Julien-David Le Roy
Encyclopedia
Julien David Le Roy, also Leroy (1724-1803) was a French architect
and archaeologist, who engaged in a rivalry with
Britons James Stuart
and Nicholas Revett
over who would publish the first professional description of the Acropolis of Athens
since an early 1682 work by Antoine Desgodetz
. Le Roy succeeded in printing his Ruins of the Most Beautiful Monuments of Greece four years ahead of Stuart and Revett. Both British and French projects began as mere attempts to expand knowledge of Greek antiques beyond the work of Desgodetz and eventually grew into comparative discourse
over Roman and Greek art, starting a wide public debate on their relative merits.
Le Roy was a son of a court clockmaker Julien Le Roy
, studied architecture under Jacques-François Blondel
("le petit Blondel"), and travelled to Rome
on an Academy scholarship in 1751–1754. Stuart and Revett were researching Athens since 1748 but Le Roy had an advantage in accessing the ruins due to good relations between France and the Ottoman Empire
. Le Roy's studies, supported by Comte de Caylus and his art circle, recruited the finest engravers and architects to produce illustrations, and became sort of a national project
for the pre-revolutionary France. Le Roy spent only three months in Athens (compared to three years taken by Stuart and Revett); he
researched Greek monuments in a wide, universal cultural context, comparing them with Roman legacy, and travelled to Constantinople
to study the Byzantine
development of the Greek tradition.
Le Roy rushed his Les Ruines des plus beaux monuments de la Grèce (Ruins of the Most Beautiful Monuments of Greece) into print in 1758. Stuart and Revett delayed their first volume till 1762 and discouraged their readers by filling it with lesser monuments instead of the expected Parthenon
. The delay provided them time to examine Le Roy's book and pinpoint its weaknesses and errors in a bitter critique. Le Roy's success alienated not only the Britons who harshly attacked his book and theories but also Piranesi
who considered the Frenchman
a threat to his national pride and, worse, means of subsistence.
Le Roy responded with a counterargument that an insight in development of a culture is just as worthwhile as meticulous, surgical rendition of antique relics. Unlike the Britons who rushed to copy the Greek models in new buildings, Le Roy stood by his opinion that architecture always follows evolution of the society, and never intended to imitate these models in stone. His book ultimately had a greater impact on practical architecture than Stuart and Revett's, for example, launching the modern tradition of using colonnade
in urban design
.
Le Roy's ideas were materialized in the Church of Saint Genevieve
, a project led by his friend Jacques-Germain Soufflot
. Le Roy directly advised Soufflot on the philosophy and history of architecture and provided a classic single-sheet scheme of principal Christian church types, solving the problem of marrying the dome
with cross-shaped floorplan.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and archaeologist, who engaged in a rivalry with
Britons James Stuart
James Stuart (1713-1788)
James "Athenian" Stuart was an English archaeologist, architect and artist best known for his central role in pioneering Neoclassicism.-Early life:...
and Nicholas Revett
Nicholas Revett
Nicholas Revett was a Suffolk gentleman and amateur architect and artist.He is best known for his famous work with James Stuart documenting the ruins of ancient Athens. Its illustrations compose 5 folio volumes and include 368 etched and engraved plates, plans and maps drawn at scale...
over who would publish the first professional description of the Acropolis of Athens
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification...
since an early 1682 work by Antoine Desgodetz
Antoine Desgodetz
Antoine Babuty Desgodetzs publication Les edifices antiques de Rome dessinés et mesurés très exactement provided detailed engravings of the monuments and antiquities of Rome to serve French artists and architects...
. Le Roy succeeded in printing his Ruins of the Most Beautiful Monuments of Greece four years ahead of Stuart and Revett. Both British and French projects began as mere attempts to expand knowledge of Greek antiques beyond the work of Desgodetz and eventually grew into comparative discourse
Discourse
Discourse generally refers to "written or spoken communication". The following are three more specific definitions:...
over Roman and Greek art, starting a wide public debate on their relative merits.
Le Roy was a son of a court clockmaker Julien Le Roy
Julien Le Roy
Julien Le Roy was a major 18th-century Parisian clockmaker and watchmaker.He was born in Tours in 1686, and by the age of 13, had already made his first clock. In 1699, he moved to Paris for further training. He became maitre horloger in 1713 and later juré of his guild...
, studied architecture under Jacques-François Blondel
Jacques-François Blondel
Jacques-François Blondel was a French architect. He was the grandson of François Blondel , whose course of architecture had appeared in four volumes in 1683 -Biography:...
("le petit Blondel"), and travelled to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on an Academy scholarship in 1751–1754. Stuart and Revett were researching Athens since 1748 but Le Roy had an advantage in accessing the ruins due to good relations between France and the Ottoman Empire
Franco-Ottoman alliance
The Franco-Ottoman alliance, also Franco-Turkish alliance, was an alliance established in 1536 between the king of France Francis I and the Turkish ruler of the Ottoman Empire Suleiman the Magnificent. The alliance has been called "the first non-ideological diplomatic alliance of its kind between a...
. Le Roy's studies, supported by Comte de Caylus and his art circle, recruited the finest engravers and architects to produce illustrations, and became sort of a national project
National Project
The National Project was a Nicaraguan political party founded in 1995 by Antonio Lacayo, son-in-law of Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. Lacayo was prohibited from running in the 1996 elections by the Supreme Electoral Council due to his family ties with President Chamorro. PRONAL ran instead with...
for the pre-revolutionary France. Le Roy spent only three months in Athens (compared to three years taken by Stuart and Revett); he
researched Greek monuments in a wide, universal cultural context, comparing them with Roman legacy, and travelled to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to study the Byzantine
Byzantine architecture
Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
development of the Greek tradition.
Le Roy rushed his Les Ruines des plus beaux monuments de la Grèce (Ruins of the Most Beautiful Monuments of Greece) into print in 1758. Stuart and Revett delayed their first volume till 1762 and discouraged their readers by filling it with lesser monuments instead of the expected Parthenon
Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their virgin patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although...
. The delay provided them time to examine Le Roy's book and pinpoint its weaknesses and errors in a bitter critique. Le Roy's success alienated not only the Britons who harshly attacked his book and theories but also Piranesi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi was an Italian artist famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric "prisons" .-His Life:...
who considered the Frenchman
a threat to his national pride and, worse, means of subsistence.
Le Roy responded with a counterargument that an insight in development of a culture is just as worthwhile as meticulous, surgical rendition of antique relics. Unlike the Britons who rushed to copy the Greek models in new buildings, Le Roy stood by his opinion that architecture always follows evolution of the society, and never intended to imitate these models in stone. His book ultimately had a greater impact on practical architecture than Stuart and Revett's, for example, launching the modern tradition of using colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
in urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
.
Le Roy's ideas were materialized in the Church of Saint Genevieve
Panthéon, Paris
The Panthéon is a building in the Latin Quarter in Paris. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many changes, now functions as a secular mausoleum containing the remains of distinguished French citizens...
, a project led by his friend Jacques-Germain Soufflot
Jacques-Germain Soufflot
Jacques Germain Soufflot was a French architect in the international circle that introduced Neoclassicism. His most famous work is the Panthéon, Paris, built from 1755 onwards, originally as a church dedicated to Sainte Genevieve.- Biography :Soufflot was born in Irancy, near Auxerre.In the 1730s...
. Le Roy directly advised Soufflot on the philosophy and history of architecture and provided a classic single-sheet scheme of principal Christian church types, solving the problem of marrying the dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
with cross-shaped floorplan.