From 3 June to 28 September 2025, the Palace of Versailles is presenting an exhibition focusing on the famous bust of Louis XIV created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a key figure of the Italian baroque era in the 17th century, better known in France as ‘le Bernin’.

This exhibition is running in tandem with the restoration work which has been taking place in the Diana Room since October 2021 to restore the decorative painted and sculpted scheme on the ceiling, coving and overdoors to their former glory. This room offers a setting designed to reveal the full detail of the connection between the genius of the artist and the majesty of his bust of Louis XIV.

The exhibition, which is being presented in the Dauphine’s apartment, turns the spotlight in particular on one of the most iconic artefacts in the palace collections: the bust of Louis XIV, sculpted in marble by Bernini during his trip to Paris in 1665.