The French Arabesque as an Art Form, Audran as Master Ornamentalist , and His Initial Commissioned Works

The chapter briefly reviews the origins of the arabesque from the sixteenth-century Italian grotesque to its introduction in France. Italian artists created influential designs for François I at the Château de Fontainebleau that inspired French artists. Charles Errard (1606–1689) and Charles Le Brun (1619–1690) established the precedent for Audran using the art form. Louis-Joseph de Bourbon, the duc de Vendôme (1654–1712), gave Audran his first significant commission at the Château d’Anet. Audran, assisted by François Desportes (1661–1743), ingeniously complemented the existing Renaissance motifs in the interiors with those of his own design. Subsequently, Audran worked for the Grand Dauphin (1661–1711) at the Château de Meudon and this project brought Audran’s expertise to the attention of Louis XIV.