Great style. Style of King Louis XIV. Large style, Louis XIV style Armchair in the Louis XIV style, Provasi
Big style- (French “Grand maniere”, Le style Louis Quatorze) - art style one of the most striking periods in the history of France, the “golden age” of French art of the second half XVII centuries.
Associated with the reign of King Louis XIV (1643-1715), hence the name. This style combines elements of Classicism and Baroque. With its figurative structure, the “Grand Style” expressed the ideas of the triumph of strong, absolute royal power, national unity, wealth and prosperity, hence its epithet “ Le Grand».
In 1643, the five-year-old heir to the throne found himself at the head of France Louis XIV, his mother, Queen Anne of Austria, became regent. The policy was determined by the first minister, the all-powerful Cardinal Mazarin. Despite the people’s hatred for the Italian cardinal and dislike for the “Austrian queen,” the idea of the need for lasting absolute power as an indispensable condition The development of the French nation and the unification of the country rallied around the throne the leading minds of the time - politicians, nobility, writers and artists. In 1655, the young king at a meeting of parliament said famous phrase: « L"Etat, c"est moi! (“State, it’s me!”). And the courtiers, not without flattery, of course, nicknamed him “ Roi Soleil" - "The Sun King" (which always shines over France). Minister of Finance of the Sun King J.-B. Colbert“oversaw” the development of architecture and the activities of the Academies. In 1663, Colbert organized “ Academy of Inscriptions", specifically for composing inscriptions for monuments and medals glorifying the king. Art was declared a state matter. Artists were given direct instructions to glorify unlimited royal power, regardless of means.
Aesthetic ideals
The “Big Style” was supposed to reflect the new ideals of absolutism. He could only be Classicism, associated with the greatness of the ancient Greeks and Romans: the French king was compared to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. But strict and rational Classicism seemed insufficiently magnificent to express the triumph of an absolute monarchy. In Italy at that time the style was dominant Baroque. Therefore, it is natural that French artists turned to the forms of modern Italian Baroque. But in France, Baroque could not grow out of the architecture of Classicism as powerfully as in Italy.
Since the era French Renaissance XVI century in this country the ideals of Classicism were established, the influence of which on the development of art did not weaken until late XIX centuries. This is main feature « French style" In addition, classicist forms took root on a different soil than in Italy, from the strong national traditions of Romanesque and Gothic art. This explains why only individual elements were borrowed from the Italian Baroque, while the main formative principles of the art of the era of Louis XIV remained the ideas of Classicism. Thus, in the design of building facades, the strict classicist order design of the walls was preserved, but baroque elements were present in the interior design details, trellises, and furniture.
The influence of state ideology was so great that from that time on, individual stages in the development of art in France began to be designated by the names of kings: the style of Louis XIV, the style of Louis XV, the style of Louis XVI. The custom of this name was later reversed back to the time before the reign of Louis XIV. Other most important feature era was that it was in France in the second half of the 17th century that the very concept of artistic style took shape. Before this, in Italy, the ideas of Classicism, just beginning to take shape, were immediately supplanted by Mannerism and Baroque.
Classicism as an artistic movement took shape in France and since then, not Rome, but Paris began to dictate fashion in art and its role did not weaken over the subsequent 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. For the first time in history, in France during the era of Louis XIV, style began to be recognized as the most important category of art, aesthetics, and became the norm of life, everyday life and morals, permeating all aspects of court etiquette (a word that also appeared at the court of Louis XIV). Along with the awareness of style comes the aestheticization of individual formal elements, the cultivation of taste, and a “sense of detail.” This feature has become a tradition, which over the course of several decades has created a special “sense of form”, plastic culture, and subtlety of thinking inherent specifically in the French school. But this culture did not develop easily. At first, the Renaissance ideal of a holistic, static, self-balanced form (somewhat shaken by the art of Mannerism and Baroque) was replaced by the idea of aestheticization of “random delights” and individual means of achieving beauty: line, paint, texture of material. Instead of the category of composition (compositio), put forward by the Italian architect and theorist L. B. Alberti, the concept of “mixed compound” (lat. mixtum compositura) is introduced. This fragmentation began with Italian mannerist artists who worked at the court of Francis I and then Henry II at the school of Fontainebleau. Their French students, who worked in the counts and royal castles along the river. The Loire and in Paris itself gradually formed an aristocratic culture of form, which later shone in the Rococo style of the 18th century, but it bore its first fruits in the 17th century. “Perhaps the influence of French art on the life of the upper strata of European, including Russian society, was stronger in the 18th century, but the foundations of the supremacy of the French language, manners, fashions, and pleasures were undoubtedly laid by the time of the “Sun King.”
It is no coincidence that the second half of the 17th century is called “the most brilliant period of French history.” The most common words, often repeated in memoirs and aesthetic treatises of that time: great, grandeur, luxurious, festive... Probably, the splendor of the style of court art really created the impression of an “eternal celebration of life.” According to the famous memoirist Madame de Sevigne, the court of Louis XIV was always “in a state of pleasure and art”... The king “always listens to some kind of music, very pleasant. He talks with the ladies who are accustomed to this honor... The festivities continue every day and midnight.” In the “brilliant seventeenth century,” style, etiquette, and manner became a real mania. Hence the fashion for mirrors and memoirs. People wanted to see themselves from the outside, to become spectators of their own pose. The flowering of the art of court portraiture was not long in coming. The luxury of palace receptions amazed the envoys of European courts.
