Jacques-François Blondel
Encyclopedia
Jacques-François Blondel (Rouen
, 17 January 1705 — 9 January 1774) was a French
architect. He was the grandson ("le petit Blondel") of François Blondel
("le grand Blondel"), whose course of architecture had appeared in four volumes in 1683
, he trained under his uncle Jean-François Blondel (1683–1756), architect of Rouen, then began a career as an architectural engraver, but developed into a conservative and thorough architect, whose rationally ordered mind consolidated French classical tradition and practice. He prefaced his clear and rational Architecture française with the remark, "I have used simple terms and a popular style with the intention of being understood by layman and artist alike; having noticed that recent books about architecture are either badly organised or over long." His hugely influential encyclopedic work, De la Distribution des Maisons de Plaisance, et de la Décoration des Edifices en General was issued at Paris, 1737–38. It contained 155 carefully engraved plates. "Blondel was the most significant French architectural educator of the eighteenth century.....his objective was to establish design principles for domestic architecture that correspond to the classical principles already in practice for civil structures" (Millard 1993, p. 25).
Blondel was in Paris by 1726. His Distribution des Maisons de Plaisance and other engraved work attracted a commission to produce thirteen of the engravings for the festival book commemorating the fêtes that celebrated the wedding of Madame Elizabeth of France with Dom Philippe of Spain. In 1740 he opened his architectural courses, the Ecole des Arts, in Paris, sanctioned by the Académie in 1743. In the ensuing years a long sequence of architects profited from his discourse: Boullée
, Brongniart
, Chalgrin
, La Guêpière
, Desprez
, de Wailly
, Gondoin, Ledoux
, Guimard
and Rondelet
, and to foreigners who would bring Neoclassicism
home with them: the Anglo-Swedish Sir William Chambers
, and the Dane Caspar Frederik Harsdorff
.
His four volumes, L'Architecture française (1752– 1756), brought him to official notice; he was inducted into the Académie d'Architecture
in 1755 and appointed architect to Louis XV
. In L'architecture he covered the past century and more of French buildings, setting them in their historical context and providing a wealth of detailed information that would otherwise have been lost. Though his executed body of work was small, mostly confined to work he executed at Metz
under commission of the duc de Choiseul, his approach was soundly grounded: for the Encyclopédie
he contributed the article on masonry, among others.
He was among the earliest founders of schools of architecture in France, and for this he was distinguished by the French Academy; His Cours d'architecture ou traité de la décoration, distribution et constructions des bâtiments contenant les leçons données en 1750, et les années suivantes began appearing in 1771 and ran to nine volumes by 1777, a volume of plates to each two volumes of text; the last volumes were seen through the press by his disciple Pierre Patte
. His practical, encyclopedic approach, largely ignoring the excesses of Rococo
, had survived changes in taste and remained in the mainstream of French architectural training for several decades more.
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, 17 January 1705 — 9 January 1774) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
architect. He was the grandson ("le petit Blondel") of François Blondel
François Blondel
Nicolas-François Blondel was a soldier, engineer of fortifications, diplomat, civil engineer and military architect, called "the Great Blondel", to distinguish him in a dynasty of French architects. He is remembered for his Cours d'architecture which remained a central text for over a century...
("le grand Blondel"), whose course of architecture had appeared in four volumes in 1683
Biography
Born in RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, he trained under his uncle Jean-François Blondel (1683–1756), architect of Rouen, then began a career as an architectural engraver, but developed into a conservative and thorough architect, whose rationally ordered mind consolidated French classical tradition and practice. He prefaced his clear and rational Architecture française with the remark, "I have used simple terms and a popular style with the intention of being understood by layman and artist alike; having noticed that recent books about architecture are either badly organised or over long." His hugely influential encyclopedic work, De la Distribution des Maisons de Plaisance, et de la Décoration des Edifices en General was issued at Paris, 1737–38. It contained 155 carefully engraved plates. "Blondel was the most significant French architectural educator of the eighteenth century.....his objective was to establish design principles for domestic architecture that correspond to the classical principles already in practice for civil structures" (Millard 1993, p. 25).
