Texte remanié de: Diss.--Köln, 1997. / Bibliogr. p. 263-288. Notes bibliogr.

Note:

Seventeenth century French society was a time in which the arts flourished and were used to create an eminence of power and absolutism. The gardens of Vaux-le-Vicomte were commissioned by Nicolas Fouquet and designed by André Le Nôtre. The gardens created a political and social space through the characteristics of design and standards of order which together conveyed power and absolutism. Louis XIV, newly crowned king, recognized at Vaux the perfect vehicle for the portrayal of power. French theater at the same time was gaining popularity and establishing itself as a great art form. Similar to the gardens at Vaux which illustrated beauty and power through order and careful design, the theater also was subject to specific guidelines of order and design. Powerful men such as Cardinal Richelieu helped to establish the early acceptance and development of theater at this time. Principles set forth for the theater were followed in order to create the perfect theatrical illusion onstage. Standards such as those set forth by Scudéry, d'Aubignac and the Academy were closely followed while plays such as Pierre Corneille's Le Cid were criticized for their lack of adherence to the rules. Trends and elements of formal gardens aligned with similar trends in French theater to reflect the power of the king. This power was doubly manifested through the garden setting and the theatrical performances which took place within them. The festivities of The Pleasures of the Enchanted Isle presented numerous plays by Molière such as Les Fâcheux and Tartuffe. These works demonstrated the power of the king while the week-long festivities created a space in which real and the desire for reality combined.

Dans le but de contribuer aux connaissances sur les formes de représentation des "nouvelles élites" à l’époque précédant le règne personnel de Louis XIV, notre thèse porte sur le décor du château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, celui-ci n’ayant dans son ensemble pas encore fait l’objet d’une étude approfondie. Les vastes décors, réalisés sous la responsabilité de Charles Le Brun pour Nicolas Fouquet entre 1657 et 1661, comptent parmi les plus célèbres de l’histoire de l’art français. Cependant, leur réception a été largement influencée par un regard mythique porté au Grand Siècle et de nombreuses légendes autour de la chute de Fouquet, ce qui nécessitait une approche différenciée. La précision des fonctions d’une "maison de plaisance" et de sa perception contemporaine est suivie d’une analyse iconographique et formelle des plafonds peints, du mobilier et des sculptures ornant les façades et le jardin. S’y ajoute une étude des stratégies de transmission littéraire développées parallèlement à la genèse du château. Le concept de représentation fonctionnait sur plusieurs niveaux, poursuivant des effets visuels éblouissants ainsi que la mise en place d’une iconographie complexe. Dans un contexte de distinction et de légitimation des "nouvelles élites", une approche comparative a révélé des stratégies très variées dans ce groupe social. Dans le cas de Fouquet, l’effort pour favoriser son ascension à travers des moyens artistiques présente un leitmotiv du décor. Le manque étonnant de gestes de modestie par rapport au roi mettait à l’épreuve le décorum d’un homme d’état et démontrait l’orientation de Fouquet à l’époque des premiers ministres puissants. / With the objective to contribute to the knowledge of forms of representation pursued by rising elites in seventeenth century France, preceding the personal reign of Louis XIV, the present dissertation focuses on the decoration of the château Vaux-le-Vicomte, which has so far been inadequately examined in its entire meaning. The decoration was realized under the responsibility of Charles Le Brun from 1657 to 1661 for the surintendant des finances Nicolas Fouquet. Its history of reception has been highly marked by a mythically transfigured perception and influenced by numerous legends about the rise and fall of Fouquet, which required an abstracting approach. A closer reflection on the functions of a ›maison de plaisance‹ and its contemporary perception was followed by an iconographic and formal analysis especially of the ceiling paintings, the interior furnishings and the sculptures in the gardens. Furthermore, we explored the literary transmitting strategies developed to promote Vaux-le-Vicomte and the respective objectives of its decoration. The concept of representation appeared to be very complex, also reflecting Le Brun’s artistic ambitions as well as several contemporary theoretical debates in an academical context. Concerning the legitimizing and approval strategies of the rising elites, a comparative perspective showed their very divergent access to art as a medium of distinction. The efforts of Fouquet to promote his further ascension were decisive for the decoration of Vaux-le-Vicomte, thereby entirely lacking signs of modesty regarding the king and therefore straining the decorum appropriate for a minister.