Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond (1679 – 10 March 1719) was a French architect and garden designer who became the chief architect of Saint Petersburg in 1716.
Le Blond's master plan for St. Petersburg has been known as "a plan conceived by a gardener".
He was the son of Jean Le Blond, painter in ordinary to the king, a printseller on the Pont Saint-Michel, Paris, and his wife, Jeanne d'Eu. He studied architecture with his mother's brother Jean Girard, in the service of Philippe I, duc d'Orléans. Jacques-François Blondel implied that he had derived gardening expertise from André Le Nôtre, finding that Le Blond was
one of our Architects, who among us most knew how to profit from the precepts of the great Master... It must be agreed, however, that, in imitating them, it would be suitable to be provided with a certain intelligence[1]
Indeed, Le Blond was responsible for more than simply the engravings in Dezallier d'Argenville's seminal work on the principles of French formal garden design, La théorie et la pratique du jardinage, 1709: according to the well-informed connoisseur Pierre-Jean Mariette, chronicler of French artists, he laid out the structural "canvas" of the work and oversaw in detail its writing;[2] the work was published anonymously, but in later editions Le Blond was credited with the text.
Named architecte du Roi, he made a set of presentation drawings, dated 1699, for the famous cascade and basin with its jet d'eau at royal Saint-Cloud[3] constructed several hôtels particuliers in Paris, notably the hôtel de Clermont, rue de Varenne, and the hôtel de Vendôme, rue d'Enfer (today boulevard Saint-Michel).
As theoretician and illustrator of architecture, Le Blond produced the second (1710) and third (1720) editions of the Cours d'architecture de Vignole translated with commentary by Charles-Augustin d'Aviler, which Le Blond illustrated with his own drawings. These works introduced the distinctions between state apartments (appartements de parade) and private apartments (appartements de commodités) that would characterize French eighteenth-century planning, and he popularized the small chimneypieces that would take the place of the large ones in the Italian mode, popular in the previous century. He also provided illustrations for L’Histoire de l'abbaye de Saint-Denis (1706) by Michel Félibien.
Career in Russia
Le Blond's standard design of Saint Peterburg buildings, 1716
Apraksin Palace in St. Petersburg
Le Blond did much in a short time to extend the Le Nôtre style beyond France. His cascade at Saint-Cloud may have convinced Peter the Great: in March 1716, Le Blond accepted the tsar's invitation to work at Saint Petersburg, where he arrived in August. An unprecedented title of "Architect-General" was bestowed upon him, together with a pension of some 5,000 roubles. His position was superior to that of all other architects and builders working in St. Petersburg.
Within a short span of his stay there, Le Blond established the first nurseries along the banks of the Neva and about twenty workshops, specializing in carving, sculpture, stucco work, tapestries, and so forth. He also succeeded in introducing a program of illuminating the main streets with oil lanterns, designed by himself. The architect died suddenly of smallpox in 1719. The tsar himself was present at the funeral, but Le Blond's grave at the St. Sampson cemetery has not survived.
Among his Russian projects, probably the best known is an idealistic plan which envisioned Vasilievsky Island as the focus of the new city. Le Blond's plan would have "enclosed the entire city within a perfectly elliptical wall of fortifications",[4] with a network of streets at right angles and squares like the royal squares of France, but the project was not approved. Nor were his projects for the parterres of the Summer Garden and a residence for the tsar at Strelna (1717). Three centuries passed before Le Blond's design for a formal garden at Strelna was eventually implemented during the reconstruction of the Constantine Palace in 2003.
Le Blond's main building work in St. Petersburg was a palace of Count Apraksin. Although foreign visitors admitted that "even a king would have been jealous of such a noble dwelling," the palace was eventually demolished to make room for the Winter Palace, which now occupies the site. Working with Friedrich Braunstein and Niccolo Michetti, the French architect also made many structural changes to the first palace and cascades of Peterhof (1717) for which none of his drawings survive, but which are known through copies made by J.E. Randahl, 1739.[5]
^"... l'un de nos Architectes, qui ont sçu mettre le plus à profit, parmi nous, les préceptes du grand Maître... Il faut convenir néanmoins que, pour les imiter, il conviendroit d'être pourvu d'une certaine intelligence" (Cours d'Architecture, iv, p 53, quoted in Strandberg 1974 p 65)
^"Le Blond a eu la plus grande part au livre intitulé La Théorie et La Pratique du Jardinage... C'est lui qui non seulement a donné tous les desseins mais qui même a fait le canevas du livre qui a eté rempli sous ses yeux par M. Dezallier d'Argenville, aujourd'hui maître des comptes" (Abecedario), quoted in Strandberg 1974, p 60
^The drawings are divided between the Tessin-Hårleman Collection, Riksarkivet, Stockholm and the Albertina (Strandberg 1974, p. 60, note 70; p. 65.
^Renzo Dubbini. Geography of the Gaze: Urban and Rural Vision in Early Modern Europe. University of Chicago, 2002. ISBN0-226-16737-2. Page 65.
