Baroque architecture in France
PHASES OF THE FRENCH BAROQUE
(also called Classique)
Pahse I
- Early Baroque - style of Louis XIII, (around 1625-1643)
Phase II
The style of Louis XIV, 1643 – 1715 (flourishing Baroque)- Features of the French
Baroque until the end of the reign of Louis XIV:
- Italian and Dutch influences
- Italian-Baroque current - restraint, breakdown of facades, rich in the form of drum
domes, telescopes; in the interiors - meticulous, sculptural decorativeness,
- Franco-Renaissance (also called "classical baroque") - the official style, propagated
by the Academy of Architecture of Paris (established in December 30, 1671)
Phase III - Rococo
- regency period 1715 - 1735
- style of Louis XV, 1735 - 1750
Baroque architecture in France
THE MOST PROMINENT ARCHITECTS OF FRENCH
BAROQUE
- Jaques Lemercier (1585 - 1654) - Italian-Baroque style
- Francois Mansart (1598 - 1666) - French-Renaissance style
- Louis Le Vau (1612-1670) French-Renaissance style
- Claude Perrault (1613-1688) (translated Vitruvius's treatise into
French - a proponent of "suppressing of the wild fantasy with hard
rules"; baroque-classicism style )
- Jules Harduin Mansart (1648 - 1708)
Baroque architecture in France
phase I - early baroque, style of Louis XIII
Sorbonne University Church 1635-56
arch. Jaques Lemercier 1585 - 1654 - (Italian-Baroque)
This church has characteristic roofs and a harmonious
plan with a dome in the middle. The facade has the
features of an Italian classicist baroque (see Il Gesu -
Rome).
Baroque architecture in France
phase I - early baroque, style of Louis XIII
Sorbonne - University Church 1635-56
arch. Jaques Lemercier (1585 - 1654). Harmonious
proportions, numerous references to late Renaissance and
early Italian Baroque. The maun nave covered with barrel
voult with a dominant longitudinal structure. The side
naves are replaced with chapels where the side walls form
a buttress system.
Baroque architecture in France
Maisons - sur - Seine (Maisons Lafitte) (near Paris 1642)
arch. F. Mansart (1598-1666) palace residence with a very harmonious balanced form
referring to the Renaissance pattern of the Fontainbleau palace (such as the elements of the
U letter plan, cour d'honeur, steep roofs, decorative chimneys. The Italian influemces such
as pilasters, abutments, etc. are strongly exposed.
Baroque architecture in France
Maisons - sur - Seine (Maisons Lafitte) (near Paris 1642) arch. F. Mansart (1598-1666)
Above: plan and a garden view. The palace in Fonatinbleau with its garden design has
become a pattern of the baroque palace-garden arrangements.
Baroque architecture in France
Paris, Louvre - aerial view.
The east wing extended by Claude Perrault in 1667-74 was
marked with red lines
Baroque architecture in France
Paris – East Facade of the Louvre 1667-74 arch. C. Perrault, arch. L. Le Vau - Italian Baroque
(baroque-classicism style)
The idea of C. Perault’s concept was to divide the 183 m long facade into five parts, where
central and side projected parts, were suplemented by two galleries. The effect of too long
(potentialy boring) facade is broken with a strongly marked rhythm of double columns
intensively contrasted with the shadow created by the withdrawn gallery of the piano nobile.
On the one hand, the façade is full of harmony and peace, and on the other, however, it has
dynamism and strength resulting from the play of light.
Baroque architecture in France
Paris, east facade of the Louvre 1667-74 (arch. C. Perrault, arch. L. le Vau
The extension of this part of the Louvre was preceded by numerous concepts. Three of which were
designed by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (two of them 1 and 3 visible above). Bernini’s projects were
rejected.
Baroque architecture in France
Paris, East Facade of the Louvre 1667-74 (arch. C. Perrault, arch. L. le Vau)
The pictures above presents one of the proposals made by L. le Vau. The idea of double columns is
visible there. Below is the primary project by C. Perrault.
Baroque architecture in France
Paris, Louvre - East Facade 1667-74
arch. C. Perrault, L. Le Vau,
C. Perrault's intentions were realized with the five-
axis composition. The entrance projection is
crowned with a tympanum and two side
projections. The facade have two withdrawn piano
nobile parts, creating a gallery where the shadow
and the strong rhythm of the doubled colonnade
build a contrast of light and shadow.
Above: elevation and plan
(source: Jacques-François Blondel, Architecture françoise,
Tome 4, Livre 6, 1756)
Baroque architecture in France
Paris, Louvre East Facadeg 1667-74
arch. C. Perrault, L. Le Vau (baroque - classicism) The photo shows the harmonious solution of calmed
classical forms. The dynamism of the facade is built with the strong ABBA rhythm of doubled collonade
and the contrast of light and shadow of the withdrawn gallery.
Baroque architecture in France
Idea barokowego założenia pałacowo-ogrodowego. Rycina przedstawia wyobrażenie rezydencji
pałacowej o układzie kompozycyjnym rozwidlonych dróg dojazdwoych oraz niekończącej się osi
założenia ogrodowego. Takie wyobrażenie barokowego zespołu pałacowo ogrodowego
zrealizownae zostało w Wersalu i wielu innych rezydencjach naśladujących ten wzorzec.
