Jill MedingerWe would all consider our horses worthy of a life lived like royalty. And if given the chance we might entertain the idea of stabling them in palatial surroundings fashioned after the Great Stables in Chantilly, France.
Architect Jean Aubert, whose mission was to design stables fit for horses of the highest rank, built the Grand Stables in 1719. More than 600 feet in length, it was built to hold 250 horses and several hundred hunting dogs.
The stables, which had fallen into disrepair and recently restored to their original baroque period, now house the Living Museum of the Horse. The Museum is dedicated to equine culture and art focusing on the historical relationship between man and horse.
The Living Museum opened in 2013 and occupies 15 rooms filled with vivid equine installations that range from 6th century Hang Dynasty sculptures to 20th century merry-go-round horses, paintings, and objet d’art. In keeping with the “living” reference to the museum, it houses 31 horses of a full range of breeds.
What renders this a truly unique museum are the live performances, turning the museum into a living, animated, and educational space. It is where art and horse merge into a dynamic narrative about these noble creatures.
Each year the talented troupe of the Great Stables delight audiences with over 150 shows a year.