In the Grand Gallery of the Palace of Versailles, thousands of candles were lit, reflected in the mirrors, and the dresses of the ladies of the court were “so full of jewels and gold that they could hardly walk.” None of the European states dared to compete with France, which was then at the zenith of its glory. “Big Style” appeared at the right time and in the right place. It accurately reflected the content of the era - but not its actual state, but the mood of the minds. The king himself had little interest in art; he waged inglorious wars that exhausted the strength of the state. And people seemed to try not to notice this, they wanted to look the way they seemed to themselves in their imagination. What arrogance! When studying this era, one gets the feeling that its greatest artists were tailors and hairdressers. But over time, history has put everything in its place, preserving for us the great works of architects, sculptors, draftsmen and engravers. The mania for style and the French “grand manner” rapidly spread throughout Europe, overcoming diplomatic and government barriers. The power of art turned out to be stronger than weapons, and Berlin, Vienna, and even prim London capitulated to it.
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Basic principles of style
"Louis XIV Style" laid the foundations of an international European court culture and ensured with his triumph the successful dissemination of ideas Classicism and artistic style Neoclassicism in the second half of the XVIII - early XIX centuries in the majority European countries. Another important feature of the era of the “Grand Style” is that it was at this time that the ideology and forms of European academicism were finally taking shape. In 1648, on the initiative of the “first painter of the king” Lebrun, the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. In 1666, the French Academy of Painting was created in Rome. In 1671, it was organized in Paris Royal Academy of Architecture. F. Blondel the Elder was appointed its director, and A. Felibien was appointed secretary. "Great style" demanded big money. The royal court, the court aristocracy, the Academies and the Catholic Church managed to create an environment, at least within the radius of the capital, in which expensive masterpieces arose. First of all, the construction of grandiose architectural ensembles was required. The official positions of "architect to the king" and "first architect to the king" were introduced.
All construction works were in the department of the Court. In 1655-1661. architect L. Levo built for N. Fouquet, “royal controller of finances”, Palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte. A park regular style smashed A. Lenotre, brilliantly decorated interiors Ch. Lebrun. The palace and park aroused such strong envy of King Louis that Minister Fouquet was thrown into prison on the first pretext, and Levo and Le Nôtre were ordered to build something more grandiose in Paris and Versailles. In 1664-1674. The construction of the eastern façade completed the architectural ensemble of the Louvre, the main royal residence in Paris. The eastern facade is called the “Colonnade of the Louvre” because of the powerful row of double columns of the “grand order”. Columns with Corinthian capitals raised above ground floor and span the second and third floors, creating a powerful, austere and majestic image. The colonnade stretches 173 meters. The history of the creation of this masterpiece is interesting. The outstanding master of the mature Roman Baroque, J. L. Bernini, was invited to participate in the competition. He presented a baroque project with elaborately curved facades, rich in many decorative elements, but the French preferred their own, domestic, more strict and classic. Its author turned out to be not a professional builder, but a physician who was fond of architecture and in his spare time translated Vitruvius’s treatise into French. It was C. Perrault. He defended exclusively the ancient, ancient Italian foundations of classicist architecture. Together with C. Perrault, F. de Orbe and L. Levo took part in the construction of the Louvre, who created the new northern and southern wings of the palace.
During the reign of Louis XIV, the architect and fortifier S. de Vauban became famous; he built over thirty new fortified cities and reconstructed many old ones. L. Levo became the author of two outstanding buildings that had a significant influence on the development of the architecture of European Classicism: Hotel Lambert(1645) and the ensemble " College of the Four Nations» (« Institute of France"; 1661-1665). Near the College de France in 1635-1642. the architect J. Lemercier built the Sorbonne Church with a facade in the Italian Baroque style (it contains the tomb of Cardinal Richelieu, rector of the university). Like the Collège de France chapel, the Sorbonne Church is crowned with a “French dome”, unusual for that time. In 1671-1676. L. Bruan erected a complex of buildings for the Invalides for war veterans on the left bank of the Seine. In 1679-1706. architect J. Hardouin Mansart complemented this ensemble with his masterpiece - Church of the Invalides. Its dome with gilded ornaments, “lantern” and spire are visible from afar. The churches of the Institute of France, the Sorbonne and the Invalides were new type a classic building, centric plan, with a portico, triangular pediment and dome on a drum with columns or pilasters. This composition - the so-called “French scheme” - formed the basis for many subsequent works of architecture of European Classicism of the 18th-19th centuries, including in Russia. In 1685-1701 created according to the project of J. Hardouin-Mansart in the center of Paris Place Louis the Great(later - Place Vendôme). Rectangular in plan, with cut corners, it was conceived as a ceremonial ensemble in honor of the Sun King. In the center was an equestrian statue of Louis XIV by F. Girardon (1683-1699); destroyed during the revolution of 1789. The facades of the buildings framing the square have the same type of porticoes, which gives the composition integrity and completeness. Another square in honor of the king, also designed by J. Hardouin-Mansart, is “ Victory Square"(Place des Victoires) was created in 1685. It was decorated with equestrian statue of Louis XIV work of a Dutch sculptor M. fan Len Bogart(nicknamed Desjardins); destroyed during the revolution of 1792 (restored by M. Bosio in 1822; see Cavallo).
