Architecture as Portrait: Exotism and the Royal Character of the Louvre,1380–1681

Abstract

The architectural evolution of the Louvre between the 15th and 17th century is characterized by systematic attempts to distinguish the building within the broader context of French styles. In the 15th and early 16th century, this is achieved by producing grander and more elaborate versions of the contemporary French architectural solutions. From the late 16th century on, the affectation of an Italian manner becomes the most significant way of achieving this distinction. This article reviews and examines the interventions on the Louvre under Charles V, Francis I, and Henry IV, then stresses the importance of resorting to an Italian style in the process of building Louis XIV’s East facade. Its famous colonnade, before coming to be seen as a hallmark of French classicism, owes its existence to the intent of differentiating the King’s palace from the prevalent standards of French aristocratic architecture, thus marking the monarch’s uniqueness.