Nicolas Eude, Hercule painting the Grand Condé (detail),  Château de Versailles

There is definitely a new wind blowing over Musée Condé in Chantilly where Mathieu Deldicque, (« I am not thirty yet ») has curated an exhibition on « Le Grand Condé », the courageous winner of Battle de Rocroi in 1643. He was the first cousin to King Louis XIV, who sided with La Fronde and finally joined the King’s forces again.

Attributed to Juste d’Egmont and to Pierre Mignard, The Grand Condé and his son, around 1666, Versailles

In the Jeu de Paume, a pretty but small building adjacent to the famous Jean Aubert stables, the exhibition is quite ravishing and efficient with just enough large pieces to attract the general public and… specialists. At the opening, chic neighbors like Marie Christine Daudy and her sister Françoise de Lastic, furniture expert Alexandre Pradère, Olivier de Rohan and General Millet, who manages the estate, were all excited by the tapestry and numerous paintings celebrating this adventurous prince. Prince Gabriel de Broglie was representing the French Academy who inherited Chantilly from Duc d’Aumale. On September 10th a special visit is organized for the American friends of Chantilly.

Jean-Léon Gérôme, Louis XIV receiving the Grand Condé at Versailles In 1674, 1878, Paris, musée d’Orsay,

Matthieu Deldicque, an alumni of prestigious Ecole des Chartes, who started a year ago as junior curator under Nicole Garnier’s authority, has managed to collect many fun paintings around this figure of independence. I particularly loved « La réception de Condé à Versailles » by Gérôme painted in 1878 and the video game of Bataille de Rocroi, which suddenly made this military battle completely understandable.

Général Millet, who administers Chantilly for the French Academy, was explaining the battle of Rocroi to fascinated visitors

Serge de Proutchenko tries to follow the battle of Rocroi

« Condé’s crossing of the Rhine » a rare tapestry painted on silk and linen fabric, was quite smashing and so was the last room dedicated to Condé’s funeral at Notre Dame de Paris with special decors and a beautiful portrait by Coysevox made in three months. Basset who spoke at his funeral, had brilliant expressions which are quoted there on a black monument.

Curator Mathieu Deldicque, in front of Condé, was very happy to have his first solo show

Le Grand Condé held a court of intellectuals such as Molière who came to Chantilly and he asked Le Nôtre to design the gardens.

From a military genius, he became a gentleman of the arts and reigned there, competing in a way with Versailles. This exhibition is well worth the trip for the quality of its paintings and books and when you go to Chantilly for « Les Journées des Plantes » on October 14-16 th, make sure to allow extra time to visit the show (until January 2, 2017).

Painted on silk and linen this “March of the Calvary commanded by Condé” was painted after Le Brun and Van der Meulen. Manufacture des Gobelins