Gabriel Anges Jacques (1 results)

Hardcover. 1st Edition. Folio (13 4/8 x 10 4/8 inches). 24 double-page engraved plates, including one folding, 4 full-page plates. Contemporary maroon morocco backed maroon diced paper boards, lettered in gilt on the front cover (extremities a little scuffed). First edition. In 1687 Jules Hardouin Mansart built the 'Grand Trianon, probably the most refined group of buildings anywhere in the domain of Versailles, on the site of the "Porcelain Trianon", which Louis XIV had had erected in 1670 to escape the pomp and rigid formality of court life with his mistress Madame de Montespan. "A little pink marble and porphyry palace with delightful gardens" is how Mansart described it. Louis XIV occupied the Grand Trianon, where he also housed his sister-in-law the Princess Palatine, his son-in-law the duc de Chartres and his daughter the duchesse de Bourbon. It was beloved by Marie Leszczynska, who lived here in summer. Marie-Antoinette gave several performances here but preferred the Petit Trianon, which Louis XVI had given her as a present. Napoleon Bonaparte had the palace restored before staying here on many occasions with his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise. In 1963 Charles de Gaulle had it restored as a guesthouse for presidents of France and the northern wing, known as "Trianon-sous-bois", was converted into an official presidential residence. 'Although Madame de Pompadour, who wished to "relieve the king's boredom", was the instigator of this small palace that Gabriel built in the 1760s, it is the memory of Marie-Antoinette that hangs over the building. In 1774, Louis XVI offered the Trianon estate to the Queen who was able to live away too far away for some from the Court.Petit Trianon was built according to the latest "Greek-style" fashion and by revisiting classical art elements. From the ground floor to the first floor of the Attic, architect Anges-Jacques Gabriel created his masterpiece. Sobriety, reasoned richness of embellishments, order and perfection characterized this new method of building. The break from the rocaille style can be seen inside, particularly in the exceptionally elegant woodwork decor. On the first floor, the reception rooms and apartments of the Queen welcome visitors before they discover the mezzanine and the apartments of the King, located on the last floor, in the Attic. Surrounded by gardens, Petit Trianon is visible from all sides, a appearance which was all the craze at the end of the 18th century. The four sides are all different. The most sumptuous side faces the French Garden; it is decorated with columns inspired by the ancient temples. The simplicity of north-facing side reminds us that it is the back of the castle which originally faced the greenhouses of the Botanical garden, replaced by Louis XVI with the English Garden' Chateau de Versailles online.