Chapter XII: Lescot and De L’orme

French architecture further changed by Lescot and De l’Orme,
yet still without elimination of native
characteristics--Lescot’s design for the Fountain of the
Nymphs--The sculptures by Goujon--Possible derivation of the
design from a drawing by Serlio--Lescot’s design for the
Louvre--Capricious treatment of neo-classic details in this
design--The traditional logic of French design ignored by
Lescot--Excessive ornamentation of the Louvre--The
architectural work of De l’Orme--Paucity of extant examples--His
design for the palace of the Tuileries--De l’Orme’s column--His
claim that this column was his own invention--Earlier instances
of the same--A conscious effort to be original gave rise to
most of the artistic aberrations of the Renaissance--Noble
architecture not a personal, but a communal and national,
product--Analysis of the façade of the Tuileries--De l’Orme’s
other architectural aberrations--The château of Charleval--The
freakish character of this design--Discussion of Viollet le
Duc’s comments on it--The church architecture of the French
Renaissance--The church of St. Eustache--Its unmodified Gothic
structural system--Its neo-classic details--St. Étienne du
Mont--SS. Gervais and Protais at Gisors--The apse of St. Pierre
of Caen--The Portal of St. Maclou at Pontoise 194