Salomon de Brosse and the Development of the Classical Style in French Architecture from 1565 to 1630

The influence of Salomon de Brosse upon the development of French seventeenth-century architecture was of paramount importance and his stature was recognized by many early critics. But since the eighteenth century, he has been undeservedly neglected because of the destruction of many of his buildings. Though the architect of the Luxembourg Palace, one of the principal buildings in Paris, he is not as well known today, even in France, as many less significant architects; the only monograph hitherto published, appeared sixty years ago, when almost none of the material used in this present study was available.

There has recently been a revival of interest in de Brosse's work, particularly with regard to its relevance to the early architecture of Francois Mansart. Equally important, however, is de Brosse's relationship to his own predecessors. His debt to and his startling breakaway from the style of the late sixteenth century and the influences which encouraged this break are now examined for the first time.

Against this background, all de Brosse's buildings are analyzed in detail in the text. In addition the book contains, for more specialized study, an alphabetical Catalogue of Works listing all sources and giving a chronology for each building. The volume includes 216 half-tone illustrations and 5 text-figures.