In 1672, according to the design of the head of the Royal Academy of Architecture, F. Blondel the Elder, it was erected in honor of the victories of French arms - the crossing of the army of King Louis across the Rhine. Blondel rethought the form of the Roman Arc de Triomphe and created a new type of structure, the “Grand Style”. The bas-reliefs of the arch, based on the sketches of Charles Lebrun, were made by the sculptors Angier brothers. From 1676, Blondel developed a new master plan for Paris, which included the creation of large architectural ensembles and perspectives. F. Blondel was an outstanding theorist; in his “Course of Architecture” (1675) he argued that the foundations of the classicist style lie not “in imitation of Rome”, but in rational thinking and accurate calculation of proportions. The creator of the Colonnade of the Louvre, C. Perrault, argued with him. In 1691, another theoretical treatise under the same title: “Course of Architecture” was published by Sh.-A. de Aviler. In 1682, Louis XIV left Paris and the court moved to a suburban residence -.
This gesture is seen as the king’s desire to create a new brilliant capital, entirely associated only with his name. Among the sculptors of the “Grand Style”, F. Girardon, A. Coisevo, N. Coustu (whose younger brother is known for the groups of “Marly horses”), P. Puget, J. Sarazin, J.-B. Tube. During the reign of Louis XIV, two outstanding painters worked: C. Lorrain and N. Poussin. They worked in Italy and in their aspirations were far from the pompous “Big Style”. A convinced novelist, C. Lorrain is a landscape painter, lyricist and romantic. N. Poussin created masterpieces that embody the ideas of “pure” Roman Classicism, which also romantically embodies the harmony of antiquity. Despite the king's demands, Poussin did not want to work in France and be a court painter. Therefore, the laurels of a court painter were first won by the cold and boring academician S. Vuz, and then by his student P. Mignard. During these same years, the famous dispute between the “Poussinists” (adherents of Classicism) and the “Rubensists” (supporters of the Baroque) flared up. At the Royal Academy of Painting, the “Poussinists” were supported by C. Lebrun, and the “Rubensists” by P. Mignard and Roger de Pille. Ch. Lebrun revered Raphael and Poussin and dedicated special lectures at the Academy to these artists; in 1642 he accompanied Poussin to Italy and worked for some time next to him in Rome. But it is characteristic that the “Poussin-Rubens” (Classicism-Baroque) dilemma, reflected within the walls of the Paris Academy by the Lebrun-Mignard confrontation, lost its meaning, so similar was academic painting: academicism leveled out the differences in style. The court portraits of the “grand statuette, or high, style” created by S. Vouet and P. Mignard are sometimes called “baroque academicism.” From the walls of the Apollo Gallery in the Louvre, French kings and the best artists of France of that time look at us - in all the portraits there is a noticeable disdainful, condescending expression, and on the face of the Sun King (portrait by Lebrun) there is a contemptuous grimace. The same expression is in a work of magnificent painting and composition - a portrait of Louis XIV by I. Rigaud. Most of The paintings of the “first painter of the king” C. Lebrun are the most boring examples of academic classicism.
The Louvre has Big hall, entirely filled with huge canvases by C. Lebrun, it’s unbearable to look at them. At the same time, “Portrait of Chancellor Seguier” (1661), his own work, is a most exquisite work in terms of painting. These contradictions reflect the nuances of the Great Style era. A significant contribution to the art of ceremonial portraiture in the “statuary style” was made by outstanding engravers J. Morin, C. Mellan, R. Nanteuil, J. Edelinck. The painter N. de Largilliere, who, like many other portrait painters, worked under the influence of A. Van Dyck, painted secular beauties in the form of ancient goddesses and nymphs against the backdrop of a forest landscape, which anticipated the features of the Rococo style of the mid-next century. In the 17th century In France, the best works in the genre of ornamental engraving were created, to say the least: the genre itself was created. Compositions by J. Lepôtre, D. Marot the Elder and J. Marot the Elder, collected in large albums (“Vases”, “Portals”, “Plafonds”, “Cartouches”, “Fireplaces”, “Borders”) perfectly demonstrated the main features “Grand Style”, they spread to many countries and had a significant influence on the development of decorative art throughout Europe. Working in this genre, the artists were not regulated by the plot and the requirements of the customer; they gave free rein to their imagination, working out individual formal elements of the style to perfection.
Manifestation of the “Big Style” in decor
An outstanding decorative artist of the Grand Style, who anticipated the Rococo style, was J. Veren the Elder. He designed court festivities, productions of operas by J.-B. Lully, the composer of the "Versailles style", made drawings of furniture, interior design and ship decoration. During these same years, the grandiose plan of Louis XIV was carried out: to make engravings of all significant works of art created in France during his reign and located in royal collections. An idea worthy of “Big Style”! Such an artistic encyclopedia began to be prepared in 1663 and was published in albums of copper engravings “in folio” (Latin for “in sheet”, i.e. large format) in 1677-1683. The engravings reproduce paintings, sculptures, royal tapestries, collections of medals, coins, cameos, views of royal palaces and castles. In 1727 and 1734, these series were published again under the name “Royal Cabinet” (a similar series was created in 1729-1742 under the leadership of P. Crozat). The initiatives of King Louis XIV contributed to the formation of the Louvre's art collection. In 1662, by order of Minister J.-B. Colbert, from a simple workshop of wool dyers on the outskirts of Paris, created the “Royal Furniture Manufactory”, or Gobelin Manufactory.
