Classicism in the architecture of Western Europe presentation. Baroque and Classicism architecture in Western Europe

Classicism is a stylistic trend in European art, the most important feature of which was the appeal to ancient art as a standard and reliance on the traditions of the harmonious ideal of the High Renaissance. “…. . Let's leave the Italians Empty tinsel with its false gloss. What matters most is the meaning; but in order to come to it, You will have to overcome obstacles and paths, Adhere strictly to the outlined path: Sometimes the mind has only one road .... » The theoretician of early classicism was the poet Nicolas Boileau (1636-1711) “love thought in verse”, that is, emotions are subject to reason. "Poetic art. » Nicolas Boileau

Classicism architecture - "Strict style" Characteristic features: Appeal to the forms of ancient architecture - the Greek order system, strict symmetry, clear proportion of parts and their subordination to the general plan. Simplicity and clarity of forms. Calm harmony of proportions. Preference for straight lines. Unobtrusive decor that repeats the outlines of the object. Simplicity and nobility of finishing. Practicality and expediency. Bolshoi Theater in Warsaw.

17th century - XVII century. France. Urban planning. - creation of a large urban ensemble with development carried out according to a single plan. New cities arise as settlements near the palaces of the rulers of France. - cities are designed in the form of a square or rectangle in plan. Inside them, a strictly regular rectangular or radially circular system of streets with a city square in the center is planned. -Reconstruction of old medieval towns is being carried out on the basis of new principles of regular planning. - Large palace complexes are being built in Paris - the Luxembourg Palace and the Palais-Royal Palace (1624, architect J. Lemercier). Salomon de Bros Luxembourg Palace in Paris 1615 -1621 Jacques Lemercier Palais Royal Paris 1624 -1645

One of the outstanding architectural structures of this time was the residence of the French kings on the outskirts of Paris - the Palace of Versailles. Versailles was built under the direction of Louis XIV from 1661. France. The main creators were the architects Louis Leveaux and Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the master of landscape art Andre Le Nôtre (1613-1700) and the artist Charles Lebrun, who participated in the creation of the interiors of the palace.

Versailles is a village 24 kilometers from Paris. It was originally chosen by King Louis XIII to build a modest hunting castle. The king wanted to indulge in his favorite passion here - hunting. His son, Louis XIV, was also an avid hunter, but he associated much more ambitious plans with this place. Dissatisfied with his other palaces (among which were the Louvre and the Tuileries), in 1660 he decided to rebuild Versailles into a luxurious palace and park ensemble. Everything here was supposed to amaze with splendor, and on a grand scale - after all, the king wanted the entire royal court to be located here, after all.

Features of building an ensemble - a strictly ordered centralized system. The ensemble of the royal palace in Versailles was built in several stages, starting from the first half of the 17th century. , and it received its completion in 1679. Three wide straight radial avenues of the city converge to the Palace of Versailles, located on a hill (dominance), forming a trident. The middle avenue of the trident leads to the center of Paris (Avenue de Paris), the other two - to the royal palaces of Saint-Cloud (Avenue de Saint-Cloud) and So (Avenue de So), as if connecting the main country residence with the regions of the country.

the plan of Versailles includes an extended main palace; two front yards; one-story palace Grand Trianon; three divergent rays from the main palace of the avenue; alleys; pools; channels; fountains. The royal palace serves as the center of the entire architectural layout of Versailles.

The interiors of the Grand Palace The Mirror Gallery The Theater of Versailles The Staircase of the Queen The premises of the palace were distinguished by luxury and a variety of finishes. Expensive finishing materials (mirrors, embossed bronze, precious woods), the widespread use of decorative painting and sculpture - all this is designed to create an impression of stunning splendor. In the Mirror Gallery, thousands of candles were lit in shining silver chandeliers, and a noisy, colorful crowd of courtiers filled the palace suites, reflected in high mirrors.

Allegorical compositions on mythological themes, glorifying the reign of the "Sun King" Louis XIV Golden ceiling in the mirror gallery. Charles Lebrun.

The King's Bedroom The Queen's Bedroom The King's bedroom is located in the central part of the palace and faces the rising sun. The balcony overlooked the Versailles park.

The park of Versailles served as a magnificent "stage platform" for colorful and magnificent spectacles - fireworks, illuminations, balls, performances, masquerades. From the palace, the terraces of the Versailles Park go down, and the alleys move towards the Grand Canal. Fountains, sculptural groups, relief compositions complete the decoration of the park. Sculptural groups form complex and beautiful combinations with various fountains and pools.

André Le Nôtre, from a family of royal gardeners, has forever gone down in history as one of the best masters of landscape art. In addition to Versailles, he created, for example, the Tuileries Park in Paris, the gardens of Chantilly Castle, Marly near London and Vaux-le-Vicomte, which was ordered by the Minister of Finance Fouquet. Seeing this park, Louis XIV was delighted and offended that his subject had a garden, which even the king does not have. Therefore, Fouquet was soon arrested, and Le Nôtre received an order to create a truly royal park, which is not found anywhere else in the world.

"Fountain of Latona" - decorated with sculptures of the goddess Latona with Apollo and Diana, seated on concentric pyramid-shaped pools.

An example of mature French classicism of the 17th century. is the Louvre - the royal palace in Paris. Spread out for 173 m in length, decorated at the level of two floors with a massive colonnade and projections in the middle and at the corners of the facade in the form of classical porticos, it gives the impression of power and stern grandeur, expressing the idea of ​​the inviolability of law and order.

In the middle of the XVIII century. Classicism in France is experiencing its second birth. The surge of increased interest in antiquity is reinforced by the discovery of remarkable monuments of artistic culture during excavations of ancient cities that were once buried during a volcanic eruption. Neoclassicism A prominent representative of his views on classicism found a "new" classicism in architecture is Jacques-Anji expression in the Petit Trianon - the country palace of the French king in Gabriel. Versailles, reminiscent, rather, of a small mansion. Arbor in Petit Trianon. High columns of the Corinthian order, placed on the plinth, unite the two floors. The building has a flat roof ending in a balustrade. Strict harmony and simplicity are combined in it with a sense of calm dignity.

Concord Square. Jean Ange Gabriel. Place Louis XV 1759 -1779. Paris. New urban planning tasks put forward by time are embodied in the work of Gabriel. Rectangular in plan, the square is connected with the city by the beams of three alleys. On two sides it is surrounded by green massifs of the Tuileries Gardens and the Champs Elysees, on the third - by the river. The ensemble is closed by two buildings, wings covering the square from the fourth side.

Empire (from French empire - empire) - a style in architecture and art that completes the evolution of classicism. Empire is a monumental style that developed in France during the heyday of Napoleon's empire (1799-1815). The main trend of that time was the total imitation of the art forms of late Rome. The Empire style is solemn, official, sometimes theatrical. It manifested itself most clearly in the design of the residences of Napoleon and his retinue, from where he quickly penetrated into the aristocratic milieu of France and the courts of major European monarchs. Pierre Francois Monard, Charles Percier. Throne room (detail). 1807. Castle of Fontainebleau

Jacob Desmalter. Bedroom of Empress Josephine. 1804. Palace of Malmaison Francois Moenche. Napoleon's bedroom / 1808 / Castle of Fontainebleau

Austerlitz bridge. The bridge is 200 m long and 32 m wide. It was named in honor of the victory won by the army of Napoleon I over the Russian and Austrian troops on December 2, 1805 near the village of Austerlitz. The ornaments decorating the bridge are engraved with the names of French military leaders killed in the Battle of Austerlitz. Paris is divided into two parts by the river Seine. 38 bridges are thrown over it, the distance between which is about half a kilometer.

Jules Hardouin-Mansart Victory Square in Paris Begun in 1684 Place Vendôme 1687 -1720 Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Liberal Bruant Ensemble of Les Invalides in Paris Jules Hardouin-Mansart Les Invalides Cathedral 1679 -1706 Question: In residential architecture Mansart's name is immortalized by an element he invented. What?

In 1630, François Mansart introduced into the practice of building urban dwellings a high, broken form of the roof, using an attic for living quarters. The device, which received the name of the author "attic".

Homework Chap. 7, creative workshop upr3 p73 Compare the design of the interior decoration (interiors) of the Francisco I Gallery in Fontainebleau and the Mirror Gallery of Versailles.

LESSON DEVELOPMENT ON WORLD ART CULTURE IN 11 CLASS

Theme of the lesson: "Classicism in the architecture of Western Europe"

Lesson type : lesson introduction to new material

Lesson form: lesson-journey using computer technology

Target : 1. Create conditions for students to get acquainted with the characteristic features of classicism architecture and form an idea of ​​​​the ceremonial-official architecture of Versailles;
2. To promote the development of the ability to independently study the material and prepare it for the presentation; continue to develop the ability to analyze a work of art;
3. Contribute to the education of a culture of perception of works of art.

Equipment: "Palace of Versailles" - a tour of the museum CD, audio recording of W.A. Mozart "Sonata No. 40"

During the classes

I Organizing time

Smile to each other and give your smiles to me and your friends. Thank you. Your smiles are conducive to pleasant communication, create a good mood.

II Setting the goal of the lesson

The ceremonial brilliance and "empty tinsel" of the Baroque gave way to classicism - a new artistic style. After studying ancient art and taking it as a model, the followers of classicism came to the conclusion that the true basis of human life is the mind.
...Let's leave it to the Italians
Empty tinsel with its false gloss.
The most important thing is the meaning, but in order to come to it,
We'll have to overcome obstacles and paths,
Follow the marked path strictly:
Sometimes the mind has only one way...
You need to think about the meaning and only then write!
N. Boileau
This is how one of the ideologists of classicism, the poet N. Boileau, taught his contemporaries.
Today we have a lesson-journey and we will take a virtual tour of the grandiose palace and park ensemble of Versailles, get acquainted with the ceremonial-official architecture and the characteristic features of classicism in architecture.
And all of you will help me today, as you prepared a short message for the lesson.
III Learning new material

Write down the topic of the lesson.
Classicism manifested itself most clearly in works of architecture.

Classicism (lat. Classicus - exemplary) is an artistic style and aesthetic trend in European art of the 17th-19th centuries.

What patterns do you think this style followed?