Baroque architecture in France
Versailles – the development of the palace and garden
establishment.
The original hunting palace of King Louis XIII from around 1624
(marked in black ) was designed by arch Le Roy and was later
expanded to the size of a monumental royal residence. The next
stages of extension are mainly designed by arch. Le Vau 1661-
71 (dark gray), and the most significant part carried out by J.H.
Mansart (1675-1710). The palace is arranged with an honorary
courtyard and is integrated with the entire urban establishment
of a baroque three-axis, forked access road system, cour
d'honeur and huge, geometrically planned gardens. (on the
right)
Baroque architecture in France
Vaux Le Vicomte 1657-58 - park and palace complex. Joint work of L. Le Vau - architect, Ch. Le Brun -
painter, A. Le Notre - garden designer.
The palace and garden complex was built in just one year. The palace stands on an artificial island and
together with the garden creates an integral geometric baroque composition. The palace is in line with
the character of the French Baroque, and has a fragmented facade forming the U-shaped plan with the
cour d’honeur. Other features are inherited from the French Renaissance residential srchitecture such as
steep roofs, harmony of vertical and horizontal divisions. Decor with elements of classic order
architecture, i.e. columns, entrances, entablature as well as sculptural cartouche motifs.
Baroque architecture in France
Kościół Inwalidów, 1675-1706 (arch. J. Harduin Mansart) jest częścią Pałacu Inwalidów (fr Hôtel des
Invalides), czyli szpitala dla ok. 4000 dla inwalidów wojennych. Wybudowany został według projektu
Libérala Bruanta w stylu klasycystycznym w 1676. Jest on częścią potężnego założenia urbanistycznego
Paryża. Na zdjęciu widoczny jest na pierwszym planie rozwidlony, zgodnie z barokowym kanonem, układ
dróg oraz potężna oś parkowa, w której centrum zlokalizowany jest szpital. Zwornikiem i dominantą tej
kompozycji jest Tum Inwalidów (obecnie jest to to mauzoleum Napoleona Bonaparte)
Baroque architecture in France
Paris, Invalid Church, 1675-1706 (arch. J. Harduin Mansart)
A geometrical plan is based on square and circles. The dome design refers to the
dome of St. Peter's basilica in Rome. The verticality of facade is strongly exposed
with two-storey pediment, topped with a pediment with strongly accented
rhythms of the columns. The corners of the building have no decoration to keep
the continuity of the vertical composition of the entrance, drum and triple-shell
dome, where the outer shell is raised on a wooden structure together with the
towering gilded lantern and spire.
Baroque architecture in France
Rococo 1715 - 1750
The style is present in art, decoration and interior architecture (has
not create any special forms in architecture itself).
Features:
- lightness and freedom of composition
- Integration of the decor of walls and ceilings forming the whole (through decorative facets)
- the surface of the walls is divided into fields (panneau - rectangles with rounded corners of the
frame with delicate carved ornaments)
- ornament in the form of linear, often asymmetrically composed braids, flagella, arabesques with
motifs inspired by the plants, the shape of a shell (rocaille) and waves,
- the lower part of the walls is paneled and the dividing fields are filled with paintings or decorative
fabrics,
- pastel colors (light pink, ivory, lily, blue, light green, white, gold and silver),
- light (functional) furniture with decorative profiles, everyday objects such as porcelain.
Baroque architecture in France
Miss O’Murphy (Nude on a Sofa - 1752)
François Boucher - one of the most important painters of the French
Rococo period. This image, like many similar from this period, can serve
as an illustration of the times of freedom and vanity of court life. The
artist's painting is characterized by baroque expressiveness and sensuality
Baroque architecture in France
Rococo in France 1715 - 1750.
An example of implementation in the rococo trend, you can see a
richly decorated facet joining the wall and ceiling decorations.
Salon at the Hôtel de Soubise in Paris (1735–40) - arch. Germain
Boffrand
Baroque architecture in France
Rokoko rozprzestrzenieło się w Europie, w Niemczech, Austrii, Rosji
1715 – 1750 r. Styl widoczne głównie w wystrojach wnętrz rezydencji.
Monachium Amalienburg, sala lustrzana Johann Baptist Zimmermann (1734–39)
Baroque architecture in France
Rococo became the style of the end of
an era of french baroque.
On the one hand, delicacy, airiness,
lightness and freedom, on the other, the
ideological emptiness of this style,
decorativeness for decorativeness,
express not only the decline of a style,
but also the decline of the era of
absolutism.
Baroque architecture in France
The swing (1767) - Jean-Honoré
Fragonard.
On a contrary to the baroque sensuality of
Boucher's painting, the Fragonard's art is
characterized by rococo lightness and
airiness. However, it illustrates the
emptiness of court life, the dark
background colors of this image
contrasted with the light colors of the
dress can be interpreted as a symbol of
the imminent end of the court live of the
absolutism.
History soon showed the dramatic fall of
ancien régime and a return to the matter-
of-factness and purity of antique styles of
the upcoming classicism era.