Not only woven carpets and tapestries were produced there, but also furniture, mosaics, and bronze items. The Beauvais manufactory operated from 1664, Aubusson from 1665, and Savonnerie from 1624. At the turn of the XVII-XVIII centuries. French art, according to the impressions of contemporaries, created a feeling of “unbridled luxury and splendor.” Coryverdures and huge “picture” tapestries with lush borders - garlands of flowers and fruits, emblems and cartouches, with woven shimmering gold and silver threads, occupied all the walls. They not only corresponded to the character of the “Big Style” interiors, but set the tone for them. The main artist of the Gobelin manufactory was C. Lebrun. The most famous series of tapestries based on his cardboards is “The Months, or Royal Castles” (1666), in which Lebrun successfully combined “ classic style Raphael with the baroque pomp of Rubens." From 1668 to 1682 the series of twelve carpets was repeated seven times. Other series, also based on Lebrun’s cardboards, became famous: “The History of Louis XIV”, “The Elements, or the Seasons”, “The History of Alexander the Great”. France has never known such an abundance of masterpieces of decorative art. An event in the art of furniture were the original works of the outstanding master A.-S. Bullya. The monumental cabinets and chests of drawers of his work with gilded bronze overlays and intarsia, rich in color and texture, corresponded to the grandeur of ceremonial palace interiors. In the 17th century, in addition to velvet and silk, lace came into fashion; it became a mandatory accessory not only for women’s, but also for men’s costumes.
At first, Flemish lace and Venetian guipure were imported into France. In 1665, a workshop was founded in Alençon, where local craftswomen were trained by Venetian lacemakers. Soon Alençon guipure began to be called “point de France” (“French stitch”). By a special decree, King Louis obliged his courtiers to wear only French lace. They were distinguished by a particularly fine, exquisite pattern. The court jeweler of Louis XIV was the silversmith C. Ballen the First. He created cutlery and cast silver furniture for Versailles. These works did not last long. In 1689, due to the financial difficulties of the state, the king issued a “Decree against luxury” on the melting down of all gold and silver items into coins. A huge number of unique works were lost. But the king still did not have enough money and the decree was repeated in 1700. As a result, enormous damage was caused to the jewelry art of France, but at the same time the decrees contributed to the rise of earthenware production in Rouen and Moustiers. Silverware was to be replaced by earthenware. This is how the unique “radiant style” of painting on Rouen faience arose. End of the 17th century was also the heyday of the art of silk embroidery. The "grand style" of the era of the Sun King created another French tradition. Women began to set the tone in art. Many original artistic ideas were born not at the throne, but in the Salons (this word also appeared in the 17th century), aristocratic drawing rooms and boudoirs of the king's favorites: from 1661, Mademoiselle de Lavalliere, in 1668-1678 - F. de Montespan . Marquise Françoise Athenais de Montespan (1641-1707) was a representative of an ancient aristocratic family. Many artists owe their well-being to her education, subtle taste and love of art. In 1678, Marie Angelica de Fontanges (1661-1681) attracted the king's attention. Its influence explains the emergence of new models of clothing, hairstyles, and jewelry. So, one day during a royal hunt, the Duchess de Fontanges’ hair fell apart and she tied her hair with a ribbon. The king expressed admiration and soon all the ladies of the court began to wear their hairstyle “Fontange” (“a La Fontanges”).
In 1684, after the death of the queen, Louis XIV secretly married the Marquise Françoise de Maintenon (1635-1719). The Marquise was distinguished by her piety and over the years became more and more subject to the influence of her Catholic confessors. Through her, the church decided to convert Louis to the path of piety. Therefore, the entire second half of the reign was painted in harsh tones and took place in an atmosphere of “general despondency.” It is also believed that it was under the influence of the devout Catholic Maintenon that the king decided to repeal the Edict of Nantes in 1685. This edict, issued by Henry IV back in 1598, guaranteed freedom of religion in France. With its abolition, a significant part of the jewelers, embossers, enamellers, ceramicists, weavers, who were former Protestants, were forced to leave France forever. Having moved to Germany, England, Holland, Switzerland, these masters brought significant contribution in the development of decorative and applied arts of these countries. After the lifting of the Edict of Nantes, a decline was observed in the artistic life of France. By the end of the 17th century. The “grand style” had clearly exhausted its possibilities, the “golden age” of French art was ending to give way to the intimate and slightly tired art of the Regency style early XVIII centuries. But it was precisely from the 17th century. the spread of the ideas of Classicism begins in Europe. These ideas were able to take shape into an international artistic style only from the middle of the 18th century. For France, after the classic art of the Renaissance of the 16th century. and the “Grand Style” of the 17th century, this was already the third wave of Classicism, therefore the artistic style of French art of the second half of the 18th century is called Neoclassicism, while in relation to other European countries it is simply Classicism.