Classicism was guided by the best achievements of ancient culture - the Greek order system, standards of harmony, simplicity, rigor, logical clarity and monumentality. Based on the ideas of Renaissance architects about the "ideal city", the architects created a new type of palace and park ensemble, strictly subordinated to the geometric plan.
Classicism is characterized compositions, restraint of decorative decoration, regular planning system and clarity of three-dimensional form.
Classicism is based on the ideas of rationalism, strict canons.

in architecture - an element of division of the ceiling or the inner surface of the vault.
Most clearly, the characteristic features of classicism can be seen on the example of an architectural structure - the Palace of Versailles.
Now we will go on a virtual journey and at the end of the journey we will have to answer the question: Why can Versailles be attributed to the outstanding works of classicism?
Let's first turn to the history of creation and the architectural appearance of the Palace of Versailles

Fast forward a century
During the construction of the palace,
When the court carriages
Fanned down here.

Versailles, there was a village,
Around the swamps, yes fields,
Louis bought all the possessions,
So that there was a king's castle.

The history of the Palace of Versailles begins in 1623 with a very modest hunting castle of Louis XIII. In this castle, the childhood of the "sun king" - Louis XIV. He fell in love with this place and dreamed of building something bigger that would amaze Europe. Having ascended the throne, he begins the construction of the royal residence. On May 6, 1682, the king solemnly entered Versailles, and from that day begins the history of the world-famous Palace of Versailles.
Architects Louis Leveaux, Jules-Hardouin Mansart and André Le Nôtre participated in the creation of the architectural appearance of Versailles. For a number of years, ini was rebuilt and changed a lot in its architecture. The whole huge complex was created according to a single project. The ensemble develops along the main axis, stretching from east to west
The main entrance to the palace is through a gilded gate, decorated with the royal coat of arms and crown. An equestrian statue of Louis XIV has been erected in the square in front of the palace.
According to legend, when Louis was 5 years old, he was walking in the garden and looking into a puddle in which the sun was reflected, he shouted: - “I am the sun!” Since then, he has been called that - "King - the sun"
The main building of Versailles is the palace, to which three avenues converging with beams lead. The palace is located on a certain hill and occupies a dominant position over the area. The length of the facade reaches 570 m and is divided into a central part and two side wings-risalites. The facade is represented by three floors. The ground floor plays the role of a massive base, decorated with rustication on the model of Italian Renaissance palaces-palazzos. The second floor is the largest. It is filled with high arched windows, between which are Ionic columns and pilasters. The upper tier is shortened and ends with sculptural groups that give the building a special elegance and lightness of proportions. The rhythm of the windows, pilasters and columns on the façade emphasize its classical severity and destroy the monotony of the external decoration.
The palace has several entrances. In the central building there are halls for balls, ceremonial receptions and private bedrooms of the king and queen. Courtiers, ministers, guests, and apartments of the first ladies were located in the southern wing of the palace, and the royal apartments were located in the northern wing, where each room was dedicated to various deities, whose names were allegorically associated with members of the royal family.
Interior decoration of the halls
Well done by Lebrun
Sketches with wood, metal
Have the highest level

The interiors of the palace are decorated in the Baroque style: many mirrors and exquisite furniture are used. Picturesque panels and tapestries on mythological themes glorify the king. Massive bronze chandeliers with gilding complete the impression of wealth and luxury. Just imagine: 700 rooms, 350 fireplaces, 70 staircases and more than 2,000 windows, and the number of paintings, prints and furniture is measured in tens of thousands. The largest hall of the palace is occupied by the Mirror Gallery.

Facade of the Mirror Gallery -
An abundance of gold, glass,
The hall breathes exclusivity
In the parade march of crystal.

The huge hall is 73 m long, about 11 m wide and about 13 m high (slide 5). The space of the gallery is illusoryly expanded with mirrors (there are 357 of them). Mirrors are located in niches opposite 17 windows and create a feeling of infinity. It seems that the walls are disappearing somewhere. The gaze jumps from giant windows to mirrors, which reflect the water surface of the pools, the various colors of flowers and the blueness of the sky. In the evening. On the days of palace balls and audiences, the light of 3 thousand candles reflected in the mirrors of the panel. The play of glare, the rays of the sun reflected in the mirrors blinded the eye and amazed the imagination. The gallery was decorated with all kinds of bronze-rimmed vases, silver floor lamps and candelabra. The ceiling paintings by Lebrun exalted the deeds of Louis XIV. The gallery was decorated with dozens of crystal chandeliers, flowerpots with aelsin trees. All the furniture of the hall, including tubs for plants, the statues were cast from silver, but in 1690 they were melted down for a coin.
Through the Mirror Gallery, along the embassy stairs leading to the second floor, we get to the Salon of Hercules, where magnificent receptions were held. The salon is richly decorated with marble and gilded bronze. Huge paintings on the ceiling-plafonds, made by Francois Lemonnier, depict the exploits of Hercules. The Hercules Hall smoothly passes into the Large Royal Chambers, consisting of several salons: the Venus Hall, the Diana Hall, the Apollo Hall, the War Hall, the Bull's Eye Salon.
Queen's bedroom. The first thing that draws attention is the size of the queen's bed. It is huge, for the whole bedroom. All surfaces in the bedchamber are covered with gold, indicating the status of the owner.
The king's bedroom (Mercury Hall) is located in the central part of the palace and faces the rising sun. The main piece of furniture was the bed. The front bed, under an embroidered canopy, is separated from the rest of the chambers by a low railing. From the bedroom there was a view of three highways converging at one point, which symbolized the main concentration of power. From the balcony, the view of the king opened up all the beauty of the Versailles park.

Park with a regular layout
André Le Nôtre realized,
With extraordinary dexterity
Lawns in a line broke.

Baskets with a competent fit,
Bushes trimmed in a row
world of primeval order,
Where style and harmony triumph.

Versailles is known not only for its luxurious palace, but also for its park, which is considered one of the largest in Europe. Its main creator Andre Le Nôtre linked together elements of architecture and gardening art. Versailles Park is a regular park, i.e. planned according to geometric calculations. The entire structure of the park is subject to strict symmetry: bright flower beds are made in the form of geometric patterns, perfectly even alleys of trees stretch along a straight axis, pools have the correct shape.
The alleys of the park, pools, flower beds and lawns are perceived as a continuation of the halls of the palace and have a clear geometric shape. Le Nôtre first made the layout of the alleys, diverging from the center like the rays of the sun. He skillfully combined straight and winding lines, various proportions and optical illusions. Trees, shrubs took the correct conical, spherical or pyramidal shape. Rare plants were ordered from Normandy and Flanders. From hardwoods used: oak, linden, ash, beech, maple, poplar, hornbeam, chestnut, and from conifers - yew and spruce. There was a place for fruit trees - apples, pears, cherries. A feature of the park are numerous bosquets - artificial groves, in different parts of which there were fountains, pools, grottoes, gardens. One of the most beautiful is the Ballroom Dancing bosquet, where feasts and open-air dances took place. Behind the trees, a space opens up, made in the form of an amphitheater with ledges of cut shrubs. The steps of the amphitheater are decorated with sea shells and stone, decorated with gilded vases and candelabra. Cascades of water flow down the stairs. The platform and the background of the flower beds in bosquets were sprinkled with colored sand or lined with porcelain with an elegant pattern instead of natural flowers.
Smooth carpets of lawns amaze with bright and colorful colors with a bizarre flower ornament. In vases (150 thousand) there were fresh flowers, which were changed so that Versailles was in constant bloom at any time of the year. All this splendor was complemented by the smells of almonds, jasmine, pomegranate and lemon, which spread from the greenhouses. From the south side, you can go down the stairs “100 steps” to the greenhouse, where hundreds of exotic plants in tubs are exposed to the street in summer. The greenhouse built by Jules Hardouin Mansart includes a covered central gallery and a summer one with flowerbeds with a round pond in the center.
The main axis of the park - the Grand Canal is oriented to the west, so that in the evening the setting sun reflected in the canal turns it into a luminous axis of the park, going straight to the horizon. The length of the Grand Canal is 1670 meters long and 62 meters wide. Its splendor epitomized the maritime superiority of France. Sea performances were held here with many sea and river vessels, and in winter it became an ice skating rink.
The pride of the park are the fountains, the number of which reaches 2000.
Latona Fountain - sculptors br. Marcy was created based on the ancient Greek myth about the love of Jupiter and Latona, who became the mother of his children - the god of beauty Apollo and the goddess of hunting Diana. When the people of Jupiter attacked Latona and her children, heeding Latona's pleas for protection, Jupiter turned people into frogs. This episode of the myth is reflected in the sculpture of the fountain. In the center of the upper platform, statues of Latona and her children rise, and along the edges of the lower platform there are figures of people turned into frogs and sea turtles, from whose mouths jets of water beat. One of the most beautiful is the Apollo fountain - sculptor J.-B. Tubi. A chariot drawn by four horses emerges from the surface of the water, driven by Apollo, and the tritons blow their shells, announcing the approach of God. The sculptural group is cast from lead and covered with gilding.
Versailles park is full of sculpture. Most of the sculptures are characters from ancient Greek and Roman mythology, which was specially selected in the name of glorifying the power of the king.
The Trianons represent a separate group of buildings with their own gardens. Trianon was the name of a village purchased by Louis XIV with the intention of building a pavilion for light meals.
The Grand Trianon is a one-story pink marble palace built by Louis XIV for his beloved Madame de Montenon. An octagonal Belvedere towered above the lake. Its facade is decorated with luxurious reliefs. The floor is lined with marble chips, the walls are decorated with elegant ornaments. Here the monarch liked to spend his free time.
Small Trianon is a three-storey building, the facade is decorated with elements of Greek architecture. The most interesting place in the garden of the Petit Trianon is the farm of Marie Antoinette, which consists of 12 houses: a tower, a mill, a dovecote, a chicken coop, a kennel, a fishing workshop, a hut and courtyards for keeping ostriches, elephants, and gazelles. The main building is the Queen's house under a tiled roof on the bank of a pond, into which a babbling brook flows, a charming bridge is thrown over. White swans swim gracefully. Peasant girls had to rinse clothes and sing. Cows and pigs were washed daily and tied with colored bows. There were kitchen gardens where artichokes, Savoy, cauliflower grew. The gardens are surrounded by a hedge of hornbeam and chestnut trees. The walls of buildings are covered with creeping plants. The fences of stairs, galleries and balconies were decorated with ceramic pots with geraniums, hyacinths and other flowers.
Versailles, what an embodiment!
In the lace gardens,
Became a real necklace
Taking glory and love.

