MANSART, François (b. 1598, Paris, d. 1666, Paris) |
View of the Hôtel de la Vrillièrebegun 1635Engraving Bibliothèque National, Paris | |
In 1635 Mansart received his first recorded commission for a private house in Paris. Louis Phélypeaux de La Vrillière, an officer of the crown, commissioned Mansart to build a town house in Paris (rebuilt by Robert de Cotte in 1713). The building, known from engravings, was a fine example of Mansart's ability to arrive at subtle, ingenious, and dignified solutions to the problems of building on awkwardly shaped sites. His design was to be a model for the Parisian hôtel for many decades. The engraving by Jean Marot shows the general view of the hôtel. View the ground plan of the Hôtel. |