The emergence of style
Big style- (French “Grand maniere”, Le style Louis Quatorze) - the artistic style of one of the most vibrant periods in the history of France, the “golden age” of French art in the second half of the 17th century.
Associated with the reign of King Louis XIV (1643-1715), hence the name. This style combines elements of Classicism and Baroque. With its figurative structure, the “Grand Style” expressed the ideas of the triumph of strong, absolute royal power, national unity, wealth and prosperity, hence its epithet Le Grand.
In 1643, the five-year-old heir to the throne, Louis XIV, became the head of France, and his mother, Queen Anne of Austria, became regent. The policy was determined by the first minister, the all-powerful Cardinal Mazarin. Despite the people’s hatred of the Italian cardinal and dislike of the “Austrian queen,” the idea of the need for lasting absolute power as an indispensable condition for the development of the French nation and the unification of the country rallied the leading minds of the time - politicians, nobility, writers and artists - around the throne. In 1655, the young king uttered the famous phrase at a meeting of parliament: “L"Etat, c"est moi!” (“State, it’s me!”). And the courtiers, not without flattery, of course, nicknamed him “Roi Soleil” - “Sun King” (which always shines over France). Minister of Finance of the “Sun King” J.-B. Colbert “oversaw” the development of architecture and the activities of the Academies. In 1663, Colbert organized the “Academy of Inscriptions”, specifically for composing inscriptions for monuments and medals glorifying the king. Art was declared a state matter. Artists were given direct instructions to glorify unlimited royal power, regardless of means.
The “Big Style” was supposed to reflect the new ideals of absolutism. He could only be Classicism, associated with the greatness of the ancient Greeks and Romans: the French king was compared to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. But strict and rational Classicism seemed insufficiently magnificent to express the triumph of an absolute monarchy. In Italy at that time the style was dominant Baroque. Therefore, it is natural that French artists turned to the forms of modern Italian Baroque. But in France, Baroque could not grow out of the architecture of Classicism as powerfully as in Italy.
Since the era French Renaissance XVI century In this country, the ideals of Classicism were established, the influence of which on the development of art did not weaken until the end of the 19th century. This is the main feature of the “French style”. In addition, classicist forms took root on a different soil than in Italy, from the strong national traditions of Romanesque and Gothic art. This explains why only individual elements were borrowed from the Italian Baroque, while the main formative principles of the art of the era of Louis XIV remained the ideas of Classicism. Thus, in the design of building facades, the strict classicist order design of the walls was preserved, but baroque elements were present in the interior design details, trellises, and furniture.
The influence of state ideology was so great that from that time on, individual stages in the development of art in France began to be designated by the names of kings: the style of Louis XIV, the style of Louis XV, the style of Louis XVI. The custom of this name was later reversed back to the time before the reign of Louis XIV. Another important feature of the era was that it was in France in the second half of the 17th century that the very concept of artistic style took shape. Before this, in Italy, the ideas of Classicism, just beginning to take shape, were immediately supplanted by Mannerism and Baroque.
Classicism as an artistic movement took shape in France and since then, not Rome, but Paris began to dictate fashion in art and its role did not weaken over the subsequent 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. For the first time in history, in France during the era of Louis XIV, style began to be recognized as the most important category of art, aesthetics, and became the norm of life, everyday life and morals, permeating all aspects of court etiquette (a word that also appeared at the court of Louis XIV). Along with the awareness of style comes the aestheticization of individual formal elements, the cultivation of taste, and a “sense of detail.” This feature has become a tradition, which over the course of several decades has created a special “sense of form”, plastic culture, and subtlety of thinking inherent specifically in the French school. But this culture did not develop easily. At first, the Renaissance ideal of a holistic, static, self-balanced form (somewhat shaken by the art of Mannerism and Baroque) was replaced by the idea of aestheticization of “random delights” and individual means of achieving beauty: line, paint, texture of material. Instead of the category of composition (compositio), put forward by the Italian architect and theorist L. B. Alberti, the concept of “mixed compound” (lat. mixtum compositura) is introduced. This fragmentation began with Italian mannerist artists who worked at the court of Francis I and then Henry II at the school of Fontainebleau. Their French students, who worked in the counts and royal castles along the river. The Loire and in Paris itself gradually formed an aristocratic culture of form, which later shone in the Rococo style of the 18th century, but it bore its first fruits in the 17th century. “Perhaps the influence of French art on the life of the upper strata of European, including Russian society, was stronger in the 18th century, but the foundations of the supremacy of the French language, manners, fashions, and pleasures were undoubtedly laid by the time of the “Sun King.”
It is no coincidence that the second half of the 17th century is called “the most brilliant period of French history.” The most common words, often repeated in memoirs and aesthetic treatises of that time: great, grandeur, luxurious, festive... Probably, the splendor of the style of court art really created the impression of an “eternal celebration of life.” According to the famous memoirist Madame de Sevigne, the court of Louis XIV was always “in a state of pleasure and art”... The king “always listens to some kind of music, very pleasant. He talks with the ladies who are accustomed to this honor... The festivities continue every day and midnight.” In the “brilliant seventeenth century,” style, etiquette, and manner became a real mania. Hence the fashion for mirrors and memoirs. People wanted to see themselves from the outside, to become spectators of their own pose. The flowering of the art of court portraiture was not long in coming. The luxury of palace receptions amazed the envoys of European courts.
