Jules Hardouin-Mansart, le chantier infini

Jules Hardouin-Mansart, le chantier infini, publication of papers from the international symposium Jules Hardouin-Mansart (Paris and Versailles, 12-13 December 2018), directed by Alexandre Gady, Paris: Éditions Le Passage, January 2020, 344 p., €32 (ISBN: 978-2-84742-186-6).

Abstract

Louis XIV’s architect of choice, raised to the nobility and lavished with favours, Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708) emerged as the central figure of French architecture during the Grand Siècle. The author of the greatest monuments of Royal France (Versailles, Marly, the Dôme des Invalides, Place Vendôme, etc.), “Monsieur Mansart” had a remarkable career, amassing a large fortune and climbing the social ladder to just short of becoming a minister.

In 2008, the three-hundredth anniversary of his death provided an opportunity to look back at this influential artist through monographs and the exhibition at the musée Carnavalet. These tributes were supplemented by an international conference, held at the palais de Chaillot and at the château de Versailles in December 2008, the proceedings of which are included in this publication.

Providing a flexible and dynamic approach to the subject, the publication presents a series of articles written by top specialists, both French and foreign. They revolve around overarching themes (family, contemporaries, constructions, posterity, etc.) and lead onto a collection of original and learned reinterpretations. These studies are illustrated by photographs, as well as archival records and carefully produced drawings. A combination of conference proceedings and an illustrated book, this publication is a true delight for architectural enthusiasts everywhere.

Under the scientific direction of Alexandre Gady, professor in History of modern Art at the Sorbonne Université, curator of the exhibition « Bâtir pour le roi. Jules Hardouin-Mansart » (2009, musée Carnavalet).
Contributions from Joëlle Barreau, Yves Beauvalot, Jean-François Belhoste, Ronan Bouttier, Jean-Claude Boyer, Yoann Brault, Franck Devedjian, Étienne Faisant, Guillaume Fonkenell, Jean-Charles Forgeret, Alexandre Gady, Juliette Hernu-Bélaud, Gordon Higgott, Pascal Julien, Jérôme de La Gorce, Léonore Losserand, Christian Michel, Claude Mignot, Wolfgang Nittnaus, Nathalie Pielok, Benjamin Ringot, Catherine Voiriot.

To order the book

Éditions Le Passage.