路易·勒·弗奧

Sold: Sotheby's, Monaco, June 20, 1987, lot 245
Acquired at the above sale by A. Alfred Taubman

Window mounted. Four light vertical creases in main sheet, from folding. Some light staining and discoloration. Underneath uppermost flap, there is some staining and discoloration from old glue. Some thin areas down the sides of the smaller sheets with the alternative designs. Sold in a modern gilded frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1656-57, the great classical architect Louis Le Vau was commissioned by Abel Servien, Surintendant des Finances to Louis XIV, to rebuild the central pavilion of the château at Meudon, which Servien had recently acquired from the House of Guise.  In this intriguing, working drawing, the architect has provided three alternative designs for the central pavilion of the building, two of them drawn on separate pieces of paper, hinged to the first at the top. 

The uppermost of the three designs is the closest to the building that was ultimately constructed, although in the end the lantern, which here closely resembles one designed by Le Vau for Vaux-le-Vicomte, took the form of a truncated octagonal pyramid.  One of the alternative designs is very reminiscent of Le Vau's staircase façade at the Hôtel Lambert, and in the other he incorporated a gently curving bay façade, more or less identical to the one he executed at Vaux-le-Vicomte. 

Le Vau was involved in many of the most important royal and aristocratic architectural commissions of the mid-17th century, working on projects that included the châteaux of Vaux-le-Vicomte, Vincennes and Raincy, the Collège des Quatre-Nations (now housing the Institut de France), the church of St. Sulpice and the Hôtel Lambert.  He also collaborated on both the Palace of Versailles and the Palais du Louvre.