What didn't he build in Württemberg! As Duke Carl Eugen's royal architect, Philippe de La Guêpière (1715-1773) created one palace after another, each bearing his mark. The refined backdrops for court festivals were also largely created by him.
Profile of Duke Carl Eugen.
Who could possibly satisfy the exacting standards of Duke Carl Eugen? At first, hardly any artist in Württemberg met them. That is why the duke often had artists come from France or Italy, and paid high wages to keep them at his court. In 1752, he engaged the French architect Philippe de La Guêpière.
The New Palace in Stuttgart.
Philippe de La Guêpière was born near Paris and completed his studies at the Parisian Académie Royale d’architecture in the 1730s. He came to Württemberg with an intimate knowledge of current fashions in Paris and of the new, early Classical style of architecture. He was made royal building director by Carl Eugen and was intended to complete the construction of the New Palace in Stuttgart, which had already begun.
Solitude Palace served as a retreat.
Anyone who has heard of Duke Carl Eugen knows that he would not be satisfied with just one palace. While the New Palace was being constructed in Stuttgart, he simultaneously had Ludwigsburg Palace modernized by his architect. De La Guêpière also built Monrepos Lakeside Palace not far from Ludwigsburg Palace, and ultimately built Solitude Palace as well. The early Classical style of the French was best realized here.
Monrepos Palace in Ludwigsburg.
The duke's whims certainly didn't make it easy for the architect. However, his construction projects also didn't always run smoothly either. The Monrepos Lakeside Palace threatened to sink into the lake. The New Palace burned down almost as soon as it was furnished. In 1768, de La Guêpière finally left the court of Württemberg and went back to Paris.