IV Primary fastening

Our tour of Versailles has come to an end.
1) Why Versailles can be attributed to the outstanding works of classicism?.
What are the main features of classicism?
What, in your opinion, distinguishes the buildings of classicism from the baroque and renaissance styles?
2) Work in pairs
Let's look at the paintings of the Russian artist A.N. Benois from the Versailles cycle. Walk of the King.
- How did Benois convey the atmosphere of the court life of King Louis XIV in his paintings?
- Why can they be considered as pictures of symbols?

VLesson summary
Summing up the lesson, assessment
Was it interesting for you and what did you learn new for yourself, were you surprised by something?

VI.House. Exercise : 7.1, message “The history of one masterpiece (on the example of architectural monuments of Moscow, St. Petersburg)
In conclusion, let's look at the beauties of Versailles once again.
VII Reflection.

Suitcase. Continue the phrase. Leaving this lesson, I will take with me ...

The lesson is over.

Queen's House (Queen's House - Queen's House, 1616-1636) in Greenwich. Architect Inigo Jones (Inigo Jones)

The time has come, and the high mysticism of Gothic, having gone through the trials of the Renaissance, gives way to new ideas based on the traditions of ancient democracies. The desire for imperial greatness and democratic ideals was transformed into a retrospection of imitation of the ancients - this is how classicism appeared in Europe.

At the beginning of the 17th century, many European countries become trading empires, a middle class appears, democratic transformations take place. Religion is increasingly subordinate to secular power. There were many gods again, and the ancient hierarchy of divine and worldly power came in handy. Undoubtedly, this could not but affect the trends in architecture.

In the 17th century, in France and England, a new style, classicism, was born almost independently. Just like the baroque contemporary to it, it became a natural result of the development of Renaissance architecture and its transformation in different cultural, historical and geographical conditions.

classicism(French classicisme, from Latin classicus - exemplary) - an artistic style and aesthetic trend in European art of the late 17th - early 19th centuries.

Classicism is based on ideas rationalism coming from philosophy Descartes. A work of art, from the point of view of classicism, should be built on the basis of strict canons, thereby revealing the harmony and logic of the universe itself. Of interest to classicism is only the eternal, unchanging - in each phenomenon, he seeks to recognize only essential, typological features, discarding random individual features. The aesthetics of classicism attaches great importance to the social and educational function of art. Classicism takes many rules and canons from ancient art (Aristotle, Plato, Horace…).

Baroque was closely associated with the Catholic Church. Classicism, or restrained forms of the Baroque, proved to be more acceptable in Protestant countries such as England, the Netherlands, northern Germany, and also in Catholic France, where the king meant much more than the Pope. The realm of an ideal king should have ideal architecture, emphasizing the true greatness of the monarch and his real power. “France is me,” proclaimed Louis XIV.

In architecture, classicism is understood as an architectural style common in Europe in the 18th - early 19th centuries, the main feature of which was the appeal to the forms of ancient architecture as a standard of harmony, simplicity, rigor, logical clarity, monumentality and validity of filling space. The architecture of classicism as a whole is characterized by the regularity of planning and the clarity of volumetric form. The basis of the architectural language of classicism was the order, in proportions and forms close to antiquity, symmetrical-axial compositions, restraint of decorative decoration, and a regular city planning system.

Usually shared two periods in the development of classicism. Classicism took shape in the 17th century in France, reflecting the rise of absolutism. The 18th century is considered a new stage in its development, since at that time it reflected other civic ideals based on the ideas of the philosophical rationalism of the Enlightenment. Both periods are united by the idea of ​​the rational laws of the world, of the beautiful, ennobled nature, the desire to express great social content, lofty heroic and moral ideals.

The architecture of classicism is characterized by strictness of form, clarity of spatial solutions, geometrism of interiors, softness of colors and laconicism of external and internal decoration of buildings. Unlike Baroque buildings, the masters of classicism never created spatial illusions that distorted the proportions of the building. And in the park architecture, the so-called regular style where all lawns and flower beds have the correct shape, and green spaces are placed strictly in a straight line and carefully trimmed. ( Garden and park ensemble of Versailles)

Classicism is typical in the 17th century. for countries in which there was an active process of the formation of national states, and the strength of capitalist development was growing (Holland, England, France). Classicism in these countries carried new features of the ideology of the rising bourgeoisie, leading the struggle for a stable market and the expansion of productive forces, interested in centralization and national unification of states. Being an opponent of class inequalities that infringed upon the interests of the bourgeoisie, its ideologists put forward the theory of a rationally organized state based on subordinating the interests of the estates to it. The recognition of reason as the basis for the organization of state and social life is supported by the arguments of scientific progress, which is promoted by all means by the bourgeoisie. This rationalistic approach to the assessment of reality was also transferred to the field of art, where the ideal of citizenship and the triumph of reason over elemental forces become an important topic. Religious ideology is increasingly subordinate to secular power, and in a number of countries it is being reformed. Adherents of classicism saw an example of a harmonious social structure in the ancient world, and therefore, in order to express their social, ethical and aesthetic ideals, they turned to examples of ancient classics (hence the term classicism). Developing Traditions Renaissance, classicism took a lot from the heritage baroque.

The architectural classicism of the 17th century developed in two main directions:

• the first was based on the development of the traditions of the late Renaissance classical school (England, Holland);
• the second - reviving the classical traditions, to a greater extent developed the Roman traditions of the Baroque (France).

English classicism

The creative and theoretical heritage of Palladio, who revived the ancient heritage in all its breadth and tectonic integrity, especially appealed to the classicists. It had a great impact on the architecture of those countries that took the path earlier than others. architectural rationalism. Since the first half of the 17th century. in the architecture of England and Holland, which were relatively weakly influenced by the Baroque, new features were determined under the influence Palladian classicism. The English architect played a particularly important role in the development of the new style. Inigo Jones (Inigo Jones) (1573-1652) - the first bright creative personality and the first truly new phenomenon in the English architecture of the 17th century. He owns the most outstanding works of English classicism of the 17th century.

In 1613 Jones traveled to Italy. Along the way, he traveled to France, where he managed to see many of the most important buildings. This trip, apparently, was the decisive impetus in the movement of the architect Jones in the direction indicated by Palladio. It was to this time that his notes on the margins of Palladio's treatise and in the album date back.

It is characteristic that the only general judgment among them about architecture is devoted to a reasoned criticism of certain trends in the late Renaissance architecture of Italy: Jones reproaches Michelangelo and his followers in that they laid the foundation for the excessive use of complex decor, and claims that monumental architecture, c. unlike scenography and short-lived light buildings, should be serious, free from affectation and based on rules.

In 1615, Jones returned to his homeland. He is appointed Inspector General of the Ministry of King's Works. The following year, he begins to build one of his finest works. Queen's House (Queen's House - The Queen's House, 1616-1636) in Greenwich.

In Queens House, the architect consistently develops the Palladian principles of clarity and classical clarity of order articulations, the visible constructiveness of forms, and the balance of the proportional system. General combinations and individual forms of the building are classically geometric and rational. The composition is dominated by a calm, metrically dissected wall, built in accordance with an order commensurate with the scale of a person. Everything is dominated by balance and harmony. In the plan, the same clarity of division of the interior into simple balanced spaces of the premises is observed.

This first structure of Jones, which has come down to us, had no precedents for its rigor and naked simplicity, and also contrasted sharply with the previous buildings. However, the building should not (as is often done) be judged by its current state. At the whim of the customer (Queen Anne, wife of James I Stuart), the house was built right on the old Dover road (its position is now marked by long colonnades adjacent to the building on both sides) and originally consisted of two buildings separated by a road, connected above it by a covered bridge. The complexity of the composition once gave the building a more picturesque, "English" character, emphasized by vertical stacks of chimneys assembled in traditional bundles. Already after the death of the master, in 1662, the gap between the buildings was built up. So it turned out to be square in plan, compact and dryish in architecture, with a loggia decorated with columns from the side of Greenwich Hill, with a terrace and a staircase leading to a double-height hall - from the side of the Thames.

All this hardly justifies the far-reaching comparison of the Queenshouse with the square, centric villa at Poggio a Caiano near Florence, built by Giuliano da Sangallo the Elder, although the similarity in the design of the final plan is undeniable. Jones himself mentions only the Villa Molini, built by Scamozzi near Padua, as the prototype of the facade from the side of the river. The proportions - the equality of the width of the risalits and the loggia, the greater height of the second floor compared to the first, the rustication without breaking into separate stones, the balustrade over the cornice and the curvilinear double staircase at the entrance - are not in the nature of Palladio, and slightly resemble Italian mannerism, and at the same time rationally ordered compositions of classicism.

Famous Banqueting House in London (Banqueting House - Banquet Hall, 1619-1622) in appearance much closer to the Palladian prototypes. In terms of noble solemnity and the order structure consistently carried out throughout the composition, he had no predecessors in England. At the same time, in terms of its social content, this is a primordial type of structure that has been passing through English architecture since the 11th century. Behind the two-tier order facade (below - ionic, above - composite) there is a single two-height hall, along the perimeter of which there is a balcony, which provides a logical connection between the exterior and the interior. Despite the proximity to the Palladian facades, there are significant differences here: both tiers are the same in height, which is never found in the Vicentine master, and the large area of ​​​​glazing with a small depth of windows (an echo of the local half-timbered construction) deprives the wall of the plasticity inherent in Italian prototypes, giving it clearly national English features. Luxurious ceiling of the hall, with deep caissons ( later painted by Rubens), differs significantly from the flat ceilings of the English palaces of that time, decorated with light reliefs of decorative panels.

With name Inigo Jones, who has been a member of the Royal Building Commission since 1618, the most important urban planning event for the 17th century is connected - groundbreaking for the first London square created according to a regular plan. Already its common name - Piazza Covent Garden- talks about the Italian origins of the idea. Placed along the axis of the western side of the square, the church of St. Paul (1631), with its high pediment and two-column Tuscan portico in antah, is an obvious, naive in its literalness, imitation of the Etruscan temple in the image of Serlio. Open arcades in the first floors of three-story buildings that framed the square from the north and south, presumably - echoes of the square in Livorno. But at the same time, the uniform, classicistic layout of the urban space could also be inspired by the Place des Vosges in Paris, built just thirty years earlier.

