Musee Vivant du cheval HERMÈS© carre by Hubert de Watrigant

What a fun and playful design. Full of wonder of the Living Museum of the Horse at Chantilly.

The Château de Chantilly complex includes the château, the Grand Stables, Grandes Écuries, home of the Living Museum of the Horse, a racetrack and large area of forests, located about 25 miles north of Paris. The Musée Vivant du Cheval is dedicated to the art and culture of the horse. Built in 1719 to fit a king, who believed he might be reincarnated as a horse, Louis Henri had these stunning stables constructed to house him, should his belief come true with room for 239 fellow horses and 500 hounds.

Today the Grandes Écuries are a stunning example and a masterpiece of 18th century French architecture and the stables are home both to the museum and about 31 various horse breeds. Here all sorts or equine art, from paintings to sculptures, ceramics to riding equipment can be found. It is the horses that make this a “living” museum.

The purpose of the Musée Vivant du Cheval is to educate the public about horses as well as promote interaction with them. To further promote this concept, five dressage demonstrations a day are performed at the stables.

The 2002 Le Carre HERMÈS© put it best:

This scarf depicts some of the equestrian tableaux presented by the Living Museum of the Horse under the dome of the great stables at Chantilly. We can see the horse dancing the same steps as a ballerina, and the draught-horse adjusting his pace to that of the pony. We pass from Venice to the circus, whilst la Renommée performs a jazz solo. If only all great museums could start to “live” thus the Mona Lisa might begin to smile less enigmatically!

Copyright HERMÈS© 2002

Hubert de Watrigant’s love of horses comes alive in this fun scarf! More about the artist can be enjoyed here.