once again an important location thanks to its strong symbolic identity, played host to luxurious ceremonies, notably during the transportation to Saint-Denis of the remains of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, buried in the Madeleine cemetery after their execution.

The funer al service of Louis XVIII

All the emblems, ornaments and liturgical furnishings from the funeral ceremony for Louis XVIII, which conformed to the rituals observed for Louis XIV and Louis XV, have been preserved and will be displayed in their context, including the royal coat, crowns, sceptre and hand of justice; tunic coat, great helm, royal sword, gauntlets and spurs, tabards belonging to the heralds of arms; chasubles and copes, armchairs, chairs and stools for the officers.

Funer al ceremonies throughout history

This final section takes visitors through periods affected by changes of ideas and political regime, to show that these monarchical rites have survived and become elements of appropriation or deviation. Triumphant corteges turn towards new necropoli and reproduce the splendour of old funeral ceremonies, for example for the transportation of Voltaire to the French PanthĂŠon on 11th July 1791, the return of Napoleon I's ashes to the Invalides in 1840, ceremonies for Victor Hugo in 1885, as well as the funeral service for Sadi Carnot at the PanthĂŠon in 1894, depicted by a painting measuring nearly 10 metres long that is on display for the first time.

Epilogue: Cinematic high points

Walls of images will show extracts of films from funeral services for famous people from the 20th and 21st centuries, in partnership with Institut National de l’Audiovisuel.

16 Part I — The exhibition

The curators

Béatrix Saule A resident of the French Academy in Rome in 1975-1976,

Béatrix Saule became a curator at the Palace of Versailles in 1976, and from 1995 held the position of Cultural Services and Visitors Director as well as Promotion and Communications Director until being made, in 2003, Director of the Palace of Versailles Research Centre. Since 2008 she has also been Head Curator for Heritage and, since 2009, Director of the Musée National du Château de Versailles. Béatrix has renewed the Palace's policy for major exhibitions. She also manages the "Les métiers de Versailles" collection (jointly published by Perrin and the Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon).

Béatrix Saule has also been cur ator or Head Curator of numerous exhibitions: From birth to glory: Louis XIV in Saint-Germain, 1638-1682 (Musée des Antiquités nationales, 1988), The Sun and the North Star. France and Sweden in the 18th century (Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, 1994), Versailles and the royal tables of Europe, 17th - 19th century (Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, 1993-1994), Topkapi at Versailles, treasures of the Ottoman Court (Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, 1999), The Splendour of the Court of Saxony, Dresden at Versailles (Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, 2006), When Versailles was furnished in silver (Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, 20072008), Sciences and Curiosities at the Court of Versailles (Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, 2010-2011), André Le Nôtre in perspective 1616-2013 (Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, 2013-2014).

17 Gérard SABATIER (Modern History, 16th - 18th century, Université Pierre Mendes France Grenoble II). He specialises in studying the representation of power and monarchic rituals in Europe, particularly in 17 th-century France. He took part in the international investigation into the origins of the modern State (CNRS 1985-1986, European Science Foundation, 1989-1992): Origins of the Modern State in Europe. Iconography, Propaganda and Legitimation, Allan Ellenius, ed. Oxford University Press, 1998.

Gér ard Sabatier is an Emeritus professor

in Italy, Spain, England, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland and Russia. He is President of the Scientific Committee of the Palace of Versailles Research Centre.

He has taught and organised seminars and colloquia

Publications

Approximately 70 reports, articles and other contributions relating to portraits, allegories, medals, iconographic programmes, princely residences, statues, religious rituals, royal entrances etc.

Principal works: Versailles ou la figure du roi, Paris, Albin Michel, 1999. Le prince et les arts.

Stratégies figuratives de la monarchie française de la Renaissance aux Lumières, Seyssel, Champ Vallon, 2010.

In collaboration: Les monarchies de France et d’Espagne, 1556-1715, rituels et pratiques, Paris, Armand Colin, 2001.