St. Paul's Cathedral on the square covent garden (Covent Garden), the first line-by-line church in London after the Reformation, reflects in its simplicity not only the desire of the customer, the Duke of Bedford, to fulfill cheap obligations to members of his parish, but also the essential requirements of the Protestant religion. Jones promised the customer to build "the most beautiful barn in England." Nevertheless, the façade of the church, rebuilt after the fire of 1795, is large-scale, majestic despite its small size, and its simplicity undoubtedly has a special charm. It is curious that the high doorway under the portico is false, as the altar is located on this side of the church.

The Jones Ensemble, unfortunately, is completely lost, the space of the square is built up, the buildings are destroyed, only erected later, in 1878, in the northwestern corner of the building, one can judge the scale and nature of the original plan.

If the first works of Jones sin with a rather dry rigorism, then his later, manor buildings are less constrained by the bonds of classical formalism. With their freedom and plasticity, they partly anticipate the English Palladianism of the 18th century. Such is, for example, wilton house (Wilton House, Wiltshire), burned down in 1647 and rebuilt John Webb, a longtime assistant to Jones.

The ideas of I. Jones were continued in subsequent projects, of which the architect's London reconstruction project should be highlighted. Christopher Wren (Christopher Wren) (1632-1723) being after Rome the first grandiose project for the reconstruction of a medieval city (1666), which was almost two centuries ahead of the grandiose reconstruction of Paris. The plan was not implemented, but the architect contributed to the overall process of the emergence and construction of individual nodes of the city, completing, in particular, the ensemble conceived by Inigo Jones hospital in Greenwich(1698-1729). Wren's other major building is cathedral of st. Paul in London- London Cathedral of the Anglican Church. Cathedral of St. Pavel is the main town-planning accent in the area of ​​the reconstructed City. Since the consecration of the first bishop of London, St. Augustine (604) on this site, according to sources, several Christian churches were erected. The immediate predecessor of the current cathedral, the old St. Paul, consecrated in 1240, was 175 m long, 7 m longer than Winchester Cathedral. In 1633–1642, Inigo Jones made extensive repairs to the old cathedral and added a classical Palladian western façade to it. However, this old cathedral was completely destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The present building was built by Christopher Wren in 1675–1710; The first service was held in the unfinished church in December 1697.

From an architectural point of view, St. Paul - one of the largest domed buildings of the Christian world, standing on a par with the Florentine Cathedral, the cathedrals of St. Sophia in Constantinople and St. Peter in Rome. The cathedral has the shape of a Latin cross, its length is 157 m, width is 31 m; transept length 75 m; total area 155,000 sq. m. In the crossroads at a height of 30 m, the foundation of a dome with a diameter of 34 m was laid, which rises to 111 m. When designing the dome, Ren applied a unique solution. Directly above the crossroads, he erected the first dome in brick with a round 6-meter opening at the top (oculus), fully commensurate with the proportions of the interior. Above the first dome, the architect built a brick cone, which serves as a support for a massive stone lantern, the weight of which reaches 700 tons, and above the cone, a second dome covered with lead sheets on a wooden frame, proportionally correlated with the external volumes of the building. An iron chain is laid at the base of the cone, which takes on the lateral thrust. A slightly pointed dome resting on a massive circular colonnade dominates the appearance of the cathedral.

The interior is mostly clad in marble, and since there is little color in it, it looks austere. Numerous tombs of famous generals and naval commanders are located along the walls. The glass mosaics of the vaults and walls of the choir were completed in 1897.

A huge scope for construction activity opened up after the London fire of 1666. The architect presented his city ​​redevelopment plan and received an order for the restoration of 52 parish churches. Wren proposed various spatial solutions; some buildings are built with true baroque pomp (for example, the church of St. Stephen in Walbrook). Their spiers, along with the towers of St. Paul form a spectacular panorama of the city. Mention should be made, among them, of the Churches of Christ on Newgate Street, St Bride on Fleet Street, St James on Garlick Hill and St Vedast on Foster Lane. If special circumstances required it, as in the construction of St Mary Aldermary or Christ Church College, Oxford (Tom's Tower), Wren could use late Gothic elements, although, in his own words, he did not like to "deviate from the best style".

In addition to building churches, Wren carried out private commissions, one of which was the creation of a new library. Trinity College(1676–1684) in Cambridge. In 1669 he was appointed chief caretaker of the royal buildings. In this position, he received a number of important government orders, such as the construction of hospitals in the Chelsea and Greenwich areas ( Greenwich Hospital) and several buildings included in Kensington Palace complexes And Hampton Court Palace.

During his long life, Wren was in the service of five successive kings on the English throne and left his position only in 1718. Wren died at Hampton Court on February 26, 1723 and was buried in the Cathedral of St. Paul. His ideas were taken up and developed by the next generation of architects, in particular N. Hawksmore and J. Gibbs. He had a significant impact on the development of church architecture in Europe and the United States.

Among the English nobility, a real fashion for Palladian mansions arose, which coincided with the philosophy of the early Enlightenment in England, which preached the ideals of rationality and orderliness, most fully expressed in ancient art.

Palladian English Villa It was a compact volume, most often three-story. The first one was treated with rustication, the main one was the front one, it was the second floor, it was combined on the facade with a large order with the third one - the residential floor. The simplicity and clarity of Palladian buildings, the ease of reproducing their forms, made similar buildings very common both in countryside private architecture and in the architecture of urban public and residential buildings.

The English Palladians made a great contribution to the development of park art. To replace the fashionable, geometrically correct " regular» gardens came « landscape" parks later called "English". Picturesque groves with foliage of different shades alternate with lawns, natural reservoirs, and islands. The paths of the parks do not offer an open perspective, and behind every bend they prepare an unexpected view. Statues, pavilions, and ruins hide in the shade of trees. Their main creator in the first half of the 18th century was William Kent

Landscape or landscape parks were perceived as the beauty of natural nature intelligently corrected, but the corrections were not supposed to be noticeable.

French classicism

Classicism in France was formed in more complex and contradictory conditions, local traditions and baroque influence were stronger. The origin of French classicism in the first half of the 17th century. went against the backdrop of a kind of refraction in the architecture of the Renaissance forms, late Gothic traditions and techniques borrowed from the emerging Italian Baroque. This process was accompanied by typological changes: a shift in emphasis from the extra-urban castle construction of the feudal nobility to urban and suburban housing construction for the bureaucratic nobility.

In France, the basic principles and ideals of classicism were laid. We can say that everything went from the words of two famous people, the Sun King (i.e. Louis XIV), who said “ The state is me!” and the famous philosopher Rene Descartes, who said: I think, therefore I am"(in addition to and counterbalance to Plato's saying -" I exist, therefore I think"). It is in these phrases that the main ideas of classicism are hidden: loyalty to the king, i.e. fatherland, and the triumph of reason over feeling.

The new philosophy demanded its expression not only in the lips of the monarch and philosophical works, but also in art accessible to society. We needed heroic images aimed at instilling patriotism and a rational principle in the thinking of citizens. Thus began the reformation of all facets of culture. Architecture created strictly symmetrical forms, subordinating not only space, but also nature itself, trying to get at least a little closer to what was created. Claude Ledoux utopian ideal city of the future. Which, by the way, remained exclusively in the architect's drawings (it is worth noting that the project was so significant that its motives are still used in various architectural trends).

The most striking figure in the architecture of early French classicism was Nicolas Francois Mansart(Nicolas François Mansart) (1598-1666) - one of the founders of French classicism. His merit, in addition to the direct construction of buildings, is the development of a new type of urban dwelling of the nobility - a "hotel" - with a cozy and comfortable layout, including a vestibule, a grand staircase, a number of enfiladed rooms, often closed around a patio. Gothic-style vertical sections of the facades have large rectangular windows, a clear division into floors and rich order plasticity. A feature of the Mansart hotels are high roofs, under which an additional living space was arranged - an attic, named after its creator. A fine example of such a roof is a palace. Maisons-Laffitte(Maisons-Laffitte, 1642-1651). Mansart's other works include - Hotel de Toulouse, Hotel Mazarin and Paris Cathedral Val de Grace(Val-de-Grace) completed to his design Lemerce And Le Muet.

The heyday of the first period of classicism belongs to the second half of the 17th century. The concepts of philosophical rationalism and classicism put forward by bourgeois ideology, absolutism in the face of Louis XIV takes as the official state doctrine. These concepts are completely subordinate to the will of the king, serve as a means of glorifying him as the highest personification of the nation, united on the basis of reasonable autocracy. In architecture, this has a twofold expression: on the one hand, the desire for rational order compositions, tectonically clear and monumental, freed from the fractional “multi-darkness” of the previous period; on the other hand, an ever-increasing tendency towards a single volitional principle in the composition, towards the dominance of the axis that subjugates the building and adjacent spaces, to the subordination of the will of man not only to the principles of organizing urban spaces, but also to nature itself, transformed according to the laws of reason, geometry, “ideal” beauty. Both trends are illustrated by two major events in the architectural life of France in the second half of the 17th century: the first - the design and construction of the eastern facade of the royal palace in Paris - Louvre (Louvre); the second - the creation of a new residence of Louis XIV - the most grandiose architectural and landscape gardening ensemble in Versailles.

The eastern facade of the Louvre was created as a result of a comparison of two projects - one that came to Paris from Italy Lorenzo Bernini(Gian Lorenzo Bernini) (1598-1680) and French Claude Perrault(Claude Perrault) (1613-1688). Preference was given to the Perrault project (implemented in 1667), where, in contrast to the baroque restlessness and tectonic duality of Bernini's project, the extended facade (length 170.5 m) has a clear order structure with a huge two-story gallery, interrupted in the center and on the sides by symmetrical projections. Paired columns of the Corinthian order (height 12.32 meters) carry a large, classically designed entablature, completed with an attic and a balustrade. The foundation is interpreted as a smooth basement, in the development of which, as in the elements of the order, the constructive functions of the main bearing support of the building are emphasized. A clear, rhythmic and proportional structure is based on simple relationships and modularity, and the lower diameter of the columns is taken as the initial value (module), as in the classical canons. The dimensions of the building in height (27.7 meters) and the overall large scale of the composition, designed to create a front square in front of the facade, give the building majesty and representativeness necessary for the royal palace. At the same time, the whole structure of the composition is distinguished by architectural logic, geometricity, and artistic rationalism.