In the Grand Gallery of the Palace of Versailles, thousands of candles were lit, reflected in the mirrors, and the dresses of the ladies of the court were “so full of jewels and gold that they could hardly walk.” None of the European states dared to compete with France, which was then at the zenith of its glory. “Big Style” appeared at the right time and in the right place. It accurately reflected the content of the era - but not its actual state, but the mood of the minds. The king himself had little interest in art; he waged inglorious wars that exhausted the strength of the state. And people seemed to try not to notice this, they wanted to look the way they seemed to themselves in their imagination. What arrogance! When studying this era, one gets the feeling that its greatest artists were tailors and hairdressers. But over time, history has put everything in its place, preserving for us the great works of architects, sculptors, draftsmen and engravers. The mania for style and the French “grand manner” rapidly spread throughout Europe, overcoming diplomatic and government barriers. The power of art turned out to be stronger than weapons, and Berlin, Vienna, and even prim London capitulated to it.
The interior in the style of Louis XIV arose during his reign 1643-1715. To better imagine this style, you need to plunge into the history of that time. However, history is unable to describe the emotional state of society in 1643, so it is better to turn to fiction, where the author, as a subtle psychologist, will show the most inconspicuous corners of the soul of Louis XIV and the people around him. The question may, of course, arise as to how the interior style is related to the emotional state. But everything is simple, the interior reflects the character of a person.
The most skillful author who majestically paints a picture of the life of Louis XIV is Alexandre Dumas in his novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years After, the third part of the trilogy of novels about the three musketeers and d'Artagnan. This describes the beginning of the reign of Louis XIV. The 25-year-old king is handsome, amorous, energetic. Like any ruler, he sincerely loves compliments, in some cases even flattery, loves being surrounded by eloquent people who can use words to paint a real picture in their imagination with the smallest details. Society said that Louis XIV was like the sun of all France. Artists, sculptors, designers, seeing in their king, on the one hand, a powerful ruler, and on the other, an amorous young man, convey his character through works of art, as well as the decoration of his home. Thus, the artist Charles Lebrun introduces marble with variegated colors into the decoration in combination with gilded bronze, reliefs, and ceiling paintings. The main decoration of the premises were heavy frames and stucco on the walls, which can still be seen in the Palace of Versailles, including in the Hall of War and Peace.
The “grand style,” as the style of Louis XIV is also called, is based on where elements are present. This is due to the fact that the king is compared to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. “Big Style” also includes elements. First of all, these are paintings by Jean Leport, which decorated the walls of houses. Usually paintings were painted in human height.
Palace furniture contained a lot of carvings covered with gilding. Objects were created from colored wood, which was decorated with various precious materials. Later, wood began to be replaced with gilded bronze, silver, brass, and tin. The legs of the chairs and armchairs had a sophisticated S-shape. Furniture elements were covered in rich fabrics with organic patterns. Cabinet furniture also appears in the form wall consoles, chests of drawers with curved legs.
The interior was decorated with tapestries, carpets, silk fabrics that covered the walls and ceilings, various products made of silver.
They first appeared under Louis XIV. They were big ceiling lamps which burned with candles. In their rays, the crystal shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. The sight was breathtaking.
So rich luxurious interior existed until the end of the 17th century, and later, due to the economic deterioration of the country, the interior began to acquire more classicist features.
Big style- (French “Grand maniere”, Le style Louis Quatorze) - the artistic style of one of the most vibrant periods in the history of France, the “golden age” of French art in the second half of the 17th century. Associated with the reign of King Louis XIV (1643-1715), hence the name. With its figurative structure, the “Grand Style” expressed the ideas of the triumph of strong, absolute royal power, national unity, wealth and prosperity, hence its epithet Le Grand.
The “Big Style” was supposed to reflect the new ideals of absolutism. He could only be Classicism, associated with the greatness of the ancient Greeks and Romans: the French king was compared to Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. But strict and rational Classicism seemed insufficiently magnificent to express the triumph of an absolute monarchy. In Italy at that time the style was dominant Baroque. Therefore, it is natural that French artists turned to the forms of modern Italian Baroque.
But in France, Baroque could not grow out of the architecture of Classicism as powerfully as in Italy. Since the era French Renaissance XVI century In this country, the ideals of Classicism were established, the influence of which on the development of art did not weaken until the end of the 19th century. This is the main feature of the “French style”. In addition, classicist forms took root on a different soil than in Italy, from the strong national traditions of Romanesque and Gothic art. This explains why only individual elements were borrowed from the Italian Baroque, while the main formative principles of the art of the era of Louis XIV remained the ideas of Classicism. Thus, in the design of building facades, the strict classicist order design of the walls was preserved, but baroque elements were present in the interior design details, trellises, and furniture.
Classicism as an artistic movement took shape in France and since then, not Rome, but Paris began to dictate fashion in art and its role did not weaken over the subsequent 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. For the first time in history, in France during the era of Louis XIV, style began to be recognized as the most important category of art, aesthetics, and became the norm of life, everyday life and morals, permeating all aspects of court etiquette (a word that also appeared at the court of Louis XIV).