Published works: Lugares de poder / lieux de pouvoir / places of power, Europe, XVe-XXe, Lisbonne, Fondation Gulbenkian, 1998. Claude-François Ménestrier. Les jésuites et le monde des images, Grenoble, PUG, 2009. Louis XIV espagnol ? Madrid et Versailles, images et modèles, Centre de recherche du château de Versailles-Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l’homme, Paris, 2009. Les funérailles princières en Europe XVIe-XVIIIe siècle, vol. 1, Le grand théâtre de la mort, CRCV-MSH, 2012, vol.2, Apothéoses monumentales, vol.3, Le deuil, la mémoire, la politique, CRCV-Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2013, 2015.

18 Part I — The exhibition

scenography

Pier Luigi Pizzi the layout she had envisaged for her exhibition on the death of the King, I immediately accepted for two good reasons.

"When Béatrix Saule asked me to design

and the opportunity to join Beatrix for another adventure even more so. I had met her during the exhibition called Versailles and the royal tables of Europe, 17th – 19th centuries in 1993 and 1994, from which I have wonderful memories.

The topic was an extr aordinary one

Thankfully we had a lot of time ahead of us.

For once we could therefore allow ourselves to reflect on the project calmly, but my impatience forced me to start working immdeiately. Béatrix Saule had of course already carried out research and made her decisions. We now had to establish the style.

We had to evoke the gr and scene of the death of a king: the spectacular ceremony that accompanied his burial. But everything that the King's Menus-Plaisirs had provided for the occasion had disappeared, because it was all ephemeral. There were very few documents, for example, for the reproduction of the bier in Saint-Denis, or the exhibition of the coffin in the Mercury Salon. There were no engravings, only descriptions by a few eye-witnesses, to help us piece together the sense of things. At this point we had to decide on what scale to carry out our projects, because we didn't have the same space in the Africa Room as we would have in the nave of a Cathedral! It was decided to treat the displays like a theatre set, with temporary scenery.

The dominant colour is natur ally bl ack,

the expression of mourning. Rest assured, however, the exhibition will be a lively one, full of theatrical effects and satire."

and scenographer has, throughout his long career, put his name to more than 500 shows in the world's greatest theatres.

Particular mention must be made, among others, of the inauguration of Opéra Bastille with Les Troyens by Berlioz.

In 1989 he designed the sensational Seicento exhibition at the Grand Palais, the first of a long series of successes with, notably, in Versailles scenography for Versailles and the royal tables of Europe, 17th – 19th centuries in 1993-1994, and Versailles and Antiquity in 2012-2013, as well as Anticomania for Galerie Kugel, for La Biennale des Antiquaires in 1992 and, more recently, in 2015, Les Bas-fonds du Baroque, La Rome du vice et de la misère at the Petit Palais.

Pier Luigi Pizzi, an internationally-renowned architect, director

part iI

1st September 2015 at the Palace of Versailles

20 Part II — 1st September at the Palace of Versailles

Organ Concerts in the royal chapel

Free admission for visitors with a 'Château' ticket.

Free for visitors under 26 years.

- Michel Bouvard, François Espinasse, Frédéric Desenclos and Jean-Baptiste Robin - will be playing on 1st September 2015 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the death of Louis XIV. The four official organists for the royal chapel organ

Throughout the day, from 10am to 6pm, the four musicians will take turns playing during the first 15 minutes of every hour. At 6pm they will put on an hour-long concert. The musical programme will showcase the diversity and development of styles of music appreciated in the Court during the King Sun's reign (Couperin, Lully, Marchand, Nivers etc.)

the royal chapel, the last grand construction by the sun king Although Louis XIV announced the construction of the royal chapel in 1682, when the

Court was established at Versailles, work only really began two years later. This final grand construction of his reign was by no means the one that required the most skills and effort: two architects, seven painters and twenty five sculptors were taken on to build the construction, planned and designed for so long by the ageing sovereign.

Dedicated to Saint- Louis, the chapel was blessed on 5th April 1710, five years before the death of

Louis XIV. Nevertheless, it constituted a real spiritual legacy. The principal gallery, set above the entrance, was reserved for the royal family; the galleries along the edge were for the blood princes and the main dignitaries of the Court; the other worshippers had places on the ground floor. The decoration mainly depicts the Passion of the Christ and the glorious Trinity.

