Cavalcade of Louis XV after the coronation 26 october 1722

The painting portrays the post‑coronation cavalcade, a public display of royal authority and continuity. By focusing on the ordered march of horses, carriages, and courtiers, Martin emphasizes the spectacle of monarchical power and the collective celebration of the new king’s ascension, reinforcing the legitimacy of the Bourbon dynasty.

Executed in the Rococo idiom, the canvas combines delicate coloration with fluid brushwork to convey movement and elegance. Martin employs a luminous palette and soft modeling to render the shimmering fabrics and gleaming armor, while the composition’s diagonal thrust guides the eye along the procession’s path, creating a sense of dynamism typical of his courtly scenes.

Commissioned shortly after the event, the work entered the royal collection and has remained in situ at the Palace of Versailles. It has been preserved as part of the palace’s artistic inventory, serving both as a historical document of the 1722 ceremony and as an example of the period’s official visual propaganda.

Martin, a specialist in depicting royal residences and ceremonial occasions, produced this piece within a broader tradition of court painters tasked with memorialising state events. The cavalcade reflects the elaborate rituals surrounding the French monarchy in the early reign of Louis XV, a time when Versailles functioned as the epicentre of political and cultural life.