For the French clock and watchmaker, see Julien Le Roy.
Julien-David Le Roy or Leroy (French pronunciation:[ʒyljɛ̃davidləʁwa]; 6 May 1724 in Paris – 28 January 1803 in Paris) was an 18th-century 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.
Stuart and Revett were researching Athens since 1748[1] but Le Roy had an advantage in accessing the ruins due to good relations between France and the Ottoman Empire.[2] 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.[3] Le Roy spent only three months in Athens (compared to three years taken by Stuart and Revett);[2] 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.[3]
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[1] and discouraged their readers by filling it with lesser monuments instead of the expected Parthenon.[3] The delay provided them time to examine Le Roy's book and pinpoint its weaknesses and errors in a bitter critique.[3] 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.[4]
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.[3] 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.[5] His book ultimately had a greater impact on practical architecture than Stuart and Revett's,[2] for example, launching the modern tradition of using colonnade in urban design.[2]
Both British and French projects began as mere attempts to expand knowledge of Greek antiques beyond the work of Desgodetz[1] and eventually grew into comparative discourse over Roman and Greek art, starting a wide public debate on their relative merits.[6]
Biographyedit
Julien-David Le Roy, the 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.[3] He had three brothers: Pierre (1717–1785) another clockmaker, Jean-Baptiste (1720-1800), a physicist and Encyclopédiste, and Charles (1726–1779), a physician as well as an Encyclopédiste.
Le Roy's ideas were materialized in the Church of Saint Genevieve, a project led by his friend Jacques-Germain Soufflot.[7] 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.[7]
He was protected by Marc-René Voyer d'Argenson, marquis de Voyer (1722-1782), for who he worked in his hôtel de Voyer in Paris, near the Palais-Royal in the 1760s. Le Roy was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1786.[8] An important correspondence with him is conserved in Poitiers (France), published in 2020 in Le Journal des Savants, the oldest scientist review in Europe (17th century).
. Dictionary of Art Historians. Archived from the original on 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
Philippe Cachau : "Julien-David Le Roy (1724-1803). Correspondance avec le marquis de Voyer (1766-1777)", Journal des Savants, n° 1, 2020, p. 207-304.
Philippe Cachau, Les décors de l'hôtel de Voyer d'Argenson, dit chancellerie d'Orléans (1765-1772).Recherche et analyse des trois pièces sur le jardin du Palais-Royal, study for World Monuments Fund, Paris, 2013.
Christopher Drew Armstrong, Julien-David Leroy and the making of architectural history, London and New York, 2012.
External linksedit
Les ruines des plus beaux monuments de la Grèce (1758) at the Heidelberg University Library
April 11, 2024
julien, david, french, clock, watchmaker, julien, leroy, french, pronunciation, ʒyljɛ, david, ləʁwa, 1724, paris, january, 1803, paris, 18th, century, french, architect, archaeologist, engaged, rivalry, with, britons, james, stuart, nicholas, revett, over, wou. For the French clock and watchmaker see Julien Le Roy Julien David Le Roy or Leroy French pronunciation ʒyljɛ david leʁwa 6 May 1724 in Paris 28 January 1803 in Paris was an 18th century 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 Julien David Le Roy medallion by Pierre Simon Benjamin Duvivier Plate of the Ionic order from Les Ruines des plus beaux monuments de la Grece Contents 1 Athens study 2 Biography 3 References 4 Sources 5 External linksAthens study editStuart and Revett were researching Athens since 1748 1 but Le Roy had an advantage in accessing the ruins due to good relations between France and the Ottoman Empire 2 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 3 Le Roy spent only three months in Athens compared to three years taken by Stuart and Revett 2 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 3 Le Roy rushed his Les Ruines des plus beaux monuments de la Grece Ruins of the Most Beautiful Monuments of Greece into print in 1758 Stuart and Revett delayed their first volume till 1762 1 and discouraged their readers by filling it with lesser monuments instead of the expected Parthenon 3 The delay provided them time to examine Le Roy s book and pinpoint its weaknesses and errors in a bitter critique 3 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 4 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 3 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 5 His book ultimately had a greater impact on practical architecture than Stuart and Revett s 2 for example launching the modern tradition of using colonnade in urban design 2 Both British and French projects began as mere attempts to expand knowledge of Greek antiques beyond the work of Desgodetz 1 and eventually grew into comparative discourse over Roman and Greek art starting a wide public debate on their relative merits 6 Biography editJulien David Le Roy the son of a court clockmaker Julien Le Roy studied architecture under Jacques Francois Blondel le petit Blondel and travelled to Rome on an Academy scholarship in 1751 1754 3 He had three brothers Pierre 1717 1785 another clockmaker Jean Baptiste 1720 1800 a physicist and Encyclopediste and Charles 1726 1779 a physician as well as an Encyclopediste Le Roy s ideas were materialized in the Church of Saint Genevieve a project led by his friend Jacques Germain Soufflot 7 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 7 He was protected by Marc Rene Voyer d Argenson marquis de Voyer 1722 1782 for who he worked in his hotel de Voyer in Paris near the Palais Royal in the 1760s Le Roy was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1786 8 An important correspondence with him is conserved in Poitiers France published in 2020 in Le Journal des Savants the oldest scientist review in Europe 17th century References edit a b c Bergdoll p 16 a b c d Lefaivre Tzonis p 358 a b c d e f Bergdoll p 18 Bergdoll p 20 Bergdoll p 19 Bergdoll p 17 a b Bergdoll p 29 APS Member History search amphilsoc org Retrieved 2020 12 19 Sources editBarry Bergdoll 2000 European architecture 1750 1890 Oxford University Press ISBN 9780192842220 ISBN 0192842226 ISBN 978 0 19 284222 0 Liane Lefaivre Alexander Tzonis 2004 The emergence of modern architecture a documentary history from 1000 to 1810 Routledge ISBN 9780415260251 ISBN 0415260256 ISBN 978 0 415 26025 1 Le Roy Julien David Dictionary of Art Historians Archived from the original on 2016 01 27 Retrieved 2009 10 08 Philippe Cachau Julien David Le Roy 1724 1803 Correspondance avec le marquis de Voyer 1766 1777 Journal des Savants n 1 2020 p 207 304 Philippe Cachau Les decors de l hotel de Voyer d Argenson dit chancellerie d Orleans 1765 1772 Recherche et analyse des trois pieces sur le jardin du Palais Royal study for World Monuments Fund Paris 2013 Christopher Drew Armstrong Julien David Leroy and the making of architectural history London and New York 2012 External links editLes ruines des plus beaux monuments de la Grece 1758 at the Heidelberg University Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Julien David Le Roy amp oldid 1150936593, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
