Joseph-Louis Duc
Encyclopedia
Joseph-Louis Duc (1802–1879) was a French architect. Duc came to prominence early, with his very well-received work at the July Column
in Paris, and spent much of the rest of his career on a single building complex, the Palais de Justice
.
in Paris, Duc took the Prix de Rome
in 1825 for a design of a proposed Paris City Hall. During his three-year stay at the Villa de Medici in Rome his associates there included Félix Duban
, Henri Labrouste
and Léon Vaudoyer
.
Upon his return from Rome Duc's first significant commission was the decoration for the July Column
, built from 1831 to 1840. Appointed as assistant to Jean-Antoine Alavoine
, Duc took over the entire project on Alavoine's death in 1834. The foundation of the column is Alavoine's work; the column itself is acknowledged as solely Duc's work.
Immediately after the dedication of the July Column in mid-1840, Duc was awarded the position of architect for the Palais de Justice
by the respected Antoine Vaudoyer, member of the Institut de France
and father of Duc's friend and associate Léon Vaudoyer. With the appointment Duc simultaneously was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor. Duc would spend his remaining thirty-nine years renovating and extending the Palais de Justice, for instance designing the Cour de Cassation
. Almost completed at the time of the Paris Commune
, the complex was burned on May 24, 1871 and partially destroyed.
Duc's other commissions, though rare, include the 1862 chapel of the small college Louis-le-Grand, now the Lycée Michelet, in Vanves
.
Duc received the Royal Gold Medal
from the Royal Institute of British Architects
in 1867, was elevated to Commander of the Legion of Honor, and was elected to the Académie des beaux-arts
in 1879. He is buried at Montmartre Cemetery
.
July Column
The July Column is a monument to the Revolution of 1830. It stands in the center of the Place de la Bastille, in Paris, to commemorate the Trois Glorieuses, the "three glorious" days in July 1830 that saw the fall of Charles X of France and the commencement of the "July Monarchy" of...
in Paris, and spent much of the rest of his career on a single building complex, the Palais de Justice
Palais de Justice, Paris
The Palais de Justice , located in the Île de la Cité in central Paris, France, is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis, of which the Sainte Chapelle remains. Thus the justice of the state has been dispensed at this site since medieval times...
.
Biography
Born in Paris, educated at the Ecole des Beaux-ArtsÉcole des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in Paris, Duc took the Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
in 1825 for a design of a proposed Paris City Hall. During his three-year stay at the Villa de Medici in Rome his associates there included Félix Duban
Félix Duban
Jacques Félix Duban was a French architect, the contemporary of Jacques Ignace Hittorff and Henri Labrouste.Duban won the Prix de Rome in 1823, the most prestigious award of the École des Beaux-Arts...
, Henri Labrouste
Henri Labrouste
Pierre François Henri Labrouste was a French architect from the famous École des Beaux Arts school of architecture. After a six year stay in Rome, Labrouste opened an architectural training workshop, which quickly became the center of the Rationalist view...
and Léon Vaudoyer
Léon Vaudoyer
Léon Vaudoyer was a French architect. He was one of the "romantic" Beaux-Arts architects influenced by Saint-Simon and Auguste Comte, along with his contemporaries Félix Duban, Henri Labrouste, and Louis Duc....
.
Upon his return from Rome Duc's first significant commission was the decoration for the July Column
July Column
The July Column is a monument to the Revolution of 1830. It stands in the center of the Place de la Bastille, in Paris, to commemorate the Trois Glorieuses, the "three glorious" days in July 1830 that saw the fall of Charles X of France and the commencement of the "July Monarchy" of...
, built from 1831 to 1840. Appointed as assistant to Jean-Antoine Alavoine
Jean-Antoine Alavoine
Jean-Antoine Alavoine was a French architect best known for his column in the Place de la Bastille, Paris , the July Column to memorialize those fallen in the Revolution of 1830...
, Duc took over the entire project on Alavoine's death in 1834. The foundation of the column is Alavoine's work; the column itself is acknowledged as solely Duc's work.
Immediately after the dedication of the July Column in mid-1840, Duc was awarded the position of architect for the Palais de Justice
Palais de Justice, Paris
The Palais de Justice , located in the Île de la Cité in central Paris, France, is built on the site of the former royal palace of Saint Louis, of which the Sainte Chapelle remains. Thus the justice of the state has been dispensed at this site since medieval times...
by the respected Antoine Vaudoyer, member of the Institut de France
Institut de France
The Institut de France is a French learned society, grouping five académies, the most famous of which is the Académie française.The institute, located in Paris, manages approximately 1,000 foundations, as well as museums and chateaux open for visit. It also awards prizes and subsidies, which...
and father of Duc's friend and associate Léon Vaudoyer. With the appointment Duc simultaneously was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor. Duc would spend his remaining thirty-nine years renovating and extending the Palais de Justice, for instance designing the Cour de Cassation
Court of Cassation (France)
The French Supreme Court of Judicature is France's court of last resort having jurisdiction over all matters triable in the judicial stream but only scope of review to determine a miscarriage of justice or certify a question of law based solely on points of law...
. Almost completed at the time of the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, the complex was burned on May 24, 1871 and partially destroyed.
Duc's other commissions, though rare, include the 1862 chapel of the small college Louis-le-Grand, now the Lycée Michelet, in Vanves
Vanves
Vanves is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe and the tenth in France -History:...
.
Duc received the Royal Gold Medal
Royal Gold Medal
The Royal Gold Medal for architecture is awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual's or group's substantial contribution to international architecture....
from the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
in 1867, was elevated to Commander of the Legion of Honor, and was elected to the Académie des beaux-arts
Académie des beaux-arts
The Académie des Beaux-Arts is a French learned society. It is one of the five academies of the Institut de France.It was created in 1795 as the merger of the:* Académie de peinture et de sculpture...
in 1879. He is buried at Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery
Montmartre Cemetery is a cemetery in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, France.-History:Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the shutting down of the Cimetière des Innocents in 1786, as they presented health hazards...
.