LE VAU, LOUIS. - French architect, born in Paris in 1612 and died there on 11 October 1670.
He was also in Italy, particularly in Genoa and Rome. Among his earliest works in Paris are the Lambert (1640–50) and Lauzun (1650 ff.) Palaces; a few years later (1655) he also supplied the plans for the enlargement of Gittard’s projects for the church of St-Sulpice. Appointed architect of the Louvre and the Tuileries in 1655, he achieved fame especially through the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte for Fouquet, which he built and decorated in collaboration with Le Brun and Le Notre. In 1662 he supplied the designs for the Collège Mazarin (now
Institut de France) and for the church of St-Louis-en l'Île; in 1666 he worked on the Louvre, while he devoted the final years of his life to the works at Versailles.
As for the works on the Louvre, Le V. had already built, in 1663, the first southern façade, on the Seine side (later demolished), and had supplied the design for the façade facing St-Germain-l'Auxerrois. It was precisely for this façade that Bernini was approached instead; having arrived in France, he laid the first stone of its construction in October 1665. When Bernini returned to Italy, however, his project was never to be completed, owing to the intrigues of the French architects, who in 1667 were asked for a new design, produced chiefly by Le V. and subsequently by Perrault.
Le V. personality; on the contrary, he most often applied coldly the influences he had received from Italy, in order to create sumptuous residences for his wealthy patrons.