Louis XIV, by his favorite painter, Charles Le Brun
A central figure in the history of France, with a personality of such magnitude as to outshine other sovereigns, Louis XIV pushed royal splendors to unmatched summits. His passion for beauty and the grandiose left a profound and durable mark in France, expressed in incalculable forms, influencing the course of history.
Les Champs-Élysées
His love for the Arts especially allowed the creativity of a great variety of artists to soar to exceptional heights, such as the playwright Molière, the musicien Jean-Baptiste Lully; the painter Charles Le Brun or the landscape architect André Le Nôtre, with whom Louis XIV designed an impressive number of places still famous today, such as the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, at Chantilly and Fontainebleau, or in Paris, the Palace of the Tuileries and the avenue of the Champs-Élysées, now parts of the ‘Axe Historique‘.
Palace of Versailles: The Hall of Mirrors
Branding the archetype of the absolute monarch, Louis XIV’s motto “Nec pluribus impar” (“None his equal”) held a powerful significance during his time, and few escaped its sway. When those in the king’s entourage threatened his magnificence by displaying sumptuousness or throwing dazzling parties, Louis XIV swiftly plunged them into oblivion, as with Nicolas Fouquet.
Here is an excerpt (with English subtitles) from the movie The King Dances (Le Roi Danse), a movie based on the life of Louis XIV’s favorite musician, Jean Baptiste Lully.