Jean Chalgrin facts for kids
Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin (born in 1739, died on January 21, 1811) was a French architect. He is most famous for designing the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, a very well-known landmark.
Life and Work
Jean Chalgrin became an architect who followed the "Neoclassical" style. This style was inspired by the art and buildings of ancient Greece and Rome. He learned from important teachers like Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni and Étienne-Louis Boullée in Paris. He also spent time studying in Rome, Italy, from 1759 to 1763. During this time, many young French artists in Rome became very interested in classical art, influenced by famous artists and writers of the time.
When Chalgrin returned to Paris, he quickly got a job helping to oversee public building projects for the city. In this role, he helped with the construction of the Hôtel Saint-Florentin. He even designed the beautiful neoclassical entrance to its main courtyard.
In 1764, Chalgrin created plans for the Church of St. Philippe-du-Roule. This church, built between 1774 and 1784, showed his strong neoclassical style. It featured large Ionic order columns that ran all around the inside, separating the main hall (called the nave) from the side aisles. He brought back a church design style that hadn't been used much in France since the 1500s.
In 1775, he became the main architect for the Count of Provence, who was the brother of King Louis XVI. Chalgrin designed a small building (a pavilion) for the Countess of Provence at the famous Palace of Versailles. Later, in 1779, he also became responsible for building projects for another brother of the king, the Count of Artois.
Around 1777, Chalgrin also helped to redesign parts of the inside of the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris. He also designed the large case for the church's impressive organ.
Towards the end of the French Revolution, in 1798, Chalgrin quickly built structures for the first "Exposition des produits de l'industrie française." This was an exhibition to show off French industrial products. He created a large circle of arched walkways around a "Temple of Industry" where the best products were displayed.
After the Revolution, Chalgrin worked on extending the Collège de France. He also made changes to the Palais du Luxembourg so it could be used as the new home for the government at the time, called the Directoire.
One of Chalgrin's most famous projects was the Arc de Triomphe. This huge arch was ordered by Napoleon to celebrate the victories of the French army. In 1806, Chalgrin and another architect, Jean-Arnaud Raymond, were asked to create plans for the Arc. Their ideas didn't match, so Raymond left the project. Chalgrin continued the work, but he passed away before it was finished. Another architect, Jean-Nicolas Huyot, completed the Arc de Triomphe in 1836.
Chalgrin was married to Émilie, who was the daughter of a painter named Joseph Vernet. They had one son.
Key Projects
- 1767–1769: Hôtel Saint-Florentin in Paris.
- 1767–1770: Hôtel de Mademoiselle de Luzy in Paris.
- 1774–1780: Additions to the Collège de France in Paris.
- 1775: Construction of designs for homes at Versailles for Madame du Barry and the Countess of Provence.
- 1777–1780: Repairing the front and rebuilding the north tower of Saint-Sulpice in Paris.
- 1778: A hunting lodge called "Rendez-vous de chasse de la Faisanderie" for the Count of Provence.
- 1778: Chapelle du Saint-Esprit in Paris.
- 1780: Ancienne Laiterie de Madame at Versailles.
- 1780: Music pavilion for the Countess of Provence at Versailles.
- 1774–1784: Église Saint-Philippe-du-Roule in Paris.
- 1785: Pavilion and English-style garden "Parc Balbi" at Versailles (destroyed in 1798).
- 1799–1805: Work at the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris, including the grand staircase.
- 1806–1811: Began work on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, completed in 1836 after his death.
- 1807: Restoration of the Théâtre de l'Odéon in Paris (which later burned down in 1818).
See also
In Spanish: Jean Chalgrin para niños
- Neoclassicism in France
