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De la composition des promenades. Visites à Ermenonville au XVIIIe siècle by Catherine SZANTO – Château de Bénouville
Created by the Marquis René de Girardin from around 1766 to 1776, the gardens of Ermenonville were quick to gain fame before Rousseau’s death in 1778, attracting many visitors. Some came to see the garden itself, whereas others travelled to pay homage to the author of Julie, or the New Heloise and The Social Contract. An anonymous itinerary through the gardens was published in 1788 for the use of visitors.
Several works on the art of ‘modern’ gardens, published as from the 1770s – including the work by Girardin entitled On the Composition of Landscapes – present the principles involved in composing space in order to develop viewpoints and itineraries. Whilst this new art of gardens, designed to offer a ‘liberal approach to art’, called upon painting and poetry, it was not intended to copy them, but to draw inspiration from the particular aesthetic experience of gardens – the promenade – in its composition.
It is precisely this aspect that will be explored, from theory to descriptions of the promenades that were created in the 18th century.
Catherine Szanto
Catherine Szanto is a landscape designer. She graduated in the United States. She is a Doctor in Architecture, associate assistant lecturer at the ENSA (National School of Architecture – Paris-La Villette) and lecturer in the history of gardens at the ENSNP (National School of Nature and Landscape) in Blois. Her research focuses on the aesthetics of spatial perception through movement. After studying the promenade experience in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, she is now concentrating on gardens that use a specifically spatial language, such as 18th century landscaped gardens or Japanese gardens.