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François Mansart
1598-1666
An architect of French classicism in the 17th century, François Mansart gave his name to the mansard roof, a double-sloped roof design that became one of the most enduring features of Western architecture.
His château de Maisons, today Maisons-Laffitte (1642-1651), is considered the high point of French classical architecture before Versailles. Built for René de Longueil, it combines rigorous geometry with rich sculpted ornamentation.
In Paris, he designed the église du Val-de-Grâce, begun in 1645 at the request of Anne d'Autriche; he was removed from the project for exceeding the budget, and Jacques Lemercier completed it.
His perfectionist temperament, which led him to have completed work torn down if it displeased him, accounts for a fairly small built body of work. His great-nephew Jules Hardouin-Mansart would inherit his drawings and reuse several of them at Versailles.
