Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814 - 1879)

Born 27 Jan 1814 in Paris, France

Ancestors

Husband of Thérèse Elisabeth Tempier — married 3 May 1834 in Paris, Seine, France

Descendants

Died 17 Sep 1879 at age 65 in Lausanne, Vaud, Suisse

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Biography

Eugene Viollet-le-Duc is Notable.

Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc was born January 27, 1814 in Paris, France, to a rather well known family. He had an architect for a grandfather and a father who in 1816 was made the overseer for Louis XVIII’s residences. His uncle was Etienne-Jean Delecluze, a painter, art critic and literary salon owner. Even his mother was known for her own salon, where both men and women could attend. He married Elisabeth Templer in Paris, France on May 3, 1834. Within a few years they had two children and separated. Due to his extensive amount of time on the road they did not have a lot of time to spend together. He passed away September 17, 1879 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

During his life he was a very respected architect and author. He was awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 1864. HIs skills as an architect were tested many times as he restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France. Some of these include the Basilica of Saint Denis, Mount Saint-Michel, Sainte-Chapelle and the walls of Carcassonne, but his most well known was Notre Dame. Through his writings about form and function in architecture he influenced future architects such as Antoni Gaudi, Victor Horta and Louis Sullivan. ^[1]

He spent some time in Italy in 1836 and 1837. He had gone there to study their architecture. He returned to France and found that his interests were pulled in heavily by Gothic art. He served as a medieval archaeologist during the restoration of Saint Germain l’Auxerrois in 1838 while being trained by J B Lassus.^[2]

Some of his most influential writings were the Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française du XIe au XVIe siècle which was published in a definitive edition in 1875, but with previous ones between 1854 and 1868, and Entretiens (Discourses) on architecture (1863–1872). A couple of the other notable medieval buildings he restored, beside Notre Dame cathedral, were the Madeleine, Vezlay between 1840 and 1859, and Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, starting in 1840. These and other works, through study and restoration, helped him give a great momentum to the Gothic Revival in France.^[3]

In his book, Dictionnaire Raisonné de l'architecture Française du XIe au XVIe Siècle, he tells of the origin of the concept for the balcony. The idea started with the hourd. Originally, when a battle was getting ready to start or was being fought, they would use a wooden scaffolding that was mounted to the upper walls and even the towers of a castle. It was ready and able to be installed when needed. This then let them fight from the outside of the castle, making it easier for them. This then led to more solid balconies on the sides of the castle. Eventually it was used both inside and out.^[4]

He received the baccalaureat at the College de Bourbon when he was 16 years old. He knew he wanted to pursue architecture for his career but insisted he did not need the formal training. He felt hands on experience would serve him best. He traveled throughout France from 1831 to 1835. He examined major sites of medieval architecture to gain knowledge of and interest in the Gothic and Romanesque styles. He was married in 1834 and started teaching drawing.^[5][6]

Sources

1. ↑ Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Viollet-le-Duc
2. ↑ Eugène Viollet-le-Duc: French Architect, Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugene-Emmanuel-Viollet-le-Duc
3. ↑ Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène-Emmanuel, Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/architecture-biographies/eugene-emmanuel-viollet-le-duc
4. ↑ The Medieval Origin Story of the Balcony: Architect/historian Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc suggested that the balcony was forged in the heat of battle, Smithsonian.com: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-origin-story-balcony-180951755/
5. ↑ Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène-Emmanuel, Mapping Gothic France: http://mappinggothic.org/person/265
6. ↑ Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, Slide Share, Spiritual, November 11, 2013: https://www.slideshare.net/aakankshagupta14855/eugne-emmanuel-viollet-le-duc-28127921

See Also:

Architecture-and-the-historical-imagination-eugene-emmanuel-viollet-le-duc-1814-1879: http://granulka.hopto.org/architecture-and-the-historical-imagination-eugene-emmanuel-viollet-le-duc-1814-1879.pdf

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