In France, the Baroque found its greatest expression not in the service of the Church, but of the monarchy. Louis XIV in particular used art as a brilliant showcase for his royal glory, and with his extension of the Palace of Versailles, a pompous fusion of all existing art forms, he created not only a baroque Gesamtkunstwerk, but the pinnacle of palace architecture in Europe. As in other countries, the Baroque style in France merged imperceptibly into the Rococo style that followed.