Blondel was in Paris by 1726. His Distribution des Maisons de Plaisance and other engraved work attracted a commission to produce thirteen of the engravings for the festival book commemorating the fêtes that celebrated the wedding of Madame Elizabeth of France with Dom Philippe of Spain. In 1740 he opened his architectural courses, the Ecole des Arts, in Paris, sanctioned by the Académie in 1743. In the ensuing years a long sequence of architects profited from his discourse: Boullée
Étienne-Louis Boullée
Étienne-Louis Boullée was a visionary French neoclassical architect whose work greatly influenced contemporary architects and is still influential today.- Life :...
, Brongniart
Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart
Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart was a prominent French architect.Born in Paris, France. A prominent member of Parisian society, in 1767 he married Anne-Louise d'Egremont...
, Chalgrin
Jean Chalgrin
Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin was a French architect, best known for his design for the Arc de Triomphe, Paris.-Biography:...
, La Guêpière
Philippe de La Guêpière
Philippe de La Guêpière was a French architect whose main commissions were from Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg.-Early life :...
, Desprez
Louis Jean Desprez
Louis Jean Desprez ca 1743–18 March 1804 was a French painter and architect who worked in Sweden during the last twenty years of his life....
, de Wailly
Charles De Wailly
Charles De Wailly was a French architect and urbanist, and furniture designer, one of the principals in the Neoclassical revival of the Antique. His major work was the Théâtre de l'Odéon for the Comédie-Française...
, Gondoin, Ledoux
Claude Nicolas Ledoux
Claude-Nicolas Ledoux was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He used his knowledge of architectural theory to design not only in domestic architecture but town planning; as a consequence of his visionary plan for the Ideal City of Chaux, he became known as a utopian...
, Guimard
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard
Gilles-Barnabé Guimard was a French architect. He spent his entire career in the Habsburg Netherlands where he led important architectural and urbanistic projects such as the Place Royale in Brussels and the new 'Palace of the Council of Brabant' which today houses the Belgian...
and Rondelet
Jean-Baptiste Rondelet
Jean-Baptiste Rondelet was an architectural theorist of the late Enlightenment era and chief architect of the church of Sainte-Geneviève. He published a treatise on Architecture between 1805 and 1816. He grew up and helped the world build the Panthéon. Which is still a site today standing 10...
, and to foreigners who would bring Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
home with them: the Anglo-Swedish Sir William Chambers
William Chambers (architect)
Sir William Chambers was a Scottish architect, born in Gothenburg, Sweden, where his father was a merchant. Between 1740 and 1749 he was employed by the Swedish East India Company making several voyages to China where he studied Chinese architecture and decoration.Returning to Europe, he studied...
, and the Dane Caspar Frederik Harsdorff
Caspar Frederik Harsdorff
Caspar Frederik Harsdorff, also known as C.F. Harsdorff, , Danish neoclassical architect is considered to be Denmark’s leading architect in the late 18th century, and is referred to as “The Father of Danish Classicism”.- Early life and training :He was born Caspar Frederik Harsdørffer in...
.
His four volumes, L'Architecture française (1752– 1756), brought him to official notice; he was inducted into the Académie d'Architecture
Académie d'architecture
The Académie royale d'architecture was a French learned society founded on December 30, 1671 by Louis XIV, king of France under the impulsion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert...
in 1755 and appointed architect to Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
. In L'architecture he covered the past century and more of French buildings, setting them in their historical context and providing a wealth of detailed information that would otherwise have been lost. Though his executed body of work was small, mostly confined to work he executed at Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
under commission of the duc de Choiseul, his approach was soundly grounded: for the Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
he contributed the article on masonry, among others.
He was among the earliest founders of schools of architecture in France, and for this he was distinguished by the French Academy; His Cours d'architecture ou traité de la décoration, distribution et constructions des bâtiments contenant les leçons données en 1750, et les années suivantes began appearing in 1771 and ran to nine volumes by 1777, a volume of plates to each two volumes of text; the last volumes were seen through the press by his disciple Pierre Patte
Pierre Patte
Pierre Patte was a French architect who was the assistant of the great French teacher of architecture, Jacques-François Blondel, whose Cours d'architecture which ran to nine volumes by 1777, he saw through the press after Blondel's death in 1774....
. His practical, encyclopedic approach, largely ignoring the excesses of Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
, had survived changes in taste and remained in the mainstream of French architectural training for several decades more.