The Power of Versailles

It is remarkably obvious that Versailles was built to impress. Even in today’s society where gluttony rules, and where buildings seem to be getting bigger at an alarming rate, Versailles Palace and its gardens are still amazingly impressive. This palace was built for King Louis XIII, but was drastically expanded under the reign of Louis XIV. The palace, at the king’s orders, became the center of power, and all members of the nobility were required to live in the palace. All politically powerful people were lived and worked at the palace, making the government more efficient, but also allowing the king to carefully watch and control the nobles.

Top: the Orangerie garden of Versailles; orange trees are extremely expensive and require much care and dedication, and were used as a sign of power at the Palace.

Bottom: An interior room at Versailles, showing the sheer grandeur of the palace

These nobles, however, were not particularly excited to be forced to move to this countryside palace; naturally, Louis softened the blow by providing them with beautiful accommodations and an excess of entertainment options. Perhaps unsurprisingly, entertainment was provided in the form of parties, which were usually held in the gardens of the palace and often featured military elements. For example, military games were enormously popular among the nobles, who often formed teams and fought against each other. These competitions, which included jousting and sword fighting, were designed to showcase the physical strength and mental stamina of the nobleman, and the winners frequently gained favor with the king himself. These mock military battles were an attempt to show France’s constant obsession for control and power, as well as the history of the country’s military conquests; many of the nobles frequently formed teams and wore costumes, and re-enacted particularly significant French battles. The Grand Canal also frequently featured models of French warships, as a reminder of the maritime dominance of the French during the reign of Louis XIV. Thus, a playful garden atmosphere, which frequently included fireworks over the Canal, also reminded observers of the military might of France.

A depiction of the Grand Canal, including what the model
ships may have looked like during the reign of Louis XIV

But the gardens were also a more obvious exercise of military power. For example, the fountains in the garden are made of solid metals, like lead or bronze, which were also used to make cannons and ammunition for the military. Interestingly, some of the artists that designed these statues were also involved with creating and designing military equipment. Thus, many of the tools and skills that the artists learned while making statues could be used to create better and more efficient military weaponry, resulting in artillery with a more accurate and streamlined design. 

Versailles quickly became the center of power for all of France. Ginormous fountains and elaborate displays of art showed the true power, and unlimited spending potential, of the French during this time. But the palace and the gardens were more than just a show of military and monetary power; the gardens themselves also became a sign of “soft power” for the French. The garden at Versailles more fully developed the elements seen in other formal French gardens, and created a more cohesive cultural identity for the French. Many French gardens, including Versailles, contained numerous statues and other artwork that were taken or copied directly from the Italian baroque period. Yet, over time, Louis XIV began to desire artwork that was distinctively French. These new pieces showed the mastery of local artists, and that the French could dominate and surpass other countries in all facets of hard and soft power.  Thus, much of the artwork now seen in the parks of Versailles was made by French artists, and depicts prominent political figures, stunning gods and goddesses, and beautiful scenes from the French countryside. This created a more uniquely French atmosphere that was to be copied (on a smaller scale) throughout the country, leading to a more cohesive identity for the country as a whole. Thus, the palace’s garden, with a unique geometric design and decorative and artistic flourishes invented by the French, was a unique way to show French military might and cultural superiority.  

Sources:

http://books.google.dk/books?id=TpJvLySgrDwC&lpg=PR11&ots=yMBYEIu350&dq=gardens%20of%20versailles&lr&pg=PA94#v=onepage&q=versailles&f=false 

Dancing Through Gardens

Question: What is the connection, and what are the similarities, between Renaissance gardens and dance?

It’s well known that politics, history, and religion have strongly influenced garden culture throughout the ages. Art, too, closely overlaps with garden design and there are important connections between art and gardens. However, when we talk about “art,” we usually limit ourselves to the sculptures and murals found throughout Renaissance gardens. In essence, we limit our analysis to the visual arts, never stopping to consider the connection between gardens and the performing arts. There is something inexplicable beautiful and graceful about gardens and performance, yet the connection between the two is, I believe, highly underdeveloped. In particular, there are many similarities between gardens and dance during the Renaissance times, and some garden features may have been drawn directly from changes and developments in choreography.

One section of garden at Villa L'Ambrogiana; note how this garden features several axes and geometric figures, similar to many Renaissance dance pieces

"Square Circles"

The pattern of both gardens and dance are surprisingly similar, and since many of the finest works of European Renaissance dance were being performed while the demand for gardens skyrocketed, it is possible that choreography had some influence in garden design. In particular, the renewed interest in geometric design may have been influenced by dance. Many of the newly designed pieces during the Renaissance time placed a specific influence on geometric movement and formations, which did not play a role in previous centuries. The new desire to have symmetry and central axes, seen in both gardens and dance, were part of this new interest in geometry. But looking beyond these simple features, more complex gardens, such as the gardens at Padua, was designed to have square gardens within concentric circles, with each bed further divided with plants and flowers of different colors or shapes. Square formations that descend into circles is a classical ballet combination, and many dance styles frequently use ornate costuming to provide color and visual interest; some dance pieces from this time, like Dolce Amoroso Foco, showed this type of choreography. Others, like the gardens at L’Ambrogiana (Florence), also have sections that closely mimic the formation used in this dance piece. Renaissance dance made several formations quite famous, such as the “square circle” which is seen reflected in gardens, such as the ones at Villa Petraia (Florence). If you stop to consider one small section of a formal garden, it is not hard to imagine dancers moving down the central axes and then moving gracefully outward in all directions, perhaps pirouetting around circular beds or moving down linear pathways to the ends of the stage.

            During both the 15^th and 16^th centuries, there were major changes in art throughout Europe, and this can easily be seen in both gardens and choreography. In principle, both share a unique desire to control. Renaissance gardens, especially formal gardens, were masterpieces of design, with carefully designed knot gardens and artistic water features that showed man’s supreme dominance over nature. Dance too is a way to control, to force the human body to assume dramatic poses and unnaturally graceful movement. Like formal Renaissance gardens, dance is a carefully designed pattern that is designed to show beauty and creativity, as well as a complete mastery over nature, in this case, the human body.

Villa d'Este from above

Both gardens and dance are designed to be viewed from above. Consider an Italian Renaissance garden like Villa d’Este, where the house is intentionally built above the garden, so one can look out above the entire garden, seeing the intricate pattern and design that makes the garden so beautiful. While the garden can certainly be appreciated from ground level, the pure magnificence of the entire production is seen from above. Similarly, most dance performances are meant to be seen from above (don’t buy those front row seats), so you can appreciate the pattern that the entire troupe forms as a whole. In Renaissance times, it was not unusual for a dance piece to be performed outside of the castle, with nobles and distinguished guests viewing the performance from the highest windows of the castle, or perhaps even from a raised garden or a mound garden.

Finally, perhaps the most obvious connection between these two forms of art is extravagance. Gardens were made with the express desire to show off immeasurable wealth, with huge terraces, beautiful statues, and ornate water features. Only the richest aristocracy during this time could commission dance pieces, usually ballets, which were performed during special occasions and holidays. Naturally, hiring and training an entire dance troupe is extremely expensive, but one that would impress guests and win over hearts. Both gardens and dance showed the splendor and magnificence of the time, and each is equally awe-inspiring, both in Renaissance times and in modern society.

Sources

http://rostik.1gb.ru/dance/Jennifer%20Nevile,%20Dance%20and%20the%20Garden%20Moving%20and%20Static%20Choreography%20in%20Renaissance%20Europe%20(1999).pdf 

http://www.jstor.org/stable/880087 (JSTOR subscription required)