Vaux Le VicomteThe French chateau Vaux-le-Vicomte was built in just five years from 1657 to 1661 by Louis XIV's Minister of Finance Nicolas Foucquet, halfway between the royal summer houses of Vincennes and Fontainebleau. Designed by Louis Le Vau, decorated by Charles Le Brun and with gardens laid out by Andre Le Notre, the house was still partially unfinished on the 17th August 1661 when Foucquet invited the King to the celebrated reception that was followed almost immediatley by Foucquet's arrest. Within weeks, the house was under judicial seal, the team of craftsmen disbanded or removed to Versailles and Foucquet was in prison. Despite its politically unstable history and the threat of demolition during the French Revolution, Vaux has survived remarkably unaltered and intact. |
Contents
FOREWORD BY MARC FUMAROLI | 7 |
THE COMMISSION | 23 |
THE BUILDINGS | 55 |
Copyright | |
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Abbé alcove Alfred Sommier André Le Nôtre Anguier antechamber apartment architect architecture artists Belle-Isle bottom Brun's built cabinet des jeux canal chambre des Muses Charles De Wailly Charles Le Brun Château de Vaux-le château of Vaux château of Vaux-le-Vicomte Clélie Colbert Cordey courtyard side cupola decorative scheme depicted dining-room Drawing and engraving Drawing by Charles eighteenth century Engraving by Israël engraving by Rudolf entertainment Fâcheux famous Field Marshal floor Fontaine Foucquet France François Mansart French garden façade garden side gardens at Vaux Graphic Arts Department grille d'eau grotto Hercules Hôtel Lambert Israël Silvestre Jean king king's room Louis Le Vau Louis XIV Louvre Madeleine de Scudéry main building Maincy Mansart Mazarin Nicolas Foucquet Nôtre's outbuildings painted painter Paris parterres parterres de broderie pavilions Pellisson portrait Praslin Prints Department Rambouillet Richelieu Rudolf Pfnor Saint-Mandé salon d'Hercule sculpture siècle Silvestre's squirrel tapestry Vau's Vaux Vaux-le-Vicomte Versailles Vicomte View Villars