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symmetry, and the incorporation of optical illusion into architectural de-
sign.

The Lovely Louvre

While the Pope was supporting the arts in Italy, on the other side of
the Alps a new patron of the arts was emerging. Louis XIV, the Sun King,
France's absolute monarch, had decided to aggrandize his status with a

massive arts campaign. Louis' mission was both propagandistic and practi-
cal. On the propaganda side, Louis wished to surround his city and court
with the best art in the world. On the practical side, Louis knew that with
relatively cheap materials (stone, canvas, bronze and paint), a skilled artist

could create priceless works of art. Though alchemists had failed to turn
lead into gold, Louis knew he could turn stone into treasure. So Louis set
about building a treasury of art. At the heart of this project was the Louvre,

where Louis housed the artists he'd brought in from around Europe, as well
as France's greatest artistic treasures, including DaVinci's Mona Lisa. To
make the Louvre worthy of the artistic talent housed within, Louis com-

missioned a complete redesign of the Louvre, from a private residence to
proclamation of France's status as the capitol of art.
In the east facade of the Louvre, designed by Perrault we can see some

of the same Baroque elements that we saw in Italy, especially irregular
openings and a focus on symmetry. Yet this design seems almost tame
when compared with the busy exuberance of the Vatican. We must go in-
side the Louvre to truly see the Baroque at work. Within the Louvre lies

the Apollo Gallery, designed by Le Brun.

Architecture of the Rococo Period

The rococo is sometimes described as the pale after-glow which re-
mained following the storm of the baroque. Its dates are bracketed by po-
litical events in France: the death of Louis XIV and the beginning of the

French Revolution.
 The term rococo comes from a combination of the French words for
stone (rocaille) and shell (coquilles), two important elements of rococo

decoration;
 decorativeness and a celebration of the feminine are earmarks of the
rococo;

 small, precious objects;
 rich materials;

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