Vaux-le-Vicomte: Landscape and Garden - Essay Example

?Vaux-le-Vicomte: Landscape and Garden Built from 1658 to 1661, the Vaux-le-Vicomte is a beauty to behold. Its architecture marked the beginning of anew terrain in French architecture.1 It is the complete masterpiece of what a house should be as the design of the building was the state-of-the-art during this period. The architecture is beautiful. There are several attributes of the Vaux-le-Vicomte that makes it stand out. The special attributes of the Vaux-le-Vicomte are running waters, enchanting groves and grottos, reminiscent of an oriental carpet. The garden is also impeccable. It must be stated that if one desires to ignore other gardens that were also in existence during the period, one should not ignore the Vaux-le-Vicomte. The Vaux-le-Vicomte alone is enough to explain the principles of gardening of the splendid and graceful age in which it was constructed. The chateau qualifies it as the most significant work built on the European continent in the mid seventeenth century. The house also stands as one of the grandest building in France that was built after Chateau de Maisons. For such a grand structure, one would expect to encounter a similarly grand landscape and garden. As far as this is concerned, Vaux-le-Vicomte does not disappoint in any way. Vaux-le-Vicomte is a nice building that has pavilions surrounding it. The structure also has a fortification in the form of a large moat around it. Many of the chateaux to the north of France are surrounded by a moat, which is rectangular in colour on three sides. This is also the case with Vaux-le-Vicomte, only that in the case of Vaux-le-Vicomte, the axial arrival avenue continued across a bridge, leading to a public space. In line with the norm during the period when the structure was constructed, the layout is symmetrical and firmly incorporated, with a somewhat projecting central block and ending marquee, and two returned wings that project forward. 2 The gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte are so grand that it covers about three kilometres. As far as the gardening tenets of that period were concerned, the landscaping of Vaux-le-Vicomte is a great advancement. One of the most amazing, yet pleasing, features of the structure, that is, the buildings and the gardening, is that there is a successful blend of architecture with the environment; this may not have been a feature that was coming during the seventeenth century. In the garden, there is an enormous area which is divided into a succession of terraces. These terraces form diverse assemblage of pattern based on shrubberies, lake and fountains, Turkish carpets and so on.2 Vaux-le-Vicomte On entering into the Vaux-le-Vicomte, one is greeted by a wide green space. The green space extends to a length to about 5000 feet. This is evidence to show that green occupies a significant position in the mind of those that designed the gardens.3 The unique way in which the garden is designed is such that the viewer would make the embrace or better still literarily the garden along to anywhere they would like to go. This is the case because of the outstanding use of optical illusion and perspective. On gaining entry into the property, one would observe grotto which would be very close to a lake. However, on gaining entry into the property, the same grotto which appeared to be close initially would be far. In fact, the planning that was done is such that the grotto is more than six hundred feet away from the canal which is on the other side. As a result of the largeness of the property, there are electric cars to aid transportation. Vaux-le-Vicomte Another part of the garden that is affected by this motif is the pool. When standing at the back of the chateau, the reflecting pool is more tapered at the closest point than when standing at the uttermost point; standing at the uttermost part makes them appear nearer to the point of view. What one then observes is that when the landscape is viewed from a particular angle, the distortion which was intentionally premeditated into the scenery essentials produces a forced perspective. Expectedly, that is exact what the geniuses that designed it had in mind and what they had in mind is exactly was done. The result of what the so-called geniuses planned is that the eyes would perceive the constituents to be nearer than they really are. From Vaux-le-Vicomte, this place is at the top of the stairs which is at the back of the chateau. One of the best places to have a beautiful look at the garden is from the top of the magnificent stairway. The way in which the garden achieves the effect which is generally referred to as a distortion that is not revealed from the scratch only reminds one of the cases in which these same things happen in nature. This would definitely give the discerning visitor a sense that the garden was constructed, having in