Les Plans, Profils, Et Elevations, Des Ville, Et Château De Versailles, avec les Bosquets, et Fontaines, Tels Quils Sont A Present; Levez sur les Lieux, Dessinez et Gravez en 1714. et 1715. Dédiez Au Roi. Ce qui s'observe lorsqu'on fait voir les Bosquets et Fontaines par Ordre de Sa Majesté. ...
RA Collection: Book
Record number
03/2752
Variant Title
Vues des plus beaux endroits des jardins et maisons royales
Plans, Coupes, Profils Et Elevations De la Chapelle du Chasteau Royal de Versailles
Imprint
A Paris: Chez Demortain pont Nôtre-Dame, aux belles Estampes. avec privilege Du Roi., (after 1716.)
Physical Description
Engr. t.-pl., engr. dedic., 54 [i.e. 55] pl. (24 dble.); 458 mm. (Folio)
General Note
Plate 46 is printed from two separate coppers on one sheet. Plate 30 is bound in after plate 31; plates 51, 52, after plate 54. The double plates are numbers 13, 14, 17-23, 28, 29, 31-38, 40, 41, 49, 50, 53. The present numeration of plates 14-54 shows signs of being engraved over various earlier numbers.
Responsibility Note
The plates of the chapel (1-13) are either unsigned or signed as drawn and engraved by Pierre Le Pautre. The perspective views of Versailles (17-22) are all signed as drawn and engraved by P. Menant. A few of the other plates are unsigned, but most are signed by various draughtsmen and engravers. The draughtsmen include Girard, Denis, P. Le Pautre, F. de la Monce, Martin and François Blondel; the engravers include Raymond, Sebastien Antoine, G. Scotin l'aîné, Lucas, Fonbonne, P. de Rochefort, A. Herisset, Maurice Baquoy, Daigremont and François Blondel.
Almost all the plates carry the publisher's imprint of Demortain.
References
RIBA, Early printed books, 3 (1999), nos. 2574, 2575, p.1514-7; National Gallery (Washington), Mark J. Millard Architectural, I (1993), nos. 121, 122, p.361-3.
Summary Note
No publication date is given. The date of the privilège is 'le trente Janvier 1716'. Issues of the work are known having the plates in two numbered sequences (those of the chapel appearing either before or after the other numbered sequence); and the present arrangement, in which the plates appear in one continuous numbering, is likely to be a later issue, but of unknown date (Demortain is known as advertising in the Mercure in décembre 1723, and perhaps again in octobre 1740 [but the latter may be by his son Savinien]).The privilège speaks of the title of the work as, 'Les Vuës des plus beaux endroits des Jardins, et Maisons Royales, et principalement celles des Fontaines, et grands Effets d'eau du Château de Versailles; Plans, Jardins, Fontaines et Vuës desd. maisons, et autres des Princes'.
The work seems to have been put together from various groups of plates. It shows the chapel (pl. 1-13), plans of the chateau and gardens of Versailles and of the Trianon (15, 16, 23, 24, 30, 47, 49), perspective views of Versailles (17-22), fountains and waterworks (25, 26, 28, 29, 31-46), the orangery and grand pièce d'eau (27), view of Trianon (48), view of Marli and its machines (50, 53, 54), plan and elevation of Marli (51, 52). The plates of the chapel have their own title, 'Les Plans, Coupes, Profils Et Elevations De la Chapelle du Chasteau Royal de Versailles, Levez & Gravez Par Pierre Le Pautre Architecte & Graveur du Roy'.
Provenance
Recorded in RAA Library, Catalogue, 1802.
Binding Note
18th-century mottled calf; rebacked in 20th century, red morocco spine-label lettered 'Les Plans Chateau De Versailles'.
Gardens - Fountains - Water gardens - Garden structures - Palaces - Churches - France - Versailles - Château de Versailles - Château de Marly-le-Roi (France) - History - 17th century - 18th century
Plans - Elevations - Sections - Views - France - 18th century
Pictorial works - France - 18th century