Document Type
Book Review
Date
9-2011
Keywords
Jules Hardouin-Mansart, First Architect to the King, France, architectural history, Louis XIV
Language
English
Disciplines
Architectural History and Criticism | Architecture
Description/Abstract
In this review, Jean-François Bédard examines two book projects that look at Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who became First Architect to the King in 1681 and Superintendent of Works in 1699. His tenure was marked by a great flurry of activity and the generation of an immense quantity of documents. However, Hardouin-Mansart's professional and social success had a negative impact on the critical reception of his work. In fact many architectural historians doubted that he was behind many of the projects. The projects attempt to reevaluate Hardouin-Mansart's legacy as a designer. Bertrand Jestaz's two volume Jules Hardouin-Mansart is a greatly expanded and revised version of his groundbreaking but unpublished dissertation, supported by a wealth of documentary evidence. The second book, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, 1646-1708 by Alexandre Gady, takes the form of a lavishly illustrated multi-authored work that explores Hardouin-Mansart's work from a variety of perspectives. The stimulating dialogue between the two publications establishes a fertile context for future studies of Hardouin-Mansart.
Recommended Citation
Bédard, Jean-François, "REVIEW: Jules Hardouin-Mansart; Jules Hardouin-Mansart, 1646–1708; Bâtir pour le roi: Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646–1708)" (2011). School of Architecture - All Scholarship. 236.
https://surface.syr.edu/arc/236
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
