HISTORY

André Le Nôtre, (born March 12, 1613, 

Paris, France—died September 15, 1700,
Paris), one of the greatest French landscape
architects, his masterpiece being the
gardens of Versailles

Le Nôtre worked in the service of the monarchy from 1635, starting

his career as gardener to Gaston, Duke of Orléans, Louis XIV’s uncle.
Born into a family that had been gardeners to the king since the 16th
century, he trained in the garden of Les Tuileries (where he received
the position of head gardener in 1637, after his father) which he
modified in 1666-1672, creating the vast Champs-Elysées
perspective. His work in 1656-1661 for Fouquet at Vaux-le-Vicomte
earned him fame and fortune.
 He was later put in charge of all the royal gardens of France, and in 1657
he was further appointed Controller-General of the Royal Buildings. There
are few direct references to Le Nôtre in the royal accounts, and Le Nôtre
himself seldom wrote down his ideas or approach to gardening. He
expressed himself purely through his gardens.[6] He became a trusted
advisor to Louis XIV, and in 1675 he was ennobled by the King. He and Le
Brun even accompanied the court at the siege of Cambrai in 1677.[7]

Le Nôtre’s other designs include the gardens of the Trianon, Saint-Cloud,

and Chantilly and the parks of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Fontainebleau.
His genius was in demand throughout the capitals of Europe. He visited
London (1662), where he is believed to have been responsible for St.
James’s Park, and Italy (1679).