The organ in the Royal Chapel A lover of music, Louis XIV wanted the ceremonies held in his chapel to be the most beautiful in Europe: he gave priority to musical effects and chose the musicians and singers himself. In particular, he installed the organ on the gallery level above the high altar, opposite himself. This special position is completely unique. Installed in 1711, the instrument built by Robert Clicquot was inaugurated on Easter day by François Couperin. Its striking white and gold colours transform it into an extension of the high altar and create a connection with La Résurrection du Christ painted in the vault by Charles de La Fosse. The case was made by talented decorative sculptors: Marin Belan, Robert de Lalande, André Legoupil and Pierre Taupin, under the management of Jules Degoullons.

The chapel organ is considered by specialists to be on a par with all the other original grand instruments by the Cliquot family (Poitiers cathedral, church of Houdan etc.)

21 programme for the concert at 6pm Louis Couperin (1626-1661)

Prélude du Grand Livre d'orgue, by François Espinasse Fantaisie n° 26, par Michel Bouvard Louis Couperin stopped working the same year as Mazarin, the year Louis XIV came to power and at the start of the "French Classical Era". Between 1559 and 1660 he followed the Court for negotiations for the marriage of Louis XIV to Marie-Thérèse, Infante of Spain, and played the organ for the royal celebration in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The concision of his pieces demonstrates his great skill in polyphony, based on the classical style that followed.

Henry Du Mont (1610-1684)

Three trios by the four organists, each in turn Made Master of the Royal Chapel in 1663, Henry Du Mont later received other titles in the Court such as Composer of Music of the Chapel in 1672 and Master of Music for the Queen in 1673. His organ trios for three hands are a unique part of the repertoire of French music, and are a valuable testimony to musical art at the beginning of the great king's reign.

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)

Passacaglia from Armide (1686) by Jean-Baptiste Robin This impressive passacaglia entitled "Les Plaisirs ont choisi pour asile", from the 5th act of the musical tragedy Armide by Lully, is a masterpiece of 17 th-century theatre music. Originally performed with an orchestra, choirs and soloists, this musical legacy was transcribed for the harpsichord by his friend Jean-Henri d’Anglebert.

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)

In Nativitatem Domini Canticum H.416 : 1) Prélude –2) Nuit by Frédéric Desenclos This oratorio is one of Charpentier's greatest pieces with, notably, the instrumental poem describing the night on the hill near Bethlehem. Charpentier was never a composer of the Court but he wrote music for the Troupe du Roi, in particular for pieces by Corneille and Molière. He is also one of the greatest French composers of religious music.

André R aison (1650-1719)

Offertory on 'Vive le Roy' by Frédéric Desenclos This joyful piece on 'Vive le Roy des Parisiens' (Long Live the King of Parisians) as he was entering the City Hall, was composed when Louis XIV had just undergone an initial fistula operation, and had gone to Notre-Dame de Paris to give thanks. The people had acclaimed him along the way! The piece is based on the tradition of Lebègue and Lully and finished with the song 'Vive le Roy'.

22 Louis Marchand (1669-1732)

Plein-Jeu, Tierce en taille, Grand Jeu du Te Deum by Jean- Baptiste Robin Pierre-Louis d’Aquin said of Marchand in 1754: "he had in his favour rapid execution, consistent and keen talent, and turns of song that he alone knew. […] he could only be described as Great: he was a man of genius". This colourful musician, an organist 'by neighbourhood' of the Royal Chapel, was one of the greatest virtuoso composers of French plein-jeu organ music (with double pedal) and the only Te Deum for organ.

Louis-Nicol as Clér ambault (1676-1749)

Suite of the 2nd tone Duo - Flutes - Basse de Cromorne - Récit de Nazard

by François Espinasse Born into a line of violinists and organists, Louis-Nicolas Clérambault was organist for the Household of Saint- Cyr. His two suites were published in 1710, at the same time that the Versailles chapel was finished, and heralded the gracious Louis-XV style. The composition is lighter, less elaborate and has more influences from the Italian style than any predecessor.