Ensemble of Versailles(Château de Versailles, 1661-1708) - the pinnacle of the architectural activity of the time of Louis XIV. The desire to combine the attractive aspects of city life and life in the bosom of nature led to the creation of a grandiose complex, including the royal palace with buildings for the royal family and the government, a huge park and the city adjacent to the palace. The palace is a focal point in which the axis of the park converges - on the one hand, and on the other - three beams of the city's highways, of which the central one serves as a road connecting Versailles with the Louvre. The palace, the length of which from the side of the park is more than half a kilometer (580 m), its middle part is sharply pushed forward, and in height it has a clear division into the basement, the main floor and the attic. Against the background of order pilasters, the Ionic porticos play the role of rhythmic accents that unite the facades into an integral axial composition.

The axis of the palace serves as the main disciplinary factor in the transformation of the landscape. Symbolizing the unlimited will of the reigning owner of the country, it subjugates elements of geometrized nature, alternating in strict order with architectural elements of park designation: stairs, pools, fountains, various small architectural forms.

The principle of axial space inherent in the Baroque and Ancient Rome is realized here in the grandiose axial perspective of the green parterres and alleys descending in terraces, leading the observer's gaze deep into the canal, located in the distance, cruciform in plan and further to infinity. Pyramid-shaped bushes and trees emphasized the linear depth and artificiality of the created landscape, turning into natural only beyond the main perspective.

Idea " transformed nature” corresponded to the new way of life of the monarch and the nobility. It also led to new urban planning plans - a departure from the chaotic medieval city, and ultimately to a decisive transformation of the city based on the principles of regularity and the introduction of landscape elements into it. The result was the spread of the principles and techniques developed in the planning of Versailles to work on the reconstruction of cities, primarily Paris.

André Lenotrou(André Le Nôtre) (1613-1700) - the creator of the garden and park ensemble Versailles- belongs to the idea of ​​regulating the layout of the central district of Paris, adjacent from the west and east to the palaces of the Louvre and the Tuileries. Axis Louvre - Tuileries, coinciding with the direction of the road to Versailles, determined the meaning of the famous " Parisian diameter”, which later became the main thoroughfare of the capital. On this axis, the Tuileries Garden and part of the avenue - the alleys of the Champs Elysees were laid out. In the second half of the 18th century, Place de la Concorde was created, uniting the Tuileries with the avenue of the Champs Elysees, and in the first half of the 19th century. the monumental arch of the Star, placed at the end of the Champs Elysees in the center of the round square, completed the formation of the ensemble, the length of which is about 3 km. Author Palace of Versailles Jules Hardouin-Mansart(Jules Hardouin-Mansart) (1646-1708) also created a number of outstanding ensembles in Paris in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These include round Victory Square(Place des Victoires), rectangular Place Vendôme(Place Vendome), complex of the hospital of the Invalides with a domed cathedral. French classicism of the second half of the 17th century. adopted the urban achievements of the Renaissance and especially the Baroque, developing and applying them on a grander scale.

In the XVIII century, during the reign of Louis XV (1715-1774), in French architecture, as in other forms of art, the Rococo style was developed, which was a formal continuation of the baroque pictorial trends. The originality of this style, close to baroque and pretentious in its forms, manifested itself mainly in the interior decoration, which corresponded to the luxurious and wasteful life of the royal court. The ceremonial halls acquired a more comfortable, but also more pretentious character. In the architectural decoration of the premises, mirrors and stucco decorations made of intricately curved lines, flower garlands, shells, etc. were widely used. This style was also widely reflected in furniture. However, already in the middle of the 18th century, there was a move away from the pretentious forms of Rococo towards greater rigor, simplicity and clarity. This period in France coincides with a broad social movement directed against the monarchical socio-political system and received its resolution in the French bourgeois revolution of 1789. The second half of the 18th and the first third of the 19th century in France mark a new stage in the development of classicism and its wide distribution in European countries.

CLASSICISM OF THE SECOND HALF OF XVIII century largely developed the principles of architecture of the previous century. However, the new bourgeois-rationalist ideals - simplicity and classical clarity of forms - are now understood as a symbol of a certain democratization of art promoted within the framework of the bourgeois enlightenment. The relationship between architecture and nature is changing. Symmetry and axis, which remain the fundamental principles of composition, no longer have their former importance in the organization of the natural landscape. Increasingly, the French regular park is giving way to the so-called English park with a picturesque landscape composition imitating the natural landscape.

The architecture of buildings becomes somewhat more humane and rational, although the huge urban scale still determines a broad ensemble approach to architectural tasks. The city with all its medieval buildings is considered as an object of architectural influence in general. Ideas for an architectural plan for the entire city are put forward; At the same time, the interests of transport, issues of sanitary improvement, placement of objects of trade and production activities and other economic issues begin to occupy a significant place. In the work on new types of urban buildings, much attention is paid to multi-storey residential buildings. Despite the fact that the practical implementation of these urban planning ideas was very limited, the increased interest in the problems of the city influenced the formation of ensembles. In the conditions of a large city, new ensembles try to include large spaces in their “sphere of influence”, often becoming open-ended.

The largest and most characteristic architectural ensemble of French classicism of the XVIII century - Place de la Concorde in Paris created by the project Ange-Jacques Gabriel (Ange-Jacque Gabriel(1698 - 1782) in the 50-60s of the XVIII century, and received its final completion during the second half of the XVIII - first half of the XIX century. The vast square serves as a distribution space on the banks of the Seine between the Tuileries Garden adjoining the Louvre and the wide boulevards of the Champs Elysees. Previously existing dry ditches served as the boundary of a rectangular area (dimensions 245 x 140 m). The "graphic" layout of the area with the help of dry ditches, balustrades, sculptural groups bears the stamp of the planar layout of the Versailles park. In contrast to the closed squares of Paris in the 17th century. (Place Vendôme, etc.), Place de la Concorde is a sample of an open square, limited only on one side by two symmetrical buildings built by Gabriel, which formed a transverse axis passing through the square, and the Rue Royale formed by them. The axis is fixed on the square with two fountains, and at the intersection of the main axes a monument to King Louis XV was erected, and later a high obelisk). The Champs Elysees, the Tuileries Garden, the space of the Seine and its embankments are, as it were, a continuation of this architectural ensemble, huge in its scope, in a direction perpendicular to the transverse axis.

Partial reconstruction of the centers with the arrangement of regular "royal squares" also covers other cities of France (Rennes, Reims, Rouen, etc.). Particularly prominent is the Royal Square in Nancy (Place Royalle de Nancy, 1722-1755). Urban planning theory is developing. In particular, one should note the theoretical work on urban squares by the architect Patt, who processed and published the results of a competition for Place Louis XV in Paris, held in the middle of the 18th century.

The space-planning development of buildings of the French classicism of the XVIII century is not conceived in isolation from the urban ensemble. The leading motif remains a large order, which correlates well with the adjacent urban spaces. A constructive function is returned to the order; it is more often used in the form of porticos and galleries, its scale is enlarged, covering the height of the entire main volume of the building. Theorist of French classicism M. A. Laugier (Laugier M.A) fundamentally rejects the classical column where it really does not carry a load, and criticizes the placement of one order on another, if it is really possible to get by with one support. Practical rationalism receives a broad theoretical justification.

The development of theory has become a typical phenomenon in the art of France since the 17th century, since the establishment of the French Academy (1634), the formation of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture (1648) and the Academy of Architecture (1671). Particular attention in theory is given to orders and proportions. Developing the doctrine of proportions Jacques Francois Blondel(1705-1774) - French theorist of the second half of the 17th century, Laugier creates a whole system of logically justified proportions, based on the rationally meaningful principle of their absolute perfection. At the same time, in proportions, as in architecture as a whole, the element of rationality, based on speculatively derived mathematical rules of composition, is enhanced. There is a growing interest in the heritage of antiquity and the Renaissance, and in specific examples of these eras, they seek to see the logical confirmation of the principles put forward. The Roman Pantheon is often cited as an ideal example of the unity of the utilitarian and artistic functions, and the buildings of Palladio and Bramante, in particular Tempietto, are considered the most popular examples of the Renaissance classics. These samples are not only carefully studied, but often serve as direct prototypes of buildings being erected.

In built in the 1750-1780s according to the project Jacques Germain Souflo(Jacques-Germain Soufflot) (1713 - 1780) St. Genevieve in Paris, which later became the national French Pantheon, one can see a return to the artistic ideal of antiquity and the most mature examples of the Renaissance inherent in this time. The composition, cruciform in plan, is distinguished by the logic of the general scheme, the balance of architectural parts, the clarity and clarity of construction. The portico goes back in its forms to the Roman Pantheon, a drum with a dome (span 21.5 meters) resembles a composition Tempietto. The main façade completes the perspective of a short, straight street and serves as one of the most visible architectural landmarks in Paris.

An interesting material illustrating the development of architectural thought in the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries is the publication in Paris of competitive academic projects awarded the highest award (Grand prix). A red thread running through all these projects is admiration for antiquity. Endless colonnades, huge domes, repeatedly repeated porticos, etc. speak, on the one hand, of a break with the aristocratic effeminacy of Rococo, on the other hand, of the flowering of a kind of architectural romance, for the realization of which, however, there was no ground in social reality.

The eve of the French Revolution (1789-94) gave rise to a striving for harsh simplicity in architecture, a bold search for monumental geometrism, new, orderless architecture (K. N. Ledoux, E. L. Bulle, J. J. Lekeux). These searches (noted also by the influence of the architectural etchings of G. B. Piranesi) served as the starting point for the late phase of classicism - Empire.

During the years of the revolution, almost no construction was carried out, but a large number of projects were born. The general tendency to overcome canonical forms and traditional classical schemes is determined.

Culturological thought, having passed the next round, ended at the same place. The painting of the revolutionary direction of French classicism is represented by the courageous drama of historical and portrait images of J. L. David. During the years of the empire of Napoleon I, magnificent representativeness grows in architecture (Ch. Percier, L. Fontaine, J. F. Chalgrin)

Rome became the international center of classicism of the 18th century - the beginning of the 19th century, where the academic tradition dominated in art, with a combination of nobility of forms and cold, abstract idealization, not uncommon for academicism (German painter A. R. Mengs, Austrian landscape painter J. A. Koch, sculptors - Italian A. Canova, Dane B. Thorvaldsen).

