The Architecture of Percier and Fontaine and the Struggle for Sovereignty in Revolutionary France
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The Architecture of Percier and Fontaine and the Struggle for Sovereignty in Revolutionary France As the official architects of Napoleon, Charles Percier (1764–1838) and Pierre-François- Léonard Fontaine (1762–1853) designed interiors that responded to the radical ideologies and collective forms of destruction that took place during the French Revolution. The archi- tects visualized new forms of imperial sovereignty by inverting the symbols of monarchy and revolution, constructing meeting rooms resembling military encampments and gilded thrones that replaced the Bourbon lily with Napoleonic bees. Yet in the wake of political struggle, each foundation stone that the architects laid for the new imperial regime was accompanied by an awareness of the contingent nature of sovereign power. Contributing fresh perspectives on the architecture, decorative arts, and visual culture of revolutionary France, this book explores how Percier and Fontaine’s desire to build structures of perma- nence and their inadvertent reliance upon temporary architectural forms shaped a new awareness of time, memory, and modern political identity in France. Iris Moon is a visiting assistant professor in the School of Architecture at Pratt Institute, New York. She specializes in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European art, architecture, and the decorative arts. The Architecture of Percier and Fontaine and the Struggle for Sovereignty in Revolutionary France Iris Moon First published 2017 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2017 Iris Moon The right of Iris Moon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The architecture of Percier and Fontaine and the struggle for sovereignty in Revolutionary France / Iris Moon. Includes index. Percier, Charles, 1764–1838—Criticism and interpretation. | Fontaine, Pierre François Léonard, 1762–1853—Criticism and interpretation. | Symbolism in architecture—France. | Decoration and ornament—France—Empire style. NA1053.P5 M66 2016 729—dc23 2016028204 ISBN: 978-1-4724-8016-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-31628-4 (ebk) Typeset in Times New Roman by Keystroke, Neville Lodge, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton To my parents and Ravi Contents List of figures ix List of plates xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction: Finding revolutionary architecture in the decorative arts 1 1 Visionary friendship at the end of the ancien régime 10 Clean sheets and water magic 13 Architects in training 16 Sovereign doom 19 Roman fever 23 Solo missions 26 An Etruscan friendship 30 2 Propulsion and residue: Constructing the revolutionary interior 36 Rome à rebours 39 Staging antiquity and austerity 42 Revolutionary rearrangements 47 Seek, record, destroy 55 The eternal return of luxury 61 3 The Recueil de décorations intérieures: Furnishing a new order 69 Paper studios 71 Furnishing techniques 74 Strategies of redaction 81 Consuming desires 83 Writing against fashion 86 Between the lines 89 Empire styles 91 4 The platinum cabinet: Luxury in times of uncertainty 99 Pastoral pastimes 102 Incorruptible precision 105 viii Contents Fast times in Consulate Paris 108 Haunting season 113 5 Tent and throne: Architecture in a state of emergency 127 Après coup 129 Fantasies of the ideal villa 132 A permanent work in progress 135 Little pleasures 138 The moving bivouac 141 Political theology 145 Divorcing the past 147 Coda: Revolutionary atonement 155 Selected bibliography 163 Index 181 Figures I.1 Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, project for the Palais du roi de Rome, nineteenth century. 3 1.1 Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, tomb of Charles Percier, Pierre- François-Léonard Fontaine, and Claude-Louis Bernier, 1830. 11 1.2 Charles Percier, plan of a house of a prince in a picturesque garden, 1782. 19 1.3 Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, section of a sepulchral monument to sovereigns with a cross section of the central monument, 1785. 20 1.4 Charles Percier, Trajan’s Column, 1788. 29 1.5 Drouais’ tomb, Santa Maria in Via Lata, Rome. 30 2.1 Anonymous, Moyen expéditif du peuple français pour démeubler un aristocrate, from Révolutions de France et de Brabant 52, 1790. 36 2.2 Charles Percier, Jean-Thomas Thibault, Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, stage decor for Elisca ou l’amour maternel, Act 1, 1799. 