Late Baroque Architecture • 1660-1725

Late Baroque Architecture • 1660-1725

The Late Baroque era marks the ascent of France as the heart of Western culture. Baroque art of France (and northern Europe generally) tends to be restrained, such that it can be described as a classical-Baroque compromise. The most striking element of French Baroque architecture is the double-sloped mansard roof.

 

The most famous Baroque structures of France are magnificent chateaus (although great Baroque churches were also constructed)

Invalides



Greatest of these chateaus is the Palace of Versailles. It was built mainly under Louis XIV, whose patronage of the arts helped propel France to the crest of Western culture.

The palace facade admirably demonstrates the classical-Baroque compromise of northern Europe. Although the walls are adorned with sculpted busts, they otherwise feature simple planar classicism. The mansard roof is more alive with Baroque elements, however, including a sinuous metal railing and rich moulding around the dormer windows. Versailles became the European model of palace architecture, inspiring similarly grand residences throughout the continent.