The Thrones in Majesty exhibition now on display throughout the Palace of Versailles explores the themes of power and its presentation with a collection of over 40 historic thrones from around the world. Ranging from a bead and bronze covered wooden stool from Cameroon to a gilded and imposing throne for Napoleon I, the variety reinforces the universality of the desire for pomp and symbolic grandeur by those in power.
“By overcoming the inveterate and obsessive suspicion of modern societies regarding the royal seat and its numerous variations, the exhibition Thrones in Majesty, for the first time, presents a series of thrones, permanent or mobile, profane or sacred, from four continents and from all periods of history. Their different shapes and styles express a universal language common to each of the civilizations evoked. Around forty to fifty thrones from all the civilizations are exhibited in the Sate Apartments of the King and Queen, some of them accompanied by their accessories and other iconographic elements to enable visitors to better understand the universality of the seated representation of authority, whether political or religious. Emblematic seats of power such as the throne of king Dagobert and the Portantina of Pope Leo XIII recall the real fascination that the throne has evoked through the ages and up to our own day.”
To visit the online exhibition click here.
Several thrones are accompanied online by fascinating commentary by conservationist Hélène Delalex.
