André Le Nôtre, gardener of King Louis XIV

André Le Nôtre is undoubtedly the most famous French landscape artist, he was the first gardener to be ennobled by a king. In 1637, King Louis XIII guaranteed Le Nôtre that he would continue in the office of his father and he became the first gardener of King Louis XIV, from 1645 to 1700. Le Nôtre was the creator of many “French formal gardens,” in France and abroad. His notable tasks included conceiving and laying out the parks and gardens at Château de Chantilly, St Germain en Laye and of course Versailles. But his first masterpiece would be made for Nicolas Fouquet, the Finance Minister of King Louis XIV who was very much in favor at the time. Discover his work that became the absolute reference in French-style gardens, imitated and prized throughout Europe.