Mansart, François( 1598 – 1666 )
Alterations to the Hôtel de la Bazinière on the Quai Malaquais, 1653 – 1658 , Bibliothèque
Nationale de France, Bib. Nat. Est., Hd 207 a, p. 6 , 37 27.3cm, Brown ink, black and red chalkAlthough François Mansart preserved classical intentions using Italian Renaissance architects as models,
his architecture work was tempered by the contemporary French culture of the seventeenth century.
It is known that he owned a copy of Vitruvius’ book and some examples of design by Vignola. His
architecture was speaking a language of classicism, although there are no definitive records that he ever
visited Italy.
Mansart was born in Paris in 1598 into a family of artisans; his father was a master carpenter. Most
likely because of the death of his father when he was young, Mansart studied architecture with his
brother-in-law Germain Gaultier. In 1623 , at a young age, Mansart was working on his first architec-
tural project for the façade of the Church of the Feuillants in Paris.
In 1626 , he was commissioned to design the Château of Balleroy near Bayeu, and in 1635 he was
given the large project to rebuild Château at Blois, the Orléans Wing. But it is the Château de
Maisons-Laffitte in 1642 which may be viewed as the best example of his architectural style. This
building features a high attic, distinctive of the French architecture of the time, and although it is
named the Mansart roofhe was not the first to use it. This building has a U shape plan, with a façade
of pilasters and proportionally tall windows. The incorporation of small round windows, and an inter-
ior with ceiling carvings and moldings, expresses a less restrained interpretation of classicism.
This dense page of sketches (Figure 2.1) displays the design and study techniques used by Mansart
to renovate a room in the Hôtel de la Bazinière. Mansart was commissioned to improve the town
house by the son of Macé Bertrand de la Bazinière in 1653. The historians Allan Braham and Peter
Smith, in their book on Mansart, mention contracts from the period, demonstrating that Mansart
added two staircases and a cabinetattached to the garden side of the building ( 1973 ). This page demon-
strates an interior elevation with a corresponding plan placed in the center. The large section is not a
ruled drawing, but carefully delineated freehand. Around and on top of these drawings are many small
study sketches and notes.
It would be logical to assume, from looking at this image, that Mansart first outlined the narrow
wing of the house he was to alter and then proceeded to draw his modifications over the original
image. The proposed cabinethas been attached to the left side of the room. The alternative details and
capitals are presented at a smaller scale, and tiny sections can be viewed to the bottom right. The
most compelling and revealing aspect of this sketch indicates that Mansart was sketching all of the
alternatives on one page so as to continually reference the main image. It acted as a baseline or con-
stant, the outside limits from which to respond.
This page becomes interesting as a device for decision-making. Mansart seems to have been evalu-
ating and eliminating certain variations. Even though this sketch was partially rendered in chalk he
did not bother to erase. Instead, he used strong diagonal lines to eliminate certain images that he no
longer felt were valid. Many of the column capitals were only partially represented as he abandoned
them to contemplate a new thought. A brief plan shows many changes and notes for the dimension-
ing of the space. As a renovation, certain constraints were placed on the solutions for his design.
Again, the large outline/drawing may have acted as a boundary to his thinking, one that was easy to
manipulate, alter, and continually reference throughout the process.H5719-Ch02.qxd 7/15/05 3:21 PM Page 51