La bataille de Bouvines (1214)
Horace Vernet · Domaine public
This painting depicts the Battle of Bouvines, won on July 27, 1214, by King Philip II of France (Philip Augustus). Facing a coalition that included King John of England and Emperor Otto IV, Philip achieved a decisive victory. This success greatly strengthened royal power in France, consolidated Capetian authority, and weakened both powerful nobles and foreign rivals. Bouvines became a symbol of the unity of the kingdom and the rising strength of the French monarchy.