'André Le Nôtre' (
March 12,
1613 -
September 15 1700) was a
landscape architect and the gardener of King
Louis XIV of France from
1645 to
1700. Most notably, he was responsible for the construction of the park of the
Palace of Versailles. His
planning was significant as well, at the
Tuileries he extended the vista westward, which would later become the boulevard of the
Champs-Élysées[1] and comprise the ''
Axe historique.''
Le Nôtre's other work included the design of many gardens and parks, including those of
Chantilly,
Chateau Fontainebleau,
Racconigi,
Saint-Cloud,
Saint-Germain-en-Laye and
St. James's Park. He also collaborated with
Louis Le Vau and
Charles Le Brun on the park of the
Vaux-le-Vicomte. André Le Nôtre's father, Jean Le Nôtre was the gardener of
Louis XIII of France.
Plan view of the gardens of Versailles
His life
Becoming a gardener
André Le Nôtre was born to a family of gardeners. His father and grandfather were responsible for the
jardin des Tuileries. His godfather administered gardens and the husband of his godmother,
Claude Mollet was an illustrious gardener. Andre thus lived in a family of gardeners and quickly acquired both practical and theoretical knowledge.
A studious adolescence
He also was interested in other arts but eventually returned to his future career as gardener to the king. He learned
mathematics,
painting and
architecture. He then entered the workshop of
Simon Vouet, painter of King
Louis XIII. He learned classical art and perspective, and afterwards the friend of
Charles Le Brun,
François Mansart, permitted him to study architecture for several years.
At the age of 40, he decided to become a gardener, with all the competence he had acquired from his previous artistic experiences.
Debut as a gardener
Gardens of château de Vaux-le-Vicomte.
André Le Nôtre debuted in his career with the project of the gardens of
château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, initiated by
Nicolas Fouquet. He then worked in partnership with Louis Le Vau and Charles Le Brun. The building site made him famous in the gardening world.
After the retirement of
Fouquet in 1661, André Le Nôtre was hired by
Louis XIV to rehabilitate
the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. He then designed and realized a number of projects throughout France.
Later years
He was involved in a number of projects in France and had many disciples. In 1679, he visited Italy.
Le Nôtre died at the age of 87 in September 1700. He left behind a number of
formal gardens, recognizable for their perspective and their geometric perfection, known and recognized throughout the world.
Biographical timeline
★ 1613 : Birth of André Le Nôtre in Paris, son of Jean Le Nôtre, King's Gardener of the Tuileries.
★ 1635 : Le Nôtre is named the first gardener of the
duc d'Orléans
★ 1637 : He succeeds his father as King's Gardener of the Tuileries
★ 1640 : He marries Françoise Langlois
★ 1643 : He is named the "draughtsman of plants and terraces" for
Anne of Austria
★ 1645-1646 : He modernizes the gardens of the
château de Fontainebleau
★ 1656-1661 : He creates the gardens of
Vaux-le-Vicomte at the request of
Nicolas Fouquet
★ 1657 : He becomes the controller general of the King's buildings
★ 1662 : Le Nôtre designs the plan of
Greenwich Park for
Charles II
★ 1661 - 1687 : He devotes himself to the gardens of
Versailles
★ 1662 - 1684 : Le Nôtre transforms the gardens of
château de Chantilly for ''le
Grand Condé''
★ 1663 - 1672 : He renovates the gardens of
château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
★ 1665 - 1693 : He arranges and maintains the gardens of
château de Saint-Cloud for
Philippe d'Orléans
★ 1666 - 1672 :
Colbert charges Le Nôtre to embelish the jardin des Tuileries
★ 1667 : Le Nôtre extends the view of the
Tuileries : this is the birth of the avenue of the
Champs-Elysées
★ 1670 - 1683 :
Colbert charges Le Nôtre to alter the gardens of his
château de Sceaux
★ 1670 : He conceives a project for the château de Racconigi in Italy
★ 1674 - 1698 : He remakes the gardens of
Venaria Reale in Italy
★ 1675 : Le Nôtre is ennobled by the King
★ 1679 - 1691 : He intervenes in the planning of the gardens of
château de Meudon for
Louvois
★ 1692 : André Le Nôtre participates in the planning of
château de Marly last living residence of
Louis XIV
★ 1693 : He retires and offers his ''belles œuvres'' to the King
★ 1694 : He sends by letter his instructions for the
Charlottenburg Palace and
château de Cassel in Germany
★ 1698 : He sends to
William III of England his plans for the
Windsor Castle
★ 1700 : André Le Nôtre dies in Paris. He is buried at the
église Saint-Roch
List of principal gardens of Le Nôtre
★ Gardens of
château de Versailles
★ Gardens of
Vaux-le-Vicomte
★ Gardens of
château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
★ Gardens of
château de Saint-Cloud (the château no longer stands but the gardens still exist.)
★
jardin des Tuileries
★
parc de Sceaux
★ Gardens of
château de Fontainebleau
★ Gardens of
château de Chantilly
★ Gardens of
château de Bercy à
Charenton-le-Pont
★ Gardens of château de
Chambonas
Avenues
★ Avenue of
Château de Hauteville in
Charchigné
See also
★
French Baroque and Classicism
★
Baroque art
Notes
1. Dominique Garrigues. ''Jardins et jardiniers de Versailles au Grand Siècle.'' Editions Champ Vallon. ISBN 2876733374 Pg. 282.
Further reading
★ Thompson, Ian. ''The Sun King's Garden: Louis XIV, André Le Nôtre And the Creation of the Gardens of Versailles''. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006 (hardcover, ISBN 1582346313).
★
★
Reviewed by Peter Parker in the
''Telegraph'', October 1, 2006.
★
★
Reviewed by John Adamson in the
''Telegraph'', 2006.
External links
★
André Le Nôtre
★
Andre Le Notre - a biography from the landscape architecture and garden guide
★
Terrasse le Nôtre à Saint Germain en laye
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