Château de Vaux le Vicomte: Gardens

Detail of shrub planting in the walkways of the terrace facing the lake, looking south; The gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte were the first great work of André Le Nôtre. One of the objects of his extensive layout was to present a number of 'pictures' of the house. In his own plan of the gardens he showed the avenue running north from the entrance gates to a rond-point, from which only the central block of the château is visible. This avenue is intersected by another at exactly the point at which not only the château but also its flanking archways are included in the picture. The underlying principles of the layout were that the formality of the château required a corresponding formality in its immediate surroundings and that the landscape should be the creation of human reason, making use of all that perspective, proportion and a subtle touch of optical illusion could confer. Le Nôtre built his design along a central axis 800 m long from the windows of the Salon to the once-gilded colossal copy of the Farnese Hercules by Michel Anguier, which marks the horizon to the south. Anguier was the major provider of outdoor sculpture at Vaux-le-Vicomte. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 2/8/2008

Tuileries Garden

general view, West Garden pool, looking along the west edge of the poo

Château de Vaux le Vicomte: Gardens

Close-up of the wall of the Fountain Terrace; The gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte were the first great work of André Le Nôtre. One of the objects of his extensive layout was to present a number of 'pictures' of the house. In his own plan of the gardens he showed the avenue running north from the entrance gates to a rond-point, from which only the central block of the château is visible. This avenue is intersected by another at exactly the point at which not only the château but also its flanking archways are included in the picture. The underlying principles of the layout were that the formality of the château required a corresponding formality in its immediate surroundings and that the landscape should be the creation of human reason, making use of all that perspective, proportion and a subtle touch of optical illusion could confer. Le Nôtre built his design along a central axis 800 m long from the windows of the Salon to the once-gilded colossal copy of the Farnese Hercules by Michel Anguier, which marks the horizon to the south. Anguier was the major provider of outdoor sculpture at Vaux-le-Vicomte. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 2/8/2008

Tuileries Garden

general view, West garden, looking northwest towards the West Gat

Tuileries Garden

general view, West garden, looking nort

Château de Vaux le Vicomte: Gardens

General view of the Fountain Terrace which faces the lake, looking north; The gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte were the first great work of André Le Nôtre. One of the objects of his extensive layout was to present a number of 'pictures' of the house. In his own plan of the gardens he showed the avenue running north from the entrance gates to a rond-point, from which only the central block of the château is visible. This avenue is intersected by another at exactly the point at which not only the château but also its flanking archways are included in the picture. The underlying principles of the layout were that the formality of the château required a corresponding formality in its immediate surroundings and that the landscape should be the creation of human reason, making use of all that perspective, proportion and a subtle touch of optical illusion could confer. Le Nôtre built his design along a central axis 800 m long from the windows of the Salon to the once-gilded colossal copy of the Farnese Hercules by Michel Anguier, which marks the horizon to the south. Anguier was the major provider of outdoor sculpture at Vaux-le-Vicomte. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 2/8/2008

Tuileries Garden

general view, allées, 201

Château de Vaux le Vicomte: Gardens

Vista towards the west wood from part of the formal gardens; The gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte were the first great work of André Le Nôtre. One of the objects of his extensive layout was to present a number of 'pictures' of the house. In his own plan of the gardens he showed the avenue running north from the entrance gates to a rond-point, from which only the central block of the château is visible. This avenue is intersected by another at exactly the point at which not only the château but also its flanking archways are included in the picture. The underlying principles of the layout were that the formality of the château required a corresponding formality in its immediate surroundings and that the landscape should be the creation of human reason, making use of all that perspective, proportion and a subtle touch of optical illusion could confer. Le Nôtre built his design along a central axis 800 m long from the windows of the Salon to the once-gilded colossal copy of the Farnese Hercules by Michel Anguier, which marks the horizon to the south. Anguier was the major provider of outdoor sculpture at Vaux-le-Vicomte. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 2/8/2008

Tuileries Garden

general view, West entr

Château de Vaux le Vicomte: Gardens

View of part of the parterre in the formal gardens and an Italian sculptural group on a pedestal, from the south terrace of the Chateau; The gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte were the first great work of André Le Nôtre. One of the objects of his extensive layout was to present a number of 'pictures' of the house. In his own plan of the gardens he showed the avenue running north from the entrance gates to a rond-point, from which only the central block of the château is visible. This avenue is intersected by another at exactly the point at which not only the château but also its flanking archways are included in the picture. The underlying principles of the layout were that the formality of the château required a corresponding formality in its immediate surroundings and that the landscape should be the creation of human reason, making use of all that perspective, proportion and a subtle touch of optical illusion could confer. Le Nôtre built his design along a central axis 800 m long from the windows of the Salon to the once-gilded colossal copy of the Farnese Hercules by Michel Anguier, which marks the horizon to the south. Anguier was the major provider of outdoor sculpture at Vaux-le-Vicomte. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 2/8/2008