The first gardener to receive a title of nobility from Louis XIV, Le Nôtre the Magician used an interplay between perspectives, parterres, fountains, canals, basins and groves with a grace and unity that only he could achieve in a sequence of views and geometrical shapes, with an unprecedented scope, a dynamic and majesty, a Grand Siècle style, harmonious in the relationship between the grandiose and the intimate, the near and the far.

This special issue takes us through itineraries full of surprises. First of all his mysterious, vibrant life. His privileged relationship with Louis XIV and the artists of the day, his partners on his major projects – Le Brun, La Fontaine and Mansart. But also the fables told by the fountains, which are so important to the Gardens. The demons hiding behind the zenith of classical culture. An opportunity to attend the incredible parties described by Félibien, a chronicler of the splendours of the royal lifestyle, designed as a publicity machine to glorify Louis XIV. And Versailles and Le Nôtre could not be presented without the affable Alain Baraton, the master gardener with a chatty style and sharp pruning shears that he uses to shape a highly personal picture of them.

100 pages
Publiher : Telerama
Parution : October 2013