Fr ançois Couperin (1668-1733)

Extracts from the Mass for convents: Plein-jeu du Gloria - Cromorne en taille - Offertory on Grands Jeux

by Michel Bouvard Couperin inaugurated the organ in the Royal Chapel and was the last organist 'by neighbourhood' that Louis XIV listened to in Versailles before his death.

His music did not move away from the style or framework established by his contemporaries, but attained a remarkable depth of inspiration and workmanship.

With this offertory, Couperin offers a series of free variations on an accentuated tune in the style of a passepied. The second part offers an evasive meditation with a binary rhythmic structure, and the final section was based on a popular song entitled Louez le Dieu puissant.

part iII

In connection with the exhibition

24 Part III — In connection with the exhibition

publications

The exhibition catalogue: 'Le roi est mort' Foreword by

par Béatrix Saule

by Gérard Sabatier: 'Un opéra funèbre dans l’Europe baroque'

Gener al Introduction

joint publication by château de Versailles / taillandier

352 pages 24 x 28 cm € 44.90

Essays

- 'La bonne mort des rois' by Bernard Hours - 'Autopsie et embaumement' by Philippe Charlier - 'Esthétique et étiquette du deuil à la cour' by Raphaël Masson - 'Le dernier triomphe. Les funérailles royales de Charles VI à Henri IV' by Monique Chatenet - 'Les funérailles de Louis XIV à Saint-Denis' by Frédérique Leferme-Falguières - 'Oraisons funèbres et pamphlets à la mort de Louis XIV' by Francis Assaf - 'Les pompes funèbres de Paris et de Saint-Denis sous le règne de Louis XIV : l’avènement de la grandiloquence' by Jérôme de La Gorce - 'La musique dans le cérémonial des funérailles' by Thomas Leconte - 'Une Muse plaintive : les procédés musicaux du lugubre' by Jean Duron - 'Les Menus-Plaisirs et l’économie des funérailles royales au XVIIIe siècle' by Pauline Lemaigre-Gaffier - 'Des funérailles royales aux funérailles nationales en France XIXe-XXe siècles' by Avner Ben-Amos - 'Saint-Denis et Notre-Dame, cathédrales du deuil' by Jean-Marie Le Gall

by Gérard Sabatier 1. Ce roi qui disparaît ; 2. Louis se meurt ; 3. Ouverture et embaumement ; 4. Expositions et effigies ; 5. La cour en deuil ; 6. Le convoi funèbre ; 7. À Saint-Denis ; 8. Tombeaux et mausolées ; 9. Des funérailles monarchiques aux funérailles nationales.

Notes on the works

References Index

25 publications by the Palace of Versailles research centre Les funérailles princières en Europe, XVIe-XVIIIe siècle : le grand théâtre de la mort

Vol.1 Publication produced following the international colloquium on 14th, 15th and 16th October 2007 in Cracow Edited by Juliusz A. Chrościcki, Mark Hengerer, Gérard Sabatier Joint publication by the Centre de recherche du château de Versailles / Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l’homme Coll. 'Histoire', series 'Aulica – L’univers de la cour' May 2012 17 x 24 cm €47

Les funérailles princières en Europe, XVIe-XVIIIe siècle : apothéoses monumentales

Vol.2 Publication produced following the international colloquium on 27 th, 28th and 29th November 2008 in Madrid Edited by Juliusz A. Chrościcki, Mark Hengerer, Gérard Sabatier Joint publication by the Centre de recherche du château de Versailles / Presses universitaires de Rennes Coll. 'Histoire', series 'Aulica – L’univers de la cour' December 2013 17 x 24 cm 452 p. €22

Les funérailles princières en Europe, XVIe-XVIIIe siècle : le deuil, la mémoire, la politique

Vol.3 Publication produced following the international colloquium on 26th and 27 th November 2009 in Versailles and on 28th November 2009 in Saint-Venis.

