The Palace of Versailles
Jules Hardouin Mansart
Building Phases: Three and Four
Versailles, France 1678 – 1697
The Baroque era left a HUGE impression on the arts for decades, and inspired artists and architects for years to come. For me, the most impressionable of the arts from this period was not the visual arts, or theater, or even music. The architecture of the Baroque era has left the biggest impression me, for obvious reason… its utter magnificence and grandeur. I have always wanted to travel through Europe to take in the majestic architecture of France and Italy. The majority of Rome’s famous architecture is the product of this era, as well as many Palaces throughout Europe.
In my opinion, the Palace of Versailles is the mo st stunning representation of Baroque architecture. While it’s original architecture began in 1661 by architect Louis Le Vau, the Baroque style architecture of the current Palace is credited to Baroque architect Jules Hardouin Mansart, during the third and fourth phase of the building campaign.
King Louis XIV commissioned the Palace to be built, with the intent to move the French Royal Court to Versailles. Versailles soon became the center of French Government, and King Louis XIV, as well as his successors King Louis XV and King Louis XVI, would maintain the French Governmental reign from Versailles for the next century. During the French Revolution in the late 18th Century, The French Monarchy began to crumble, and March on Versailles would ultimately force the Royal family out of Versailles, and back to Paris. King Louis XVI was executed in 1793,ending their French Control.
Resources:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/52.184
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution
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