CHAPTER V 



LE NOTRE AND VERSAILLES 



E now reach a period when for more than a century 

 the art of garden design was entirely dominated by 

 one strong individuality, whose influence extended over 

 the whole of Europe ;^ Andre le Notre, " the gardener 

 of kings and king of gardeners," under whom the 

 art of formal or architectural gardening attained its 

 highest point. 



Le Notre was born in Paris in 1 6i 3 ; his father, 

 Jean le Notre, was one of the gardeners employed at the Palace of the Tuileries 

 under Marie de Medicis. The father was anxious that his son should become 

 a painter, and Andre was apprenticed early in life to Simon Vouet, the 

 King's painter. The training he received in Vouet's atelier stood him in 



good stead in 

 after life, and 

 besides the 

 companionship 

 of his fellow 

 students, Le 

 Sueur, Mig- 

 nard and Le 

 Brun, a power- 

 ful influence 

 over his artis- 

 tic develop- 

 ment was exer- 

 cised by his 



VAUX-LE-VICOMTE. 



coijstant mter- 