Edited by Juliusz A. Chrościcki, Mark Hengerer, Gérard Sabatier Joint publication by Centre de recherche du château de Versailles / Presses universitaires de Rennes Coll. 'Histoire', series 'Aulica – L’univers de la cour' June 2015 17 x 24 cm 440 p. €22

publications in partnership with the Palace of Versailles Funérailles royales : Points de rencontre Edited by Gérard Sabatier CRDP/CANOPE in the youth category October 2015 64 p. € 5.00

Louis XIV intime Hélène Delalex Gallimard September 2015 192 p. €29

26 Part III — In connection with the exhibition

A MOOC for discovering the life of Louis XIV in Versailles

The 'Louis XIV at Versailles' MOOC This autumn The Pal ace of Versailles and Or ange

designed for the general public. It will allow all participants to discover and improve their knowledge about the life of Louis XIV in Versailles.

will be l aunching a free cultur al MOOC

The MOOC will accompany the exhibition called The King is dead held in the Palace of Versailles from 27 th October 2015 to 21 st February 2016, for the 300th anniversary of the death of the Sun King. Registration will open at the beginning of September, and the course is due to start on 26th October.

View of the Palace of Versailles, on Orangery side, from the heights of Satory, 1664 Adam-FransVan der Meulen Château de Versailles

What are MOOCs?

A 'MOOC', or Massive Online Open Course, is an online learning course in which participants interact and share skills.

• 'Massive' means the course can have an unlimited number of participants.

• 'Open' shows it is open to everyone, wherever they are and whatever their level of knowledge.

• 'Online' means it is hosted online.

• 'Course' shows that it has a programme, with a beginning and an end.

MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) are free online courses open to everybody.

Thanks to a partnership with Or ange, the Palace of Versailles is experimenting with a new form of communication to the public. Using a digital project to spread previously unknown cultural information, it is pursuing its mission to transfer knowledge and promote its heritage.

The 'Louis XIV at Versailles' MOOC will offer an educational programme of 7 modules. Each one will correspond to a broader topic to be developed using: - Three videos with a narrator moving around the different locations in the Palace.

- Additional document resources (interviews, iconographs, videos, scientific articles, bibliographies, 3D reconstructions, podcasts, online colloquia etc.)

- Fun quizzes for self-testing on the things learned.

- A discussion forum where participants can ask questions to experts in Versailles. They can also communicate with each other.

27 Practical information

Registration: open to all at the beginning of Septembre at https://solerni.org/ Start of the MOOC: 27 th October 2015 End of the MOOC: 21st February 2016 Length: 7 modules Estimated weekly study time: 1 hour 30 min Price: free Certificate: certificate of completion Course language: French

The 7 modules focus on the following topics:

- Louis XIV's Versailles (Moving into Versailles, the end of travels?, the architecture of the Palace of Versailles).

- In the King's room (Etiquette; the morning ceremonials; evening ceremonials).

- The Council of Ministers ('King and born to be'; France in 1661; the system of government).

- At the table and in the kitchen (the King's meal; "Avoir bouche à cour" ; "Piquer une table", "chercher midi" and other substitutes).

- "Heures rompues" (the time for mistresses; the time for "bâtards" ; the time for valets).

- The King of the Arts (Protector of the Arts; propaganda; the King's Taste).

- Parties and entertainment (ordinary entertainment; extraordinary entertainment; "Le grand Théâtre de la mort").

The scenario for the MOOC is the fruit of a coll abor ation between teams from Orange and the Palace of Versailles. Its content was written by Mathieu da Vinha, the scientific director of the Palace of Versailles Research Centre.

The MOOC will be hosted by Solerni, the Orange social learning platform.

Orange and the palace of Versailles: an innovation partnership since 2009 In Continuation of the partnership established since 2009,

this MOOC is an opportunity for Orange and the Palace of Versailles to pursue their innovation initiative for communication to a wide audience, thanks to personalised courses and greater opportunities to share visitor experiences. They have created several projects together, including a visitors' application called Jardins de Versailles.

Versailles and digitial technology

New technology has been one of the major focuses of the Palace of Versailles's development policy for a long time, offering visitors and internet users a large number of digital tools enabling them to deepen their knowledge of the palace and estate.

Or ange, a digital actor in culture and knowledge dissemination

Orange, one of the biggest telecommunications operators in the world, aims to make the benefits of digital technology available to the greatest number of people possible. The group has been partnering cultural institutions for several years on projects with a shared aim: putting digital technology at the heart of culture: a factor of human, economic and social development.

