French Classical Architecture

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in 1624, King Louis XIII built the Chateau de Versailles as a fairly humble brick, stone and slate hunting lodge; however, Louis XIV, starting in about 1661, enlarged the lodge into the fantasy palace and gardens, which today are still considered architectural and cultural masterpieces visited by eight million people every year. The author points out that the King's architects were Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin Mansart; Andre le Notre designed the gardens to match the lavish design of the place. The paper relates that the use of a strong central axis at the Tuileries gardens, as projected by Le Notre, was a major influence upon later architecture as evidenced in the grand axis of Paris to the Arc de Triomphe and La Defense.

From the Paper:

"France became the dominant power in Europe during the reign of Louis XIV. And thus, the country's architecture also became widely influential. Since the monarchy was absolute, architecture was primarily influenced by what was built to the order of the King. French architecture of this period reached a turning point when King Louis XIV rejected curvilinear designs by Giovanni Benini for the east facade of the Louvre. The King preferred the more classicizing design with its colonnade by Louis le Vau and Claude Perrault. Le Vau was also commissioned together with Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Charles Le Brun and Andre le Notre to transform a hunting lodge outside Paris into a vast palace."

More papers on French Classical Architecture:

• Essay # 137669 : "Gothic Architecture in England vs. Gothic Architecture in France: A Description of both, Basic Similarities, the Key Differences, Generative Influences, and (most of all) Symbolism"
• Descriptive Essay # 103371 : "Sculptor Auguste Rodin"
• Essay # 41158 : "Nicolas Francois Mansart and Jules Hardouin-Mansart"

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