46 2.3 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, project for an arena destined to celebrate the triumphs of the republic, n.d. 48 2.4 Jacques-François Blondel, plan of the ground floor and first floor of the Tuileries, 1756. 50 2.5 Pierre-Gabriel Berthault, Assassination of Deputy Ferraud in the National Convention: 1 Prairial Year 3 of the Republic, 1802. 51 2.6 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, Imperial Banquet for the Marriage of the Emperor with Marie-Louise, Archduchess of Austria, nineteenth century. 53 2.7 In the style of Charles Percier, Album of twenty-six drawings related to the style of Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine (Plan of interior), c. 1798–1804. 54 2.8 Pierre J. Lafontaine, Alexandre Lenoir opposing the destruction of the tomb of Louis XII, King of France, at Saint Denis, c. 1794. 57 2.9 Charles Percier, “Elevation of architectural pieces from the Château de Gaillon remounted in the entrance courtyard to the museum,” 1805. 58 2.10 Charles Percier, detail of the benches and paneling, and the decor of the chimney of the François Ier Salon, Palace of Fontainebleau. 60 3.1 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Vue perspective de l’atélier de peinture du C.I*** à Paris,” plate 1, 1812. 72 3.2 Louis-Léopold Boilly, An Assembly of Artists in the Studio of Isabey, 1798. 73 3.3 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Lit du cit. V. exécuté par Alexdre. Régnier. No. 1. partie d’une frise exécuté vis-à-vis la cheminée. Nos. 2 et 3, acessoires peints dans divers panneaux,” plate 14, 1812. 76 x Figures 3.4 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Nos. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Camées peints sur émail, placés dans la traverse du lit. 6. Coté du dossier du lit. 7. Couronnement du pied du lit. 8. Pied du lit. Ces détails sont au quart de l’exécution. Nos. 9 et 10. Fauteuil exécuté dans la même chambre, par les frères Jacob,” plate 15, 1812. 77 3.5 Workshop of Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, page from a scrapbook containing drawings and several prints of architecture, interiors, furniture and other objects, c. 1800–1850. 79 3.6 Horace, Opera, detail of Charles Percier’s vignette illustration for book four, 1799. 80 3.7 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Face latérale d’un petit salon exécuté à Paris chez le C.C,” plate 7, 1812. 84 3.8 Pierre de la Mésangère (editor), Collection de meubles et objets de goût, 1803 (no. 114). 84 3.9 Costume parisienne, 1802. 85 3.10 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Vue du trône de l’empereur au Palais des Tuileries,” plate 48, 1812. 88 3.11 Jean-Baptiste Isabey, “The Emperor’s outfit,” 1804–1822. 92 3.12 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Cheminée de la salle des fleuves, au Musée Napoléon,” plate 72, 1812. 94 4.1 L. F. Labrousse and J. P. Delion, Usage des nouvelles mesures, 1800. 107 4.2 Charles Percier, 1,000 franc Banque de France banknote (“Germinal” type), 1803. 112 4.3 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Vue intérieure d’un cabinet pour le roi d’Espagne exécuté à Paris et placé à Aranjuez,” plate 61, 1812. 114 4.4 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Entablement, chapiteau et détails du cabinet du roi d’Espagne,” plate 62, 1812. 115 4.5 Louis Lafitte and Salvator Tresca, Republican calendar: Fructidor, eighteenth century. 118 5.1 Jean-Baptiste Isabey, Bonaparte, Premier Consul at Malmaison, 1801. 131 5.2 Charles Percier, Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, Auguste Hibon (engraver), plan of Malmaison, 1833. 133 5.3 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, “Salle exécutée au Château de Malmaison et détails des trophés qui la décorent,” plate 55, 1812. 137 5.4 Room view of Napoleon Museum; campaign tent of Napoleon, c. 1808. 142 5.5 Martin-Guillaume Biennais and Pierre-Benoît Lorillon, nécessaire of Napoleon I, then of Czar Alexander I, 1807. 143 5.6 Anonymous, Empress Josephine’s bedroom at Malmaison. 148 C.1 Louis-Marie Normand, elevation of Chapelle Expiatoire, 1832. 158 C.2 Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, Chapelle Expiatoire, 1815–1826. 161 Plates 1 Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, Arc du Carrousel, 1806. 2 Charles Percier, Project for a decoration in the Pompeian style, 1793. 3 a) and b) In the style of Charles Percier, Album of twenty-six drawings related to the style of Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine (detail of interior wall decoration), c. 1798–1804. 4 Jacob Frères, secretary (bureau à coffre) in the form of a triumphal arch, 1797. 5 Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, The family of Charles IV, 1800.