28 Part III — In connection with the exhibition

A dedicated programme of shows at the palace of versailles

Louis XIV tricentenary, 1715-2015

Staged operas Armide Jean-Baptiste Lully Opera Atelier, Toronto: David Fallis Director: Marshall Pynkoski 20th, 21st November 2015, 8pm, 22nd November, 3pm, Royal Opera House

Monsieur de Pourceaugnac Jean-Baptiste Lully Les Arts Florissants, William Christie Director: Clément Hervieu-Léger 7 th, 8th, 9th January 2016, 8pm, 10th January 2016, 4pm, Royal Opera House

Orféo Luigi Rossi Pygmalion Ensemble, Conductor: Raphaël Pichon Director: Jetske Mijnssen 19th and 20th February 2016, 8pm, Royal Opera House

Concerts Press Contacts

The royal funeral of Louis XIV

Opus 64

Music by Michel Richard de Lalande for the funeral of Louis XIV(1715) Grands Motets De Profundis & Dies Irae Faux-Bourdons by Jean Colin & Louis Chein Pygmalion Ensemble, Raphaël Pichon 3rd and 4th November, 8pm, The Royal Chapel

Valérie Samuel and Amélie de Pange 52 rue de l'Arbre Sec 75001 Paris +33 (0)1 40 26 77 94 a.depange@opus64.com

See the full program at: www.chateauversaillesspectacles.fr

Royal ballet of the night Music for the Ballet de la Nuit (the Ballet of the Night), danced by Louis XIV in 1653 Correspondances Ensemble, Sébastien Daucé 29th November 2015, 3pm, Royal Opera House

Lully Gala Millenium Orchestra, Cappella Mediterranea Conductor: Leonardo García Alarcón 2nd December 2015, 9pm, Hall of Mirrors

29

A Royal Christmas Marc-Antoine Charpentier Litanies to the Virgin, Antiennes O de l’Avent, Christmas tunes for instruments, Motets for the Virgin Dialogum inter angeli et pastores, Magnificat with three voices.

Les Talens Lyriques Conductor, organ and harpsichord: Christophe Rousset 5th December 2015, 8pm, the Royal Chapel

Grand Venitian Mass for the birth of Louis XIV Rovetta, Monteverdi, Cavalli Galilei Consort, Conductor: Benjamin Chénier 16th December 2015, 8pm, the Royal Chapel

Music for Saint Cyr Colasse: Spiritual hymns Nivers et Clerambault: Motets Pages and Cantors of the Versailles Baroque Music Centre La Rêveuse, Conductors Benjamin Perrot and Florence Bolton Director Olivier Schneebeli 29th January 2016, 8pm, the Royal Chapel

Lully: Te Deum; Campra: Requiem Les Petits Chanteurs de Sainte Croix de Neuilly Choir Master: François Polgar The Great Stables and the King's Chamber Conductor: Jean-Claude Malgoire 19th June 2016, 5:30pm, the Royal Chapel

The death of kings - requiems for kings of France

Funeral of Queen Marie-Thérèse Charpentier Motets: In Obitum Augustissime; De Profondis; Luctus de Morte Augustissime Mariae Theresiae The Pages and Cantors of the Versailles Baroque Music Centre La Rêveuse, Conductors: Benjamin Perrot and Florence Bolton Conductor: Olivier Schneebeli 10th October 2015, 8pm, The Royal Chapel

Requiem(s) for Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette Luigi Cherubini, Requiem and funeral march written on 21st January 1816 in honour of Louis XVI Charles-Henri Plantade, "Messe de Requiem à grand orchestre" dedicated to Marie-Antoinette for the 30th anniversary of her death, commissioned by Louis XVIII Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet 21st and 22nd January 2016, 8pm, the Royal Chapel

Sigismund Neukomm, Requiem in memory of Louis XVI The Great Stables and the King's Chamber, Jean-Claude Malgoire 23rd January 2016, 8pm, the Royal Chapel

