Versailles - Hardcover

Jean-Marie Perouse De Montclos

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1558592288 ISBN 13: 9781558592285

Publisher: Abbeville Press, 1991

Synopsis

In this opulently illustrated volume, the eminent French architectural historian Jean–Marie Pérouse de Montclos traces the transformation of Louis XIII's modest hunting lodge into the fabulous château we know today as the extravagant height of the French monarchy. Robert Polidori's sublime photographs show Versailles' architecture, interiors, and gardens, from sweeping aerial views, to grandiose views of the elaborately decorated palace ceilings, to intimate photographs of the paintings and sculptures that grace the walls and gardens. The exquisite artistry of each carefully considered decorative detail reveals Versailles in all its magnificence.

The photographs show all the beauty and ornate decoration of Versailles, in every season and from every possible perspective. Polidori presents quiet, warmly-lit landscapes of the gardens and pools, dramatic visions of the colonnades, and expansive views of the vast, airy, luxurious salons. The text is a scholarly study of the history of the evolving aesthetic of this remarkable palace, attesting not only to its importance as the ultimate expression of European absolutism but also to its significance as an experimental design workshop that was to become widely influential.

About this title

Product Description:

Language: English - 424 pages - color illustrations - This is THE BEST book there is on Versailles (which is probably why its normally a hundred bucks!) There is only one problem I have ever had with the book and that is the poor physical quality. I had to order it twice because my first copy fell completely apart within a few weeks. Needless to say I was not happy at all when that happened. Every copy that I have seen (in libraries, other bookstores) has the same problem. Normally, I would not have tried again after that, but I HAD to have this book. My second one has also begun to separate from the binding, so I rarely read it... but when I do, I use **EXTREME** care. I think the main reason for this is the size and weight of the book, so if you decide to purchase it, keep that in mind. I recommend turning the pages *slowly* and not leaving it completely flat and/or open for any long period of time. Also, store it horizontally, NOT vertically... the pages are so heavy, they will end up tearing themselves out!

About the Author:

Jean-Marie Pérouse de Montclos (Doctor of Letters, Director of Research at CNRS, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) is the author of numerous scholarly books and articles on post-Renaissance architecture, notably Architecture à la Française (1982), in which he proposes a revisionist interpretation of classical French architecture. He has worked in close collaboration with the eminent art historian André Chastel and served as director of the national inventory of French artistic treasures (LInventaire général des Monuments et Richesses Artistiques de la France), established by André Malraux in the mid-1960s. His work Vocabulaire de l'Architecture has become a standard reference work on matters pertaining to the study and preservation of Frances architectural treasures. He is currently professor at the cole du Louvre and at the Centre d'Etudes Supérieures d'Histoire et de Conservation des Monuments Historiques de Paris.

Robert Polidori was born in Montreal, Canada, to a French Canadian mother and a Corsican father. He moved to the United States in 1961 when he was ten–years old and in 1969 settled in New York. From 1970 to 1972 he worked as an assistant to Jonas Mekas at the Anthology Film Archives in New York and for the next six years produced a number of avant-garde films. In 1979 he received an M.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and soon thereafter turned his attention to still photography. He has been living in Paris since 1987.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abbeville Press
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 1558592288
• ISBN 13: 9781558592285
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160