Along with the awareness of style comes the aestheticization of individual formal elements, the cultivation of taste, and a “sense of detail.” This feature has become a tradition, which over the course of several decades has created a special “sense of form”, plastic culture, and subtlety of thinking inherent specifically in the French school. The most common words, often repeated in memoirs and aesthetic treatises of that time: great, grandeur, luxurious, festive... According to the famous memoirist Madame de Sevigne, the court of Louis XIV was always “in a state of pleasure and art”...
The king “always listens to some kind of music, very pleasant. He talks with the ladies who are accustomed to this honor... The festivities continue every day and midnight.”
In the “brilliant seventeenth century,” style, etiquette, and manner became a real mania. Hence the fashion for mirrors and memoirs. People wanted to see themselves from the outside, to become spectators of their own pose. The flowering of the art of court portraiture was not long in coming. The luxury of palace receptions amazed the envoys of European courts. In the Grand Gallery of the Palace of Versailles, thousands of candles were lit, reflected in the mirrors, and the dresses of the ladies of the court were “so full of jewels and gold that they could hardly walk.”
None of the European states dared to compete with France, which was then at the zenith of its glory. “Big Style” appeared at the right time and in the right place. The mania for style and the French “grand manner” rapidly spread throughout Europe, overcoming diplomatic and government barriers.
"Louis XIV Style" laid the foundations of an international European court culture and ensured with his triumph the successful dissemination of ideas Classicism and artistic style Neoclassicism in the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries. in most European countries.
Another important feature of the era of the “Grand Style” is that it was at this time that the ideology and forms of European academicism were finally taking shape. The royal court, the court aristocracy, the Academies and the Catholic Church managed to create an environment, at least within the radius of the capital, in which expensive masterpieces arose. First of all, the construction of grandiose architectural ensembles was required. The official positions of "architect to the king" and "first architect to the king" were introduced.
All construction work was carried out by the Department of the Yard. In 1655-1661. architect L. Levo built for N. Fouquet, “royal controller of finances”, Palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte.
Regular style park broken A. Lenotre, brilliantly decorated interiors C. Lebrun.
The palace and park aroused such strong envy of King Louis that Minister Fouquet was thrown into prison on the first pretext, and Levo and Le Nôtre were ordered to build something more grandiose in Paris and Versailles. In 1664-1674. The construction of the eastern façade completed the architectural ensemble of the Louvre, the main royal residence in Paris. The eastern facade is called the “Colonnade of the Louvre” because of the powerful row of double columns of the “grand order”. Columns with Corinthian capitals are raised above the ground floor and span the second and third floors, creating a powerful, austere and majestic image.
The colonnade stretches 173 meters. The history of the creation of this masterpiece is interesting. The outstanding master of the mature Roman Baroque, J. L. Bernini, was invited to participate in the competition. He presented a baroque project with elaborately curved facades, rich in many decorative elements, but the French preferred their own, domestic, more austere and classic. Its author turned out to be not a professional builder, but a physician who was fond of architecture and in his spare time translated Vitruvius’s treatise into French. It was C. Perrault. He defended exclusively the ancient, ancient Italian foundations of classicist architecture. Together with C. Perrault, F. de Orbe and L. Levo took part in the construction of the Louvre, who created the new northern and southern wings of the palace. During the reign of Louis XIV, the architect and fortifier S. de Vauban became famous; he built over thirty new fortified cities and reconstructed many old ones. L. Levo became the author of two outstanding buildings that had a significant influence on the development of the architecture of European Classicism: Hotel Lambert(1645) and ensemble "College of the Four Nations" (« Institute of France"; 1661-1665).
Near the College de France in 1635-1642. the architect J. Lemercier built the Sorbonne Church with a facade in the Italian Baroque style (it contains the tomb of Cardinal Richelieu, rector of the university). Like the Collège de France chapel, the Sorbonne Church is crowned with a “French dome”, unusual for that time. In 1671-1676. L. Bruan erected a complex of buildings for the Invalides for war veterans on the left bank of the Seine.
In 1679-1706. architect J. Hardouin Mansart complemented this ensemble with his masterpiece - Church of the Invalides. Its dome with gilded ornaments, “lantern” and spire are visible from afar. The churches of the Institute of France, the Sorbonne and the Invalides were a new type of classicist building, centric in plan, with a portico, triangular pediment and dome on a drum with columns or pilasters. This composition - the so-called “French scheme” - formed the basis for many subsequent works of architecture of European Classicism of the 18th-19th centuries, including in Russia. In 1685-1701 created according to the project of J. Hardouin-Mansart in the center of Paris Place Louis the Great(later - Place Vendôme).
Rectangular in plan, with cut corners, it was conceived as a ceremonial ensemble in honor of the Sun King. In the center was an equestrian statue of Louis XIV by F. Girardon (1683-1699); destroyed during the revolution of 1789. The facades of the buildings framing the square have the same type of porticoes, which gives the composition integrity and completeness. Another square in honor of the king, also designed by J. Hardouin-Mansart, is “ Victory Square"(Place des Victoires) created in 1685.
