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The Louvre and Versailles

The Evolution of the Proto-typical Palace in the Age of Absolutism
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Louvre and Versailles explores the architectural evolution of two of France's most iconic palaces, from Pierre Lescot's 16th-century expansions of the Louvre to the transformative grands projets of 18th-century Versailles. Christopher Tadgell places these developments within the context of the monarchy's shift towards absolutism, court etiquette influences, and financial challenges. The book revisits historical scholarship, highlighting the roles of architects like Claude Perrault, François Mansart, and Italian masters such as Pietro Cortona and Bernini, and examines the impact of these French palaces on European architectural ambition.

Richly illustrated and deeply researched, it offers a comprehensive and authoritative study of these monumental buildings and their enduring influence.
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Format: Hardback
$16300
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers with an interest in architectural history, French culture, and the evolution of royal palaces. It suits students, scholars, and art enthusiasts seeking an in-depth, well-researched examination of the Louvre and Versailles.

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This book traces the evolution of the projects for completing the square court - Cour Carrée - of the Louvre in the 1660s and the evolution of Ange-Jacques Gabriel’s project for rebuilding the town front of the palace at Versailles a century later.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

This book traces the evolution of the great palaces of the Louvre and Versailles, from Pierre Lescot’s designs for expanding the former in the mid-16th century to the successive grands projets for the transformation of the latter over the course of the 18th century. Detailed architectural analysis is set in the context of the development of the medieval monarchy towards absolutism, the significance of Hispano-Burgundian court etiquette as a formative influence on planning, and the effect of the French monarchy’s financial incontinence on royal building ambitions.

On the basis of exhaustive original research, recalling contemporary testimony and re-examining the works themselves, the book challenges recent scholarly accounts of the contributions of Claude Perrault and François Mansart to the Louvre and demonstrates the influence of schemes by Italian masters Pietro Cortona and Bernini on Ange-Jacques Gabriel’s designs for rebuilding Versailles.

Finally, the book looks at the influence of the great French palaces on those seeking to emulate their ambition, from Stockholm in the late 17th century to the deliriously opulent late 19th-century palace of Ludwig II of Bavaria at Herrenchiemsee.

The book includes a wealth of illustrative material and supporting documents, which bring this comprehensive and authoritative text to life.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780367198930

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 30 April 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Routledge

Illustration: 7 Line drawings, color; 243 Line drawings, black and white; 223 Halftones, color; 114 Halftones, black and white; 230 Illustrations, color; 357 Illustrations, black and white

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 189.0mm

Height: 246.0mm

Weight: 980g

Pages: 376

About the Author

Generally acknowledged as an expert on French classical architecture, Christopher Tadgell has been publishing in the field for well over four decades. He studied art history at the Courtauld Institute in London and in 1974 was awarded his PhD for a thesis on the Neoclassical architectural theorist, Ange-Jacques Gabriel. He subsequently taught in London and at the Kent Institute of Art and Design in Canterbury, with interludes as F.L. Morgan Professor of Architectural Design at the University of Louisville and as a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton.

His History of Architecture in India (London 1990, several reprints) is the definitive one-volume account of the architecture of the subcontinent, while many publications on French architecture include the standard account in Baroque and Rococo Architecture and Decoration (ed. Blunt, London 1978). His seven-volume series Architecture in Context is an unmatched survey of the seminal architectural traditions from the earliest times to the end of the 20th century. He has contributed many articles on Indian and French architecture to The Grove Dictionary of Art and other major reference books, including the forthcoming revision of Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture.

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