Garden pavilions and the 18th century French court

by Eleanor P. DeLorme

A unique study, linking social history with architecture and garden design, this is an intriguing and detailed account of the ornamental garden structures which were created for the French monarchy and royal circles from the late 1600s to the Revolution in 1789. These morceaux d'architecture, which we call pavilions, became a distinctive, highly accomplished art form appealing not only to royalty and members of the court circle, but also to the bourgeoisie. As well as complementing and enriching the gardens in which they were sited, these charming structures not only served as mises-en-scene for extravagant parties but also provided hideaways from the unremitting protocol which still governed at Versailles and among the aristocracy. Eleanor DeLorme, in writing of the activities of the court and their use of pavilions, has incorporated much entertaining anecdotal material which highlights her subject matter and enlivens her narrative. The book sheds a different perspective and new light