She was decorated equestrian statue of Louis XIV work of a Dutch sculptor M. fan Len Bogart(nicknamed Desjardins); destroyed during the revolution of 1792 (restored by M. Bosio in 1822; see Cavallo). In 1672, according to the design of the head of the Royal Academy of Architecture, F. Blondel the Elder, it was erected Arch of Saint Denis in honor of the victories of French weapons - the passage of King Louis's army across the Rhine.
Blondel rethought the form of the Roman Arc de Triomphe and created a new type of structure, the “Grand Style”. The bas-reliefs of the arch, based on the sketches of Charles Lebrun, were made by the sculptors Angier brothers. From 1676, Blondel developed a new master plan for Paris, which included the creation of large architectural ensembles and perspectives. F. Blondel was an outstanding theorist; in his “Course of Architecture” (1675), he argued that the foundations of the classicist style lie not “in imitation of Rome,” but in rational thinking and precise calculation of proportions. The creator of the Colonnade of the Louvre, C. Perrault, argued with him. In 1691, another theoretical treatise under the same title: “Course of Architecture” was published by Sh.-A. de Aviler. In 1682, Louis XIV left Paris and the court moved to a suburban residence - Versailles.
This gesture is seen as the king’s desire to create a new brilliant capital, entirely associated only with his name. Among the sculptors of the “Grand Style”, F. Girardon, A. Coisevo, N. Coustu (whose younger brother is known for the groups of “Marly horses”), P. Puget, J. Sarazin, J.-B. Tube.
By the end of the 17th century. The “grand style” had clearly exhausted its possibilities, the “golden age” of French art was ending to give way to the chamber and slightly tired art of the Regency style of the early 18th century. But it was precisely from the 17th century. the spread of the ideas of Classicism begins in Europe. These ideas were able to take shape into an international artistic style only from the middle of the 18th century.
For France, after the classic art of the Renaissance of the 16th century. and the “Grand Style” of the 17th century, this was already the third wave of Classicism, therefore the artistic style of French art of the second half of the 18th century is called Neoclassicism, while in relation to other European countries it is simply Classicism.
In the second half of the 17th century, France became a leading European power. We urgently had to catch up and surpass Italy, including in terms of tastes and fashion.
For this occasion, under Louis XIV (1643–1715), a special department was even established, in charge of all types of arts, headed by the painter Charles Lebrun. And then it began...
IN palace interiors Full ceremonial splendor reigned during that period. The newly invented style was supposed to glorify the power of the monarch. The problem was solved simply: more massiveness, carving and gilding. The ornament is strictly symmetrical. Acanthus leaves, fruits, shells, masks and fava heads. It was newly combined with military symbols. To inspired ancient Rome The motifs (helmets and shields) were supplemented with the symbols of the “sun king”: a radiant face or two intertwined letters L. The craftsmen generously inlaid the furniture with ebony, copper, tin, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl. The most famous works in this technique were created by cabinetmaker Andre-Charles Boulle, which is why the style is sometimes simply called “Boulle”. A remarkable detail: the legs of the chairs and stools are connected by crossbars that form the letter H or, later, X. The backs of the chairs are decorously high, and the low seats are decorated with fringe. During the same period, it spread comfortable furniture With drawers. This is a chest of drawers that has eliminated chests, as well as a bureau. Another invention of the era is the console table. Tabletop console tables often made of marble or lined with Florentine mosaics, supported by allegorical figures. (Such consoles can be found in the foyers of many luxury hotels, as well as in houses where they usually hold receptions.) A sofa also appears, looking like several armchairs put together. However, by the end of the period, the interiors lose their pomp and gain grace, foreshadowing the subsequent styles of the Regency and Louis XV.
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| The chest of drawers seems to be entirely made of marquetry, bronze and gilding. Antique salon Segoura, Paris |
Desk antique gallery Kraemer, Paris |
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Console, 17th century. From the collection of the antique salon Perrin, Paris |
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Baroque is the most radical of the styles opposite to minimalism. This kind of oil is oily. When there is marquetry, and bronze overlays, and gilding, and marble, and sculpture. The massiveness of the cabinet is amazing. The busy nature of the work is admirable. But what attracts the eye most of all is the muscularity of the Atlanteans and the expressiveness of their poses. As if they were about to burst. Second half of the 17th century, France |
A characteristic feature of the style: marquetry decorates the surface of furniture so richly that it looks like painting. The motifs are very diverse: from floral and floral to military, Greco-Roman. The legs of the cabinet were massive, quadrangular; apparently, the master did not think it was elegant enough, so he placed a pair of courtly legs made of gilded bronze in front.
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The furniture is covered with velvet (mostly dark red “royal” color), tapestry and silk. Prefer floral patterns colors - contrasting and bright. Copy fabrics manufactured by Prelle |
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| Chest of drawers with patterned marquetry, sculpted carved details and gilded metal overlays. Manufactured by CMT |
Box, silver, silver plated. Paris, 1704–1712. From the collection of De Leye, Brussels |
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| In the first years of the reign of Louis XIV, the nobles sat in armchairs reminiscent of the era of the king's predecessor, but in the new interior context they looked fresh Below Armchair, made by Angelo Cappellini | Console (with marble countertop) in the style of Louis XIV. Eliminate it. a thing of great beauty. An exact copy of the palace one, produced by Provasi |