mind the grand design of nature. One of the ‘achievements’ of this mode of design is that it brings an element of novelty to the garden in the eye of the first-timer, Yet, there is the need to mention that effects gotten from looking from certain perspectives are so very easily captured in photographs. The deceptive look at the garden also continues when one is to take a look at the great reflecting pool which is edged by grottos. The enormous slanting turf is not observable until one start to fully discover the garden. Until one begins to explore the garden, one may never really observe that the garden is larger than one originally thought. This is certainly one way that the individuals that designed the structured planned it to be. Another feature of the property which is worth examining is the globular pool. This same pool was earlier on perceived as merely spherical, as a result of abridged seeing. Also, after getting a closer view, one would also discover that the canal that cuts across the site is not quite what the viewer thought it to be. Same thing keeps applying to the other part of the garden. For instance, the second pool which had earlier being perceived as being very close to the grotto is discovered to actually be at level much lower than the viewer had thought. The truth is that if one is able to surmount the challenge of crossing the canal, the big sloping turf is attained, then the garden is observed from the original point of view—the one in which things were disappearing. Then, one would be back at the misrepresentation that that these false impression about the length caused. In the middle of the woods, the chateau is on a high podium; it marks the boundary between the many uneven spaces. The reality is that each of these boundaries has different treatments melted to them. The effect of different portions of land are used for different purposes are felt more in contemporaries times. If one ever gets a chance to visit, one would come one-on-one with the creative manner in which the garden-tender of the seventeenth century attended to the garden. The forests are fully grown, far grown than it was in the seventeenth century when the location was but a farmland. Being home to two diminutive rivers that meet in the park, the land does not naturally lack water. The fact that the environment is well-watered testifies to the fact that plant in the vicinity do not starve. The carnal is placed at the smallest part of the complex. Thus, the carnal is successfully kept away from the major perspective viewpoint. After the canal, the garden continues into a huge free turf. At the end of that, there is Hercules column which was added in the nineteenth century. Shrub borders which serve as the venue of royal Bazaars, could easily pass as a representative of what the whole piece of architecture and environmental grandeur stand for.4 Vaux-le-Vicomte, the masterpiece of the seventeenth century masterpiece undoubtedly successfully merges the mastermind of three exceedingly endowed artists – the decorator, Charles Le Brun; the architect, Louis Le Vau; and the landscape architect Andre Le Notre; all brought together by Nicolas Fouquet. It cannot be overemphasised that their design has indeed stood the test of time. Far beyond the design of Vaux-le-Vicomte, it is also important for one to accord the creative artistes the accolades they deserve for putting together such a great landscape design. The grandeur of the construction just offers a taste of what the architecture of the period of its construction stood for. Vaux le Vicomte is one of the rare castles, which may safely be said to have a huge tourist attraction. This is because every part of it is worth seeing because it was simply architecture at its best. Mademoiselle de Scudery, who describes Vaux-le-Vicomte in her novel Clielie, says just after it was completed: “The most wonderful thing is how this garden lies between two shrubberies, which agreeably break the view.”5 Endnotes 1. First French Garden, Vaux-le-Vicomte, 9th Nov., 2008. Retr. 6th Sept, 2011 http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/chateau_jardin_francaise.php 2. A.S Weiss, Mirrors of Inifinity: The French Formal Gardens and 17th Century Metaphysics, Princeton Architectural Press, New York,  1995., pp.42-45 3. Encyclopedia Britannica, Garden and Landscape Design. Retrieved 6th sept, 2011. 4. J. Brookes. Natural Landscapes, Dorling Kindersly Limited, New York, 1998, pp.54 5. The Garden of Vaux-le-Vicomte, Gardenvisit.com, 12th May, 2009, Retr. 6th Sept, 2011http://www.gardenvisit.com/history_theory/library_online_ebooks/ml_gothein_history_garden_art_design/the_garden_vaux_le_vicomte Bibliography BP Editor, Vaux-le-Vicomte: Dinner by Candlelight, Dessert for Fireworks. 2003. Retr. 6th Sept, 2011. http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/vaux-le-vicomte-dinner-candlelight-dessert-firewor/ Read More