In the 17th and early 18th centuries, classicism was formed in Dutch architecture- architect Jacob van Campen(Jacob van Campen, 1595-165), which gave rise to a particularly restrained version of it, Cross-links with French and Dutch classicism, as well as with the early Baroque, affected the short brilliant heyday classicism in Swedish architecture late 17th - early 18th century - architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger(Nicodemus Tessin Younger 1654-1728).

In the middle of the 18th century, the principles of classicism were transformed in the spirit of the aesthetics of the Enlightenment. In architecture, the appeal to "naturalness" put forward the requirement for constructive justification of the order elements of the composition, in the interior - the development of a flexible layout of a comfortable residential building. The landscape environment of the “English” park became the ideal environment for the house. The rapid development of archaeological knowledge about Greek and Roman antiquity (excavations of Herculaneum, Pompeii, etc.) had a huge impact on the classicism of the 18th century; The works of I. I. Winkelmann, J. V. Goethe, and F. Militsiya made their contribution to the theory of classicism. In the French classicism of the 18th century, new architectural types were defined: an exquisitely intimate mansion, a front public building, an open city square.

In Russia classicism went through several stages in its development and reached unprecedented proportions during the reign of Catherine II, who considered herself an "enlightened monarch", was in correspondence with Voltaire and supported the ideas of the French Enlightenment.

The classical architecture of St. Petersburg was close to the ideas of significance, grandeur, powerful pathos.

MHK, 11th grade

Lesson #7

Classicism

D.Z.: Chapter 7, ?? (p.72-73), tv. assignments (p.73-75)

© A.I. Kolmakov

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• introduce students with characteristic features of classicism architecture and form an idea of ​​the grand-official architecture of Versailles;
• Develop skill independently study the material and prepare it for the presentation; continue to develop the ability to analyze a work of art;
• Bring up culture of perception of works of art.

CONCEPTS, IDEAS

• architect;
• architecture of classicism;
• Louis Levo;
• Jules Hardouin-Mansart;
• André Le Nôtre;
• Grand Palace of Versailles;
• Charles Lebrun;
• Mirror gallery;
• tapestry;
• landscape parks;
• empire;
• neoclassicism;
• Church of Saint Genevieve

Checking students' knowledge

1 . What is the aesthetic program of the art of classicism? What were the connections and differences between the art of classicism and baroque?

2. What models of Antiquity and the Renaissance followed the art of classicism? What ideals of the past and why did he have to give up?

3. Why is Rococo considered the style of the aristocracy? What features of it corresponded to the tastes and moods of its time? Why was there no place in it for the expression of civic ideals? Why do you think the Rococo style reached its highest peak in the arts and crafts?

4. Compare the basic principles of baroque and rococo. Is it possible

5*. On what ideas of the Enlightenment was Sentimentalism based? What are its main focuses? Is it right to consider sentimentalism within the grand style of classicism?

Universal learning activities

• summarize and organize knowledge   describe and analyze        prepare a guided tour  conduct a comparative analysis 
• summarize and organize knowledge about the ways of development and artistic principles of architecture of classicism;
•  conduct a comparative analysis architectural structures of classicism and baroque;
•  describe and analyze architectural monuments of classicism in the unity of form and content;
•  develop an individual creative project architectural structure in the traditions of classicism;
•  appreciate the value of creativity individual architect in the history of Western European art;
•  list the salient features individual author's style;
•  talk about prominent Western European figures architecture of the era of classicism;
•  express one's own reasoned opinions about the artistic merits of specific works of architecture of the era of classicism;
•  identify historical background the emergence of the Empire style in Western European art;
•  prepare a guided tour according to Versailles (architectural ensembles of Paris);
•  conduct a comparative analysis interior design of Fontainebleau and the Mirror Gallery of Versailles;
•  establish associations between works of architecture of classicism and their pictorial interpretation in the work of A. N. Benois

STUDY NEW MATERIAL

• "Fairy Dream" of Versailles.

Lesson assignment. What is the significance of classicism in the architecture of Western Europe for World civilization and culture?

sub-questions

• "Fairy Dream" of Versailles. characteristic features of classical architecture. Creation of a new type of palace ensemble. Versailles as a visible embodiment of the ceremonial-official architecture of classicism.
• Architectural ensembles of Paris. Empire. The beginning of work on the redevelopment of Paris. Neoclassicism is a new stage in the development of classicism and its spread in European countries. Characteristic features of the Empire style (on the example of famous architectural monuments)

On the question of classicism

in the architecture of Western Europe

. . . Let's leave it to the Italians

Empty tinsel with its fake gloss.

The most important thing is the meaning, but in order to come to it,

We'll have to overcome obstacles and paths,

Follow the marked path strictly:

Sometimes the mind has only one way...

You need to think about the meaning and only then write!

N. Boileau. Poetic Art (Translated by E. L. Linetskaya)

So one of the main ideologists taught his contemporaries

Classicist poet Nicolas Boileau (1636-1711). Strict rules

classicism were embodied in the tragedies of Corneille and Racine, the comedies of Molière and the satires of Lafontaine, the music of Lully and the painting of Poussin, the architecture and decoration of the palaces and ensembles of Paris...

On the question of classicism

in the architecture of Western Europe

Classicism was most clearly manifested in works of architecture focused on the main achievements of ancient culture - the order system, strict symmetry, clear proportion of the parts of the composition and their subordination to the general plan .

"Strict style" of classicism architecture, it seemed, was intended to visually embody his ideal formula of "noble simplicity and calm grandeur."

In the architectural structures of classicism dominated and simple and clear forms, calm harmony of proportions . preference was given straight lines, unobtrusive in the decor, repeating the outlines of the object . Everything affected simplicity and nobility of decoration, practicality and expediency .

On the question of classicism

in the architecture of Western Europe

"Fairy Dream"

Versailles.

Mark Twain, who visited Versailles in the middle of the 19th century, wrote:

“I scolded Louis XIV, who spent 200 million dollars on Versailles when people did not have enough for bread, but now I have forgiven him. It's extraordinarily beautiful! You stare and stare and try to understand that you are on earth and not in the gardens of Eden. And you are almost ready to believe that this is a hoax, just a dream.”

Indeed, the "fabulous dream" of Versailles still amazes today.

the scale of the regular layout, the magnificent splendor of the facades and the brilliance of the decorative decoration of the interiors.

Palace and park of Versailles. General

view. 1666-1680

One hundred hectares of land in an extremely short time (1666-1680) were turned into a piece of paradise intended for the French aristocracy.

"Fairy Dream"

Versailles.

Louis Levo

Jules Hardouin-Mansart

In creating the architectural appearance of Versailles

architects participated Louis Levo (1612-1670),

Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708) and André Le Nôtre

(1613-1700). For a number of years they

rebuilt and changed in its architecture, so

that at present it is a complex fusion of several architectural styles that retain

characteristic features of classicism.

André Le Nôtre

"Fairy Dream"

Versailles.

Versailles

Grand Palace

First decorated with rustication on the model of the Italian palaces-palazzo of the era

Renaissance. On the second , front door, are high

arched windows, between which are Ionic columns and pilasters. Crowning the building tier imparts monumentality to the appearance of the palace: it is shortened and ends with sculptural

groups. The rhythm of windows, pilasters and columns on the facade emphasizes

its classical austerity and magnificence.

Occupies a dominant position over the area. Facade (almost 500 m) is divided into a central part and two side wings - risalit and giving it a special solemnity. 3 floors.

"Fairy Dream"

Versailles.

Interiors of the Grand Palace of Versailles

Interiors The Grand Palace are decorated in the Baroque style: they are replete with sculptural decorations, rich decor ohm in the form of gilded stucco and carvings, many mirrors and exquisite furniture. The walls and ceilings are covered with colored

marble slabs with clear geometric patterns: squares, rectangles and circles. Picturesque

panels and tapestries on mythological themes glorify the king

Louis XIV.

Massive bronze chandeliers with gilding complete

impression of wealth and luxury.

"Fairy Dream"

Versailles.

Palace of Versailles

Halls of the palace (their about 700 ) form infinite enfilade and are intended for ceremonial processions, lavish festivities and masquerade balls. In the largest front hall of the palace - mirror gallery (length 73 m) - clearly demonstrated the search for new spatial and lighting effects. The windows on one side of the hall were matched by mirrors on the other. In sunlight or artificial light, four hundred mirrors created an exceptional spatial effect, conveying a magical play of reflections.

mirror gallery

"Fairy Dream"

Versailles.

Versailles park

in vases (they were

near 150 thousand ) there were fresh flowers that changed

so that Versailles is in constant bloom at all times

of the year.

Decorative compositions amazed with their ceremonial splendor Charles Lebrun (1619-1690) at Versailles and the Louvre. proclaimed by him "method of portraying passions", suggesting pompous praise of high-ranking persons, brought the artist a dizzying success. In 1662 he became the king's first painter and then director of the royal manufactory. tapestry ov (hand-woven carpet-pictures, or tapestry ) and the head of all decorative works at the Palace of Versailles.

"Fairy Dream"

Versailles.

Bassei n Latona.

Fountains of Versailles

palace. 1689

No dancing, no sweet raspberries,

Le Nôtre and Jean Lully

In gardens and dances of disorder

Couldn't bear it.

The yews froze, as if in a trance,

The bushes lined up,

And curtsied

Learned flowers.

V. Hugo

(Translated by E.L. Lipetskaya)

N.M. Karamzin (1766-1826), who visited Versailles in 1790, recounted his impressions in "Letters from a Russian Traveler":“The immensity, the perfect harmony of the parts, the action of the whole: this is what the painter cannot depict with a brush! Let's go to the gardens, the creation of Le Nôtre, whom the bold genius everywhere placed on the throne of proud Art, and humble Nature, like a poor slave, threw him at his feet ... So, do not look for Nature in the gardens of Versailles; but here, at every step, Art captivates the eye ... "

architectural

ensembles

Paris. Empire.

Concord Square.

