Hélène Delalex, Senior Curator at the Palace of Versailles, will deliver a lecture on the role of horses in European court life from the 16th to the 19th centuries at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA). The annual Paul Mellon Lecture, titled “Horse in Majesty: Horse and Court Life in 16th–19th-Century Europe,” will be livestreamed for free on November 14, 2025. All tickets for in-person attendance have been sold out.
“We are thrilled to welcome Hélène Delalex, a highly regarded specialist in equine history in European art, to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,” said Director and CEO Alex Nyerges. “This is an exciting opportunity to learn about horses in royal court culture.”
The lecture will explore how equestrian traditions influenced court etiquette and social structures among aristocrats. At places like Versailles, riding schools developed horsemanship into an art form that embodied ideals of mastery and distinction.
Delalex oversees decorative arts at the Museum and National Estate of Versailles and the Trianon. She manages several key areas including the Gallery of Coaches and Marie-Antoinette’s private apartments. Her curatorial work includes exhibitions such as Louis XV: Passions of a King (2022) at Versailles and Versailles & the World (2021) at Louvre Abu Dhabi. In 2024, she curated Horse in Majesty: At the Heart of a Civilization during the Olympic Games’ equestrian events at Versailles.
She teaches art history at Sorbonne University and has written books such as The Sun King’s Carousel (2016) and Marie-Antoinette: Lightness and Constancy (2021). Her research centers on horses, carriages, royal processions, and equestrian festivities at court.
The Paul Mellon Lecture is held annually in memory of Paul Mellon, VMFA’s longest serving trustee and a major benefactor. It aims to promote scholarship and appreciation for the arts with support from the Paul Mellon Endowment. Mellon was known for his interest in equestrian themes and donated significant sporting art collections to VMFA.
Paul Mellon was recognized for his philanthropy and dedication to art collecting rather than business pursuits. His wife Rachel Lambert Mellon also contributed notable works to VMFA’s collection, including jewelry by Jean Schlumberger.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. Founded in 1936, it serves as both a state agency and privately endowed educational institution with more than 50,000 artworks spanning over 6,000 years. Its permanent holdings include major collections such as Fabergé objects—the largest outside Russia—Art Nouveau pieces outside Paris, American art collections, as well as significant Chinese, French Impressionist, South Asian, Himalayan, African art collections among others.
A major expansion called McGlothlin Wing II is scheduled for completion in 2028. This project will increase VMFA’s size by over 170,000 square feet—making it one of America’s four largest comprehensive art museums upon completion.
Recently ranked as the eleventh-best art museum nationwide by The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/interactive/2023/best-art-museums-us/), VMFA remains open every day throughout the year with free general admission.
