LE NOTRE IN ENTRECASTEAUX
I°) Biography: André Le Nôtre
André Le Nôtre was born in Paris, into a family of gardeners. André was born on 12 March 1613, and
was baptised at the Église Saint-Roch. The family lived in a house within the Tuilieries, and André
thus grew up surrounded by gardening, and quickly acquired both practical and theoretical
knowledge. The location also allowed him to study in the nearby Palais du Louvre, part of which was
then used as an academy of the arts. He learned mathematics, painting and architecture, and
entered the school of Simon Vouet, Louis XIII’s painter. He learned classical art and perspective, and
studied for several years under the architect François Mansart.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------II°) French Garden:
André Le Nôtre’s father, Jean Le Nôtre, was a gardener at the Tuileries. His grandfather provided
vegetable seeds and manure to the Court of Marie de Medicis and became gardener to the king. His
godfather, Andre Berard, Sieur de Maisoncelle, a native of the town of Montchamp in Normandy,
was controller of the gardens and the husband of his godmother, Claude Mollet, was also a famous
gardener. Thus, André quickly acquired a practical know-how and a full knowledge of gardening.
André Le Nôtre was the gardener of Louis XIV between 1645 à 1700. He was given the tasks of
designing the park and the garden of the castle of Versailles, and also of Vaux-le-Vicomte and
Chantilly. He was a very famous “courtier” and successfully acquired great favour with Louis XIV. He
probably worked with good humour, earning him the nickname during his lifetime "our man," and he
was able to be placed away from the intrigues of the court. He was the author of many plans of
French gardens, including the castle of Entrecasteaux.
In 1661 Le Nôtre was also working on the gardens at Fontainebleau. In 1663 he was engaged to work
at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Château de Saint-Cloud, residence of Philippe d'Orléans,
where he would oversee works for many years. In 1663, Le Nôtre was engaged to work at Château de
Chantilly, property of the Prince de Condé, where he worked with his nephew Pierre Desgots until
the 1680s. From 1664 he rebuilt the gardens of the Tuileries, at the behest of Colbert, Louis's chief
minister, who still hoped the king would remain in Paris. In 1667 Le Nôtre extended the main axis of
the gardens westward, creating the avenue which would become the Champs-Elysées. Colbert
commissioned Le Nôtre in 1670 to alter the gardens of his own château de Sceaux, which continued
until 1683.
List of gardens by Le Nôtre:
Gardens of Versailles
Gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte
Gardens of Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Gardens of Château de Saint-Cloud
Gardens of Palais des Tuileries
Gardens of Château de Sceaux
Gardens of Château de Fontainebleau
Gardens of Château de Chantilly
Gardens of Château de Bercy
Gardens of château de Chambonas
Gardens of Château d'Issy
Avenue of Château de Hauteville
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III°) Why Entrecasteaux:
Mr. De Grignan was a courtier and was inspired by Versailles
gardens for the conception of this classic French garden
(symmetrical distribution around a round pool) which is attributed
the drawing to the famous landscape painter Le Nôtre. Situated
below, this garden offers a beautiful transition between the castle
and the village and can be admired by all because it became public
property.
In the French garden, conceived to be seen from above, the plan of
the box tree respects the drawing of origin attributed to Le Nôtre.
The centre of the flowerbed of box tree is marked by a pond where
leave four paths in cross.
As any French garden, the garden of Entrecasteaux contains a
harmony calculated in the drawing of flowerbeds. The plan is
geometrical and completely exploits the new discoveries of the
optics. An elevated terrace dominates the garden and allows the
visitor to see the organization of the garden, the perspective axis, and
the geometrical figures of flowerbed, the pond and the alignment of
trees.
Here is the central pool