After the completion of the main construction work in Versailles, at the turn of the XVII-XVIII centuries, Le Nôtre launched an active work on the redevelopment of Paris. He did the breakdown a park A Tuileries, clearly fixing the central axis on the continuation of the longitudinal axis of the Louvre ensemble. After Le Nôtre, the Louvre was finally rebuilt, created Place de la Concorde .

The great axis of Paris gave a completely different interpretation of the city that met the requirements of grandeur, grandiosity and splendor. The composition of open urban spaces, the system of architecturally designed streets and squares became the determining factor in the planning of Paris.

architectural

ensembles

Paris. Empire.

Second half of the 18th century and the first third of the 19th century. in France mark a new stage in the development of classicism - neoclassicism - and its distribution in Europe.

After the French Revolution and the Patriotic War of 1812, new priorities appeared in urban planning, consonant with the spirit of their time.

They found their clearest expression in empire e. The following features were characteristic of him: ceremonial pathos of imperial grandeur, monumentality, appeal to art

Imperial Rome and Ancient Egypt, the use of attributes of Roman military history as the main decorative motifs .

Place de la Bastille.

architectural

ensembles

Paris. Empire.

Style empire became the personification of the political power and military glory of Napoleon, served as a kind of manifestation of his cult. The new ideology fully met the political interests and artistic tastes of the new time. Large architectural ensembles of open

squares, wide streets and avenues, bridges, monuments and public buildings were erected, demonstrating the imperial greatness and power of power.

Versailles, Grand Palace

architectural

ensembles

Paris. Empire.

Church of Saint Genevieve , erected J.J. souffle , became Pantheon om - the resting place of the great people of France.

One of the most spectacular monuments of that time is the column

the great army on Place Vendôme . Likened to the ancient Roman column of Trajan, it should, according to the plan of the architects J. Gonduin and J. B. Lepert , to express the spirit of the New Empire and the thirst for greatness of Napoleon.

J. J. Sufflot. Church of Saint Genevieve (Pantheon). 1758-1790 Paris

architectural

ensembles

Paris. Empire.

Vendôme

square.

Paris

The decor of the palaces was often overloaded with military paraphernalia. The dominant motifs were contrasting combinations of colors, elements of Roman and Egyptian ornaments:

eagles, griffins, urns, wreaths, torches, grotesques. The Empire style most clearly manifested itself in the interiors of the imperial residences of the Louvre and Malmaison.

In the interior bright decoration of palaces and public buildings, solemnity and majestic pomposity were especially highly valued.

architectural

ensembles

Paris. Empire.

Interiors

Louvre

The era of Napoleon Bonaparte ended by 1815, and very soon began to actively eradicate its ideology and tastes. From the Empire, which disappeared like a dream, there were works of art in the Empire style, clearly testifying to its former greatness.

"I love power, but as an artist ... I love it to extract sounds, chords, harmony from it."

Peculiarities

classicism

in architecture

late classicism - empire - a style in architecture, decorative, applied and fine arts of the first third of the 19th century in European countries, which completed the development of classicism

Peculiarities

classicism

in architecture

Rizalit (ledge) - the part of a building that protrudes beyond the main line of the façade

Bosket (forest, grove) - a row of walled, closely planted, evenly trimmed trees or shrubs

herms (tetrahedral pillars crowned with a head or bust)

Peculiarities

classicism

in architecture

Desudeportes (top)- a picturesque sculptural or carved composition of a decorative nature, located above the door and being an organic part of the interior

Pergola (canopy, extension) - gazebo or structure, consisting of arches or paired pillars placed one after another, connected on top of each other with a wooden crate, lined with

climbing plants along the paths of parks and gardens.

Peculiarities

classicism

in architecture

Gazebo - round superstructure in the form of a pavilion or gazebo

enfilade (stringing on a thread) - a series of rooms placed in series one after another, the doorways of which are located on the same axis

Control questions

1. Why Versailles can be attributed to outstanding works? Explain your answer.

2. As urban planning ideas of classicism of the XVIII century. found their practical embodiment in the architectural ensembles of Paris, such as Place de la Concorde? What distinguishes it from the Italian baroque squares of Rome in the 17th century, such as Piazza del Popolo (see p. 74)?

3. How did the connection between baroque and classicism find expression? What ideas did classicism inherit from baroque?

4. What are the historical background for the emergence of the Empire style? What new ideas of his time did he seek to express in works of art? What artistic principles does it rely on?

creative workshop

1 . Take your classmates on a guided tour of Versailles. For its preparation, you can use video materials from the Internet. The parks of Versailles and Peterhof are often compared. What do you think is the basis for such comparisons?

2. Try to compare the image of the "Ideal City" of the Renaissance with the classical ensembles of Paris (St. Petersburg or its suburbs).

3. Compare the design of the interior decoration (interiors) of the Francis 1 Gallery in Fontainebleau and the Mirror Gallery of Versailles.

4. Get acquainted with the paintings of the Russian artist A. N. Benois (1870-1960) from the cycle “Versailles. Walk of the King” (see p. 74). How do they convey the general atmosphere of the court life of the French king Louis XIV? Why can they be considered as peculiar paintings-symbols?

Topics for presentations, projects

• "The Formation of Classicism in French Architecture of the 17th-18th Centuries";
• "Versailles as a model of harmony and beauty of the world";
• "Walking around Versailles: the connection between the composition of the palace and the layout of the park";
• "Masterpieces of architecture of Western European classicism";
• "Napoleonic Empire in the architecture of France";
• "Versailles and Peterhof: experience of comparative characteristics";
• "Artistic discoveries in the architectural ensembles of Paris";
• "The squares of Paris and the development of the principles of regular planning of the city";
• "Clarity of composition and balance of volumes of the cathedral of the Invalides in Paris";
• “Concord Square - a new stage in the development of urban planning ideas of classicism”;
• “The harsh expressiveness of the volumes and the stinginess of the decor of the Church of St. Genevieve (Pantheon) J.J. Souffle";
• «Features of classicism in the architecture of Western European countries;
• "Outstanding Architects of Western European Classicism".

• Today I found out...
• It was interesting…
• It was difficult…
• I learned…
• I was able...
• I was surprised...
• I wanted…

Literature:

• Programs for educational institutions. Danilova G.I. World art culture. – M.: Bustard, 2011
• Danilova, G.I. Art / MHK. 11 cells Basic level: textbook / G.I. Danilova. M.: Bustard, 2014.
• Moroz Irina Vasilievna, http://infourok.ru/prezentaciya_po_mhk_klassicizm_v_arhitekture_zapadnoy_evropy_11_klass-163619.htm

Classicism in the architecture of Western Europe

Let's leave it to the Italians

Empty tinsel with its fake gloss.

The most important thing is the meaning, but in order to come to it,

We'll have to overcome obstacles and paths,

Follow the marked path strictly:

Sometimes the mind has only one way...

You need to think about the meaning and only then write!

N. Boileau. "Poetic Art".

Translation by V. Lipetskaya

So taught his contemporaries one of the main ideologists of classicism, the poet Nicolas Boileau (1636-1711). The strict rules of classicism were embodied in the tragedies of Corneille and Racine, the comedies of Molière and the satires of La Fontaine, the music of Lully and the painting of Poussin, the architecture and decoration of the palaces and ensembles of Paris...

Classicism was most clearly manifested in the works of architecture, focused on the best achievements of ancient culture - an order system, strict symmetry, a clear proportionality of the parts of the composition and their subordination to the general idea. The "austere style" of classicist architecture seemed to be intended to visually embody its ideal formula of "noble simplicity and calm grandeur." The architectural structures of classicism were dominated by simple and clear forms, a calm harmony of proportions. Preference was given to straight lines, unobtrusive decor, repeating the outline of the object. The simplicity and nobility of the workmanship, practicality and expediency affected everything.

Based on the ideas of Renaissance architects about the "ideal city", the architects of classicism created a new type of grandiose palace and park ensemble, strictly subordinate to a single geometric plan. One of the outstanding architectural structures of this time was the residence of the French kings on the outskirts of Paris - the Palace of Versailles.

"Fairy Dream" of Versailles

Mark Twain, who visited Versailles in the middle of the 19th century.

“I scolded Louis XIV, who spent 200 million dollars on Versailles when people did not have enough for bread, but now I have forgiven him. It's extraordinarily beautiful! You stare, just open your eyes and try to understand that you are on earth and not in the gardens of Eden. And you are almost ready to believe that this is a hoax, just a fabulous dream.

Indeed, the “fairytale dream” of Versailles still amazes with the scale of the regular layout, the magnificent splendor of the facades and the brilliance of the decorative decoration of the interiors. Versailles became a visible embodiment of the grand-official architecture of classicism, expressing the idea of ​​a rationally arranged model of the world.

One hundred hectares of land in an extremely short time (1666-1680) were turned into a piece of paradise intended for the French aristocracy. The architects Louis Leveaux (1612-1670), Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646-1708) and André Le Nôtre(1613-1700). Over the course of a number of years, they rebuilt and changed a lot in its architecture, so that at present it is a complex fusion of several architectural layers, absorbing the characteristic features of classicism.

The center of Versailles is the Grand Palace, to which three converging avenues lead. Located on a certain elevation, the palace occupies a dominant position over the area. Its creators divided the almost half-kilometer length of the facade into a central part and two side wings - risalit, giving it a special solemnity. The facade is represented by three floors. The first one, which plays the role of a massive base, is decorated with rustication on the model of Italian Renaissance palaces-palazzos. On the second, front, there are high arched windows, between which there are Ionic columns and pilasters. The tier crowning the building imparts monumentality to the appearance of the palace: it is shortened and ends with sculptural groups that give the building a special elegance and lightness. The rhythm of windows, pilasters and columns on the façade emphasizes its classical austerity and magnificence. It is no coincidence that Molière said of the Grand Palace of Versailles:

"The artistic decoration of the palace is so in harmony with the perfection that nature gives it that it can be called a magical castle."

The interiors of the Grand Palace are decorated in the Baroque style: they abound with sculptural decorations, rich decor in the form of gilded stucco and carvings, many mirrors and exquisite furniture. The walls and ceilings are covered with colored marble slabs with clear geometric patterns: squares, rectangles and circles. Picturesque panels and tapestries on mythological themes glorify King Louis XIV. Massive bronze chandeliers with gilding complete the impression of wealth and luxury.