Jean Gilles, Requiem for the funeral of Louis XV Capriccio Stravagante Les 24 Violons Collegium Vocale Gent Conductor: Skip Sempé 22nd June 2016, 8pm, the Royal Chapel

part IV

appendices

32 Part IV — Appendices

Practical information

access

For more information

Accessing the Palace from Paris

+ 33 (0)1 30 83 78 00 www.chateauversailles.fr Château de Versailles facebook.com/chateauversailles

@CVersailles twitter.com/CVersailles

Château de Versailles plus.google.com/+chateauversailles

Chateauversailles instagram.com/ chateauversailles

Photos Souvenir

flickr.

com/groups/versaillesfamille

Château de Versailles youtube.com/chateauversailles

Versailles Media media.chateauversailles.fr

RER train line C, direction Versailles Château - Rive Gauche SNCF trains from Montparnasse station, direction Versailles - Chantiers SNCF trains from Saint - Lazare station, direction Versailles - Rive Droite RATP bus line 171 from Pont de Sèvres direction Versailles Place d’Armes A13 motorway (direction Rouen) exit signposted Versailles-Château Parking at the Pl ace d'Armes. Parking is charged, except for disabled peopled and excluding the evenings of shows from 7:30pm.

How to get to the Trianon Palaces and Marie-Antoinette's Estate A13 motorway (direction Rouen); 2nd exit signposted Versailles Notre - Dame. Entrance via Porte Saint Antoine. Admission is charged and is from 7am to 7pm in high season and 8am to 6pm in mow season.

From the palace: 25 minutes on foot via the gardens, Petit Trianon and Grand Trianon stops on the miniature train.

From Paris:

Opening times

The Palace is open every day except Mondays and 1st May, 25th December and 1st January,

- from 9am to 6:30pm in high season, last admission at 6pm (tills close at 5:50pm).

- from 9am to 5:30pm in low season, last admission at 5pm (tills close at 4:50pm).

High season

1st April - 31st October Low season

1st November - 31st March

The Trianon Palaces and Marie-Antoinette's Estate are open every day, except Mondays and 25th December and 1st January.

- from 12pm to 6:30pm in high season for the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, last admission at 6pm (tills close at 5:50pm).

- from 12pm to 7:30pm for the gardens of the Queen's Hamlet (gardens emptied from 7pm).

- from 12pm to 5:30pm in low season, last admission at 5pm (tills close at 4:50).

The Park and gardens of Versailles are open every day, - from 7am to 8:30pm in high season for the park and 8am to 8:30pm for the gardens.

- from 8am to 6pm in low season.

33 Prices

Tickets

Pal ace, including admission to temporary exhibitions: € 15, discounted rate € 13, free for under 26 years, residents of the European Union.

Trianon pal aces and Marie-Antoinet te's estate: €10, discounted rate € 6, free for under 26 years, residents of the European Union.

"Passport" ticket, including admission to the Palace, gardens, Trianon palaces and MarieAntoinette's Estate, and temporary exhibitions: 1 day: €18 / €25 on Grandes Eaux Musicales Fountain Display days.

2 days: €25 / €30 on Grandes Eaux Musicales Fountain Display Days.

Free for under 26 years (except for Grandes Eaux Musicales Fountain Displays).

Admission to The park is free every day of the year.

Admission to the gardens is free, except on Grandes Eaux Musicales Fountain Display days: Tuesdays and weekends and sole national holidays.

Free audio guide

Palace visits: audio guides in 11 languages, as well as a version in French Sign Language.

Exhibition visits: 2 versions available (French and English).

Audio guides for children from 8 years.

Guided tours

Booking required on +33 (0)1 30 83 78 00 or on site on the day (subject to the availability of places).

Information on site at the guided tours reception: in the northern end of the Ministers' Wing and at the "i" point.

Prices: €7 + admission. Free for visitors under 10 years. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.

Versailles for everyone

Free admission for unaccompanied tours of the Palace, Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's Estate, and the temporary exhibitions, except the Musical Grandes Eaux Fountain Displays : - for disabled people and the person accompanying them upon presentation of proof of disability.

- or beneficiaries of social benefits upon presentation of proof dating from a maximum of 6 months.

Information and booking: + 33 (0)1 30 83 75 05 et versaillespourtous@chateauversailles.fr