Louis Vau

Louis Vau (it would be advisable to spell its name the Calf , as that of his father) is a Architecte French born with Paris in 1612 and died in this same city in 1670.

Contemporary of both Mansart and Jacques Lemercier, Louis Vau was one of the creators of the Classicisme French (style “Louis XIV”) which it could marry in an impressive way with the style Baroque. He created a style distinguished by simplicity from constructions and elegance from decorations. Its greater work remains the Château of Be worth-the-Viscount.

With not confusing with his/her brother François Vau (1623-1676), architect of the church Saint-Louis-in-the Island with Paris.

Biography

His/her father, also fore-mentioned Louis, gives up his activity of stone mason in 1634 to devote themselves to the Maçonnerie, and to thus carry in 1635, the title of master mason. The Louis young person collaborates with his father by providing him drawings and estimate, which enables him to begin as of this year its career of architect while being integrated into the building site of the island Saint-Louis, endeavouring to develop this one so that it becomes an inhabited area. He builds ordinary houses: three for Nicolas Pontheron, two for Guillaume Véniat and Denis Postel, three for Pierre Chomel and seven for Antoine To marry It, but also for rich person customers such as Sainctot, Hesselin, Gruyn of Border, Jean-Baptiste Lambert, or Gillier (“Hotel of Gillier”, on the quay of Anjou in 1637-1639), as well as country houses.

He becomes famous in 1654 when he becomes the principal architect of Louis XIV (First architect of the King). In 1656, Nicolas Fouquet orders to him the construction of Be worth-the-Viscount, in which it aims at the imposing one rather than the strict respect of the guns of the classical architecture. After 1660, it works for the King: it supplements the Château of Vincennes by building the houses of the King and of the Queen, the Hôpital of Salpêtrière, works over again the frontage of the Tuileries, rebuilt the Gallery of Apollon to the Louvre and carries out some other installations there. Little before the end of its life, it makes some restorations with the Château of Versailles and it draws the Collège of the Four Nations.

Principal achievements

the Hotel Lambert (1642), hotel Vau and Hotel Lauzun, quay from Anjou to Paris (in the Island Saint-Louis) Photo (version filed by Internet Files) )

the Castle of Be worth-the-Viscount (1658-1661). Blomfield notices that this castle is perhaps a little excessive, with the drawn gardens gauchement because Vau stressed the size of the castle rather than the traditional style. One of the characteristics which distinguish this castle, it is the very large living room which has a sight of the gardens. With Be worth-the-Viscount, Vau collaborated with Charles Le Brun, the painter and the decorator, and André Ours, which drew the gardens.

Restoration of the Castle of Vincennes of which it remains at the time only the eight turns and the keep, at the request of the cardinal Mazarin (construction of the wing of the King (1661) and the wing of the Queen (- Mother) (1658))

part of the Castle of Versailles of 1661 until its death in 1670: it drew the extensions of the castle. In that, the castle of Versailles becomes a standard because of its splendid splendor. (" Louis Vau, " Catholic Encyclopedia ). It gave to the court of the castle more width. He added the wings to the dimensions of the court.

the Institute of France (1662-1688) (College of the Four-Nations). This castle had a dramatic effect because it is a true hybrid of the styles Baroque and Traditional. This work had an interesting history because of its splendid intentions and of the major imagination of Louis Vau by creating the building. Construction started after the death of Mazarin, which left much money for the construction of the College of the Four Nations. This building also shows the influence of Bernini on Louis Vau, after its visit in Paris in 1665 (Balloon).

Photograph

part of the church Saint-Sulpice in Paris

Embellishment of the Palate of Tileries in 1664. The house of the medium had been hitherto decorated only with the Ionic orders and Corinthian. Vau perforated there the Composite and a Attique, surmounted of a quadrangular dome by its plan.

Installation with the Louvre (room to be slept of the king in the house of the King) and the Eastern frontage (probably according to the plans of the architect and physicist Claude Perrault)

References

Hilary Balloon, author of Louis Vau: Mazarin' S College, Colbert' S Revenge.

"Louis Levau." The Catholic Encyclopedia .

Blomfield, Reginald. has history French off structures New York, Hacker Art Books, 1973.

External bonds

Structurae
Louis Vau: beginnings of a Parisian architect (1612-1654) by Alexandre Cojannot, Thesis of the National school of the charters, 2000
Louis Vau in Artcyclopedia

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