French Baroque

          In 1643, Louis XIII ended up dying off. With that, Louis XIV was proclaimed King at the young age of five years old. Throughout Louis XIV's reign, he created a national style of art. The Jean Baptiste Colbert was a French statesman. This included Venetian glassmakers and Flemish weavers. French workmen could not emigrate at this time, and they enforced textile regulations. With that being said, the Academy of Painting and Sculpture was organized tor the new style of art. This was a school that was established for 60 children under the King's protection. They were said to become "Masters" of their craft throughout their schooling.

          Another important figure during this time was Nicolas Fouquet. He was the superintendent of finances in 1655-1661. He was the owner of the Vaux-leVictomte. Within this large structure was 105 lavish rooms, 170 acres of gardens, Persian carpets, crystal chandeliers, gold clocks, and silver vases. The structure entertained roughly 6,000 guests due to its massive area. Due to the Vaux-leVicomte being so rich in materials and structure, Nicolas Fouquet was imprisoned for life. The King was essentially envious of what he had owned, so he took care of it by making sure he wouldn't enjoy it for the rest of his life. On another note, Louis Le Vau was the architect, Andre Le Notre was the garden designer, Charles LeBrun was the painter for the interiors, decorator, and architect, and Puget was the sculptor.

          Palais de Versailles was another structure that had great meaning. It was originally a hunting lodge for Louis XIII. It started in 1668 and continued for almost a century. It was 12 miles southwest of Paris and housed 10,000 people; much larger than Vaux-leVictomte. Le Vau designed the central block around the original Louis XIII building. Louis Le Vau was the architect, Andre Le Notre was the garden designer, Charles LeBrun was the painter for the interiors, Puget was the sculptor, and Jean Berain was in charge of the decorative engravings. These names are repeated several times in several other structures; just like the Vaux-leVictomte as stated earlier.

Images | Past

Images | Present

Extra Credit | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsQK6F7hmJk