Alter ego on the battlefield, hunting companion, means of locomotion, and star partner of dazzling royal feasts, the horse is omnipresent and essential to men, and in particular to kings.
Louis XIV was the French monarch who brought this alliance with the animal to its apogee. From the gardens to the palace galleries, painted or sculpted animals forever imbued the spirit of Versailles, enhancing the sovereign's power through sumptuous equestrian portraits. As a sign of his importance, Louis XIV commissioned the construction of the largest stables ever built. This passion was then perpetuated from monarch to monarch, from Napoleon to Louis XVI.
Although the Revolution and progress eventually sounded the death knell of this equine supremacy, the equestrian world still exists. It has left us a legacy of intact architectural heritage, and art collections of unparalleled richness. This film retraces the brilliant and captivating world of Royal Equitation, based on multiple historical sources, masterpieces and works of art in emblematic places of power.
Direction: Sylvie Faiveley & Nathalie Plicot
Production: ZED for ARTE France