This framed reproduction is the piece of art Ara bleu by the painter Nicolas Robert, on loan from the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle on the occasion of the exhibition The King's Animals at the palace of Versailles.

From 12 October to 13 February 2021, the palace of Versailles presents an exhibition entitled "The King's Animals", which aims to illustrate the bond between the Court of Versailles and animals, whether "companion animals" (dogs, cats, birds,mainly), exotic beats or "wild" creatures. No study of the Palace during the reign of Louis XIV would be complete without considering the Royal Menagerie, which the Sun King had installed close to the Grand Canal. It was home to the rarest and most exotic animals – from coatis to quaggas, cassowaries to black-crowned cranes (nicknamed the “royal bird”) – constituting an extraordinary collection in which the king took ever greater pride.

Dimensions: 14 x 20 cm