Page "Vaux-le-Vicomte" Paragraph 21

The entrance front of the main chateau is characteristically French, with the two lateral pavilions flanking a central avant-corps, again reminiscent of Mansart's work at Maisons.

Le Vau supplements these with two additional receding volumes between the pavilions and the central mass.

All of these elements are further emphasized with steep pyramidal caps.

Such steep roofs were inherited from medieval times and, like brick, were rapidly going out of fashion.

Le Vau would never use them again.

The overall effect at Vaux, according to Andrew Ayers, is " somewhat disparate and disorderly ".

Moreover, as David Hanser points out, Le Vau's elevation violates several rules of pure classical architecture.

One of the most egregious is the use of two, rather than three, bays in the lateral pavilions, resulting in the uncomfortable placement of the pediments directly over the central pilaster.

Ayers does concede however that, " although rather ungainly, the entrance facade at Vaux is nonetheless picturesque, in spite, or perhaps because, of its idiosyncrasies.