The Museum of the Horse of Chantilly in France

The Prix de Diane Longines, which will take place this year on 14th June, has traditionally marked the occasion for renewing the collections at the Museum of the Horse of Chantilly.

Inaugurated on 16th June 2103, the Museum of the Horse saw a first wave of changes in June 2014. Since this inauguration, the Museum has welcomed nearly 200,000 visitors.

Following new acquisitions, the enriched collection will be presented from 12th June with, in particular, Indian miniatures, statues from the Tang dynasty (618-907) and new carrousel horses. Among the new arrivals is a large silk painting dating from the Quing dynasty (the last imperial Manchu dynasty to have reigned over China, between 1644 and 1912), which is particularly spectacular. It commemorates the victorious campaign to reconquer the regions of the North-West of Manchuria and, in particular, the ulti- mate battle undertaken by the Manchurian riders along the banks of the River Li (1877).

New antique carriages, including a very pretty Light Sporting Wagonette Break ordered by Moët and Chandon and created by Moren in 1890, are joining the western nave.

The most spectacular part of this new museography is in the Cour des Remises, with the installation of two majestic horsehead statues, each weighing nearly a tonne, mea- suring three metres by one metre twenty, and dating from the end of the 19th century. These imposing horseheads were erected in Camden Lock Market in London in the historic quarter of the Pickford stables where draught horses pulled barges along the London canals. These Camden market stables included a significant hospital for horses. These statues will grace the Cour des Remises from 12th June onwards.

TURF

Men and horses around the racecourse

150 exceptional photographs created by more than twenty of the best known photo-journalists, from France, Italy, Germany Great Britain, Japan, Ireland, Peru and the USA, all specialized in horse-racing, will be exhibited in the West Nave of the Grandes Ecuries of Chantilly as from Friday 12 June 2015.

Grouped by themes, the photographs will show the special atmosphere created by thoroughbreds, their trainers and owners, with the stables, gallops, races, the jockeys, the triumphs and disappointments and, of course, the crowd.

The images will be complemented by a few objects racing silks, a clock and various pieces of equipment for measuring time lent by Longines, which, with the Chantilly Foundation, is the main sponsor of the exhibition.

The Chantilly Horse Museum contacted the National Horseracing Museum at Newmarket (GB), the International Horse Museum at Lexington, Kentucky (USA), and the Westphalisches Pferdemuseum at Münster (Germany). They were all very cooperative and helped with the selection of the photographers.
The scenography was designed by Ambito Cero (also designer of the Museum of the Horse), and the production and mounting was done by Espai Visual (both from Barcelona). The exhibition curator is Benoit Junod.

Access to the exhibition is free of charge for all persons having a ticket to visit the Chantilly Domain.