André Le Nôtre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids André Le Nôtre
A portrait of André Le Nôtre by Carlo Maratta
Born	(1613-03-12)12 March 1613 Paris, France
Died	15 September 1700(1700-09-15) (aged 87) Paris, France
Nationality	French
Known for	Landscape architecture, gardening
Notable work	Versailles, Chantilly, Vaux-le-Vicomte
Spouse(s)	Françoise Langlois ​ (m. 1640)​

André Le Nôtre (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃dʁe lə notʁ]; 12 March 1613 – 15 September 1700) was a famous French landscape architect. He was the main gardener for King Louis XIV. He designed the amazing gardens at the Palace of Versailles. His work shows the best of the French formal garden style, called jardin à la française.

Before Versailles, Le Nôtre worked with Louis Le Vau and Charles Le Brun on the park at Vaux-le-Vicomte. He also designed gardens at Chantilly, Fontainebleau, Saint-Cloud, and Saint-Germain. He even helped with city planning. At the Tuileries, he made a long view that later became the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris.

André Le Nôtre's Life

Early Years in Paris

André Le Nôtre was born in Paris, France. His family had been gardeners for a long time. His father, Jean Le Nôtre, was a head gardener at the Tuileries gardens for King Louis XIII. André was born on March 12, 1613.

He grew up in a house right inside the Tuileries gardens. This meant he learned a lot about gardening from a young age. He also studied at the nearby Louvre Palace. There, he learned mathematics, painting, and architecture. He even became friends with a famous painter named Charles Le Brun.

Starting His Career

Bust of André Le Nôtre at the Garden of the Tuileries

In 1635, Le Nôtre became the main gardener for the king's brother. Then, in 1637, he took over his father's job as head gardener at the Tuileries. He was in charge of the parts of the garden closest to the palace.

Later, he became responsible for all the royal gardens in France. In 1657, he was also put in charge of all royal buildings. Le Nôtre didn't write much about his ideas. Instead, he showed his genius through his garden designs. He became a trusted helper to King Louis XIV. In 1675, the King even made him a noble!

In 1640, he married Françoise Langlois. They had three children, but sadly, none of them lived to be adults.

Designing Vaux-le-Vicomte

Vaux-le-Vicomte

André Le Nôtre's first big garden project was for Nicolas Fouquet. Fouquet was King Louis XIV's finance minister. Fouquet started building the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte in 1657. He hired Le Nôtre, the architect Louis Le Vau, and the painter Charles Le Brun.

The three worked together. Le Nôtre designed a huge, balanced garden with flowerbeds, pools, and paths. They used the natural slopes of the land to make the canal disappear from view from the house. They also used a trick called forced perspective to make a grotto look closer than it was. The gardens were finished by 1661.

The Gardens of Versailles

Gardens of Versailles

Plan view of the gardens of Versailles

From 1661, Le Nôtre worked for King Louis XIV. He helped build and improve the amazing gardens and parks at the Château de Versailles. King Louis made Versailles his main home and center of power.

Le Nôtre also planned the city of Versailles around the palace. This included the biggest avenue in Europe at the time, the Avenue de Paris. Later, the design of Versailles even influenced the plan for Washington, D.C. in the United States.

Other Famous Gardens

Gardens in France

In 1661, Le Nôtre also worked on the gardens at the Palace of Fontainebleau. In 1663, he started projects at Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Château de Saint-Cloud. He worked on the Saint-Cloud gardens for many years.

Also from 1663, Le Nôtre worked at Château de Chantilly. This was the property of the Prince de Condé. From 1664, he rebuilt the Tuileries gardens in Paris. In 1667, he made the main path of the Tuileries gardens longer. This path became the famous Champs-Élysées.

Gardens Around Europe

In 1662, Le Nôtre designed plans for Greenwich Park in London, England. This was for King Charles II of England. In 1670, he planned a project for the Castle of Racconigi in Italy. Between 1674 and 1698, he redesigned the gardens of Venaria Reale, near Turin, Italy.

He also gave advice for gardens at Charlottenburg Palace in Germany and Windsor Castle in England.

List of Principal Gardens by Le Nôtre

17th-century drawing of the gardens of Chantilly

Plan of the Château de Braine and its gardens

See also

In Spanish: André Le Nôtre para niños

• 17th-century French art
• Baroque architecture

French garden design history:

• Gardens of the French Renaissance
• French formal garden
• French landscape garden