The halls of the palace (there are about 700 of them) form endless enfilades and are intended for ceremonial processions, magnificent festivities and masquerade balls. In the largest ceremonial hall of the palace - the Mirror Gallery (73 m long) - the search for new spatial and lighting effects is clearly demonstrated. The windows on one side of the hall were matched by mirrors on the other. Under sunlight or artificial lighting, four hundred mirrors created an exceptional spatial effect, conveying a magical play of reflections.

The decorative compositions of Charles Lebrun (1619-1690) in Versailles and the Louvre were striking in their ceremonial splendor. The “method of depicting passions” proclaimed by him, which involved pompous praise of high-ranking persons, brought the artist a dizzying success. In 1662, he became the king's first painter, and then the director of the royal manufactory of tapestries (hand-woven carpet-pictures, or tapestries) and the head of all decorative work in the Palace of Versailles. In the Mirror Gallery of the Palace, Lebrun painted

a gilded ceiling with many allegorical compositions on mythological themes that glorified the reign of the "Sun King" Louis XIV. Heaped picturesque allegories and attributes, bright colors and decorative effects of the Baroque clearly contrasted with the architecture of classicism.

The king's bedroom is located in the central part of the palace and faces the rising sun. It was from here that a view of three highways radiating from one point opened, which symbolically reminded of the main center of state power. From the balcony, the view of the king opened up all the beauty of the Versailles park. Its main creator Andre Le Nôtre managed to link together the elements of architecture and gardening art. Unlike landscape (English) parks, which expressed the idea of ​​unity with nature, regular (French) parks subordinated nature to the will and intentions of the artist. The park of Versailles impresses with its clarity and rational organization of space, its drawing is accurately verified by the architect with the help of a compass and ruler.

The alleys of the park are perceived as a continuation of the halls of the palace, each of them ends with a reservoir. Many pools have the correct geometric shape. The smooth water mirrors in the pre-sunset hours reflect the rays of the sun and whimsical shadows cast by bushes and trees trimmed in the shape of a cube, cone, cylinder or ball. Greenery sometimes forms solid, impenetrable walls, sometimes wide galleries, in artificial niches of which sculptural compositions, herms (tetrahedral pillars crowned with a head or bust) and numerous vases with cascades of thin water jets are placed. The allegorical plasticity of the fountains, made by famous masters, is designed to glorify the reign of the absolute monarch. The “Sun King” appeared in them either in the guise of the god Apollo, or Neptune, riding out of the water in a chariot or resting among the nymphs in a cool grotto.

Smooth carpets of lawns amaze with bright and colorful colors with a bizarre flower ornament. In vases (there were about 150 thousand of them) there were fresh flowers, which were changed in such a way that Versailles was in constant bloom at any time of the year. The paths of the park are strewn with colored sand. Some of them were lined with porcelain chips sparkling in the sun. All this splendor and splendor of nature was complemented by the smells of almonds, jasmine, pomegranate and lemon, spreading from greenhouses.

There was nature in this park

As if inanimate;

As if with a lofty sonnet,

They were messing around with the grass.

No dancing, no sweet raspberries,

Le Nôtre and Jean Lully

In gardens and dances of disorder

Couldn't bear it.

The yews froze, as if in a trance,

The bushes lined up,

And curtsied

Learned flowers.

V. Hugo Translation by E. L. Lipetskaya

N. M. Karamzin (1766-1826), who visited Versailles in 1790, spoke about his impressions in the Letters of a Russian Traveler:

“The immensity, the perfect harmony of the parts, the action of the whole: this is what the painter cannot depict with a brush!

Let's go to the gardens, the creation of Le Nôtre, whom the bold genius everywhere placed on the throne of proud Art, and the humble Na-tura, like a poor slave, threw him at his feet ...

So, do not look for Nature in the gardens of Versailles; but here, at every step, Art captivates the eye ... "

Architectural ensembles of Paris. Empire

After the completion of the main construction work in Versailles, at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, Andre Le Nôtre launched an active work on the redevelopment of Paris. He carried out the breakdown of the Tuileries Park, clearly fixing the central axis on the continuation of the longitudinal axis of the Louvre ensemble. After Le Nôtre, the Louvre was finally rebuilt, Place de la Concorde was created. The great axis of Paris gave a completely different interpretation of the city, which met the requirements of grandeur, grandiosity and splendor. The composition of open urban spaces, the system of architecturally designed streets and squares became the determining factor in the planning of Paris. The clarity of the geometric pattern of the streets and squares linked into a single whole will become a criterion for assessing the perfection of the city plan and the skill of the city planner for many years to come. Many cities around the world will subsequently experience the influence of the classic Parisian model.

A new understanding of the city as an object of architectural influence on a person finds a clear expression in the work on urban ensembles. In the process of their construction, the main and fundamental principles of urban planning of classicism were outlined - free development in space and organic connection with the environment. Overcoming the chaos of urban development, the architects sought to create ensembles designed for a free and unobstructed view.

Renaissance dreams of creating an “ideal city” were embodied in the formation of a new type of square, the boundaries of which were no longer the facades of certain buildings, but the space of streets and quarters adjacent to it, parks or gardens, a river embankment. Architecture seeks to connect in a certain ensemble unity not only directly neighboring buildings, but also very remote points of the city.

Second half of the 18th century and the first third of the 19th century. in France mark a new stage in the development of classicism and its spread in Europe - neoclassicism. After the Great French Revolution and the Patriotic War of 1812, new priorities appeared in urban planning, consonant with the spirit of their time. They found the most striking expression in the Empire style. It was characterized by the following features: ceremonial pathos of imperial grandeur, monumentality, appeal to the art of imperial Rome and Ancient Egypt, the use of attributes of Roman military history as the main decorative motifs.

The essence of the new artistic style was very accurately conveyed in the significant words of Napoleon Bonaparte:

"I love power, but as an artist ... I love it to extract sounds, chords, harmony from it."

Empire style became the personification of the political power and military glory of Napoleon, served as a kind of manifestation of his cult. The new ideology fully met the political interests and artistic tastes of the new time. Large architectural ensembles of open squares, wide streets and avenues were created everywhere, bridges, monuments and public buildings were erected, demonstrating the imperial grandeur and power of power.

For example, the Austerlitz bridge was reminiscent of the great battle of Napoleon and was built from the stones of the Bastille. At the Place Carruzel was built triumphal arch in honor of the victory at Austerlitz. Two squares (Consent and Stars), separated from each other at a considerable distance, were connected by architectural perspectives.

Church of Saint Genevieve, erected by J. J. Soufflot, became the Pantheon - the resting place of the great people of France. One of the most spectacular monuments of that time is the column of the Grand Army on Place Vendôme. Similar to the ancient Roman column of Trajan, it was supposed, according to the plan of the architects J. Gonduin and J. B. Leper, to express the spirit of the New Empire and Napoleon's thirst for greatness.

In the interior bright decoration of palaces and public buildings, solemnity and majestic pomposity were especially highly valued, their decor was often overloaded with military paraphernalia. The dominant motifs were contrasting combinations of colors, elements of Roman and Egyptian ornaments: eagles, griffins, urns, wreaths, torches, grotesques. The Empire style was most clearly manifested in the interiors of the imperial residences of the Louvre and Malmaison.

The era of Napoleon Bonaparte ended by 1815, and very soon they began to actively eradicate its ideology and tastes. From the "disappeared like a dream" Empire, there were works of art in the Empire style, clearly testifying to its former greatness.

Questions and tasks

1. Why Versailles can be attributed to outstanding works?

As urban planning ideas of classicism of the XVIII century. found their practical implementation in the architectural ensembles of Paris, for example, Place de la Concorde? What distinguishes it from the Italian baroque squares of Rome in the 17th century, such as Piazza del Popolo (see p. 74)?

2. How did the connection between baroque and classicism find expression? What ideas did classicism inherit from baroque?

3. What are the historical background for the emergence of the Empire style? What new ideas of his time did he seek to express in works of art? What artistic principles does it rely on?

creative workshop

1. Give your classmates a guided tour of Versailles. For its preparation, you can use video materials from the Internet. The parks of Versailles and Peterhof are often compared. What do you think is the basis for such comparisons?

2. Try to compare the image of the “ideal city” of the Renaissance era with the classicist ensembles of Paris (St. Petersburg or its suburbs).

3. Compare the design of the interior decoration (interiors) of the gallery of Francis I in Fontainebleau and the Mirror Gallery of Versailles.

4. Get acquainted with the paintings of the Russian artist A. N. Benois (1870-1960) from the cycle “Versailles. Walk of the King” (see p. 74). How do they convey the general atmosphere of the court life of the French king Louis XIV? Why can they be considered as peculiar pictures-symbols?

Topics of projects, abstracts or messages

"The Formation of Classicism in French Architecture of the 17th-18th Centuries"; "Versailles as a model of harmony and beauty of the world"; "Walking around Versailles: the connection between the composition of the palace and the layout of the park"; "Masterpieces of the architecture of Western European classicism"; "Napoleonic Empire in the architecture of France"; "Versailles and Peterhof: experience of comparative characteristics"; "Artistic discoveries in the architectural ensembles of Paris"; "The squares of Paris and the development of the principles of regular planning of the city"; "Clarity of composition and balance of volumes of the cathedral of the Invalides in Paris"; “Concord Square is a new stage in the development of urban planning ideas of classicism”; “The severe expressiveness of volumes and the stinginess of the decor of the church of St. Genevieve (Pantheon) by J. Soufflot”; "Features of classicism in the architecture of Western European countries"; "Outstanding architects of Western European classicism".

Books for additional reading

Arkin D. E. Images of architecture and images of sculpture. M., 1990. Kantor A. M. and others. Art of the XVIII century. M., 1977. (Small history of arts).

Classicism and Romanticism: Architecture. Sculpture. Painting. Drawing / ed. R. Toman. M., 2000.

Kozhina E.F. Art of France of the 18th century. L., 1971.

LenotrJ. Daily life of Versailles under the kings. M., 2003.

Miretskaya N. V., Miretskaya E. V., Shakirova I. P. Culture of the Enlightenment. M., 1996.

Watkin D. History of Western European architecture. M., 1999. Fedotova E.D. Napoleonic Empire. M., 2008.

In preparing the material, the text of the textbook “World Artistic Culture. From the 18th century to the present” (Author Danilova G. I.).