The Baroque Landscape

"André Le Nôtre (1613-1700) was the greatest landscape architect in France, and his work for Louis XIV laid the groundwork for the baroque style in landscaping. He defined the essence of scientific, rationalist French landscape design - in counterpoint to which the more romantic, naturalistic English tradition later evolved - by basing his work on the state of the art in optics and perspective. The château and gardens at Vaux le Vicomte (approximately 30 miles south of Paris) were begun in 1653. They are the first great landscape designed by André Le Nôtre and mark the beginning of the baroque tradition in gardening. Many of the principles Le Nôtre tried and tested at Vaux were later employed to great acclaim at Versailles, which he designed at the height of his career" -- From book jacket.