Olga Medvedkova, Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond, architecte 1679–1719 – De Paris à Saint-Pétersbourg, – 359 s., Paris, Alain Baudry & Cie, 2007, ISBN978-2-9528617-0-0
Olga Medvedkova, "Au-dessus de Saint-Pétersbourg, dialogue au royaume des morts entre le tsar Pierre le Grand et son architecte Jean-Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond", pièce en deux tableaux, Paris, TriArtis Editions, 2013. (ISBN978-2-916724-43-0)
Michel Gallet, 1995. Les architectes parisiens du XVIIIe siècle, (Paris, Éditions Mengès) ISBN2-85620-370-1
Runar Strandberg, "The French formal garden after Le Nostre", in The French Formal Garden, Elizabeth B. MacDougall and F. Hamilton Hazlehurst, editors, 1974, (Dumbarton Oaks)
Further reading
Olga Medvedkova, "Les architectes et les artistes français à Saint-Pétersbourg : présences et indirectes", and "Le plan général de Saint-Pétersbourg de Le Blond : vision utopique ou projet moderne?", in Trois cents ans de présence française à Saint-Pétersbourg, Les Français à Saint-Pétersbourg exhibition catalogue, Saint Petersburg 2003.
Калязина Н.В., Калязин Е.А. Жан Леблон // Зодчие Санкт-Петербурга, XVIII век. SPb, 1997. Pages 67–111.
jean, baptiste, alexandre, blond, 1679, march, 1719, french, architect, garden, designer, became, chief, architect, saint, petersburg, 1716, blond, master, plan, petersburg, been, known, plan, conceived, gardener, contents, career, france, career, russia, prin. Jean Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond 1679 10 March 1719 was a French architect and garden designer who became the chief architect of Saint Petersburg in 1716 Le Blond s master plan for St Petersburg has been known as a plan conceived by a gardener Contents 1 Career in France 2 Career in Russia 3 Principal works of architecture 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further readingCareer in France EditHe was the son of Jean Le Blond painter in ordinary to the king a printseller on the Pont Saint Michel Paris and his wife Jeanne d Eu He studied architecture with his mother s brother Jean Girard in the service of Philippe I duc d Orleans Jacques Francois Blondel implied that he had derived gardening expertise from Andre Le Notre finding that Le Blond was one of our Architects who among us most knew how to profit from the precepts of the great Master It must be agreed however that in imitating them it would be suitable to be provided with a certain intelligence 1 Indeed Le Blond was responsible for more than simply the engravings in Dezallier d Argenville s seminal work on the principles of French formal garden design La theorie et la pratique du jardinage 1709 according to the well informed connoisseur Pierre Jean Mariette chronicler of French artists he laid out the structural canvas of the work and oversaw in detail its writing 2 the work was published anonymously but in later editions Le Blond was credited with the text Named architecte du Roi he made a set of presentation drawings dated 1699 for the famous cascade and basin with its jet d eau at royal Saint Cloud 3 constructed several hotels particuliers in Paris notably the hotel de Clermont rue de Varenne and the hotel de Vendome rue d Enfer today boulevard Saint Michel As theoretician and illustrator of architecture Le Blond produced the second 1710 and third 1720 editions of the Cours d architecture de Vignole translated with commentary by Charles Augustin d Aviler which Le Blond illustrated with his own drawings These works introduced the distinctions between state apartments appartements de parade and private apartments appartements de commodites that would characterize French eighteenth century planning and he popularized the small chimneypieces that would take the place of the large ones in the Italian mode popular in the previous century He also provided illustrations for L Histoire de l abbaye de Saint Denis 1706 by Michel Felibien Career in Russia Edit Le Blond s standard design of Saint Peterburg buildings 1716 Apraksin Palace in St Petersburg Le Blond did much in a short time to extend the Le Notre style beyond France His cascade at Saint Cloud may have convinced Peter the Great in March 1716 Le Blond accepted the tsar s invitation to work at Saint Petersburg where he arrived in August An unprecedented title of Architect General was bestowed upon him together with a pension of some 5 000 roubles His position was superior to that of all other architects and builders working in St Petersburg Within a short span of his stay there Le Blond established the first nurseries along the banks of the Neva and about twenty workshops specializing in carving sculpture stucco work tapestries and so forth He also succeeded in introducing a program of illuminating the main streets with oil lanterns designed by himself The architect died suddenly of smallpox in 1719 The tsar himself was present at the funeral but Le Blond s grave at the St Sampson cemetery has not survived Among his Russian projects probably the best known is an idealistic plan which envisioned Vasilievsky Island as the focus of the new city Le Blond s plan would have enclosed the entire city within a perfectly elliptical wall of fortifications 4 with a network of streets at right angles and squares like the royal squares of France but the project was not approved Nor were his projects for the parterres of the Summer Garden and a residence for the tsar at Strelna 1717 Three centuries passed before Le Blond s design for a formal garden at Strelna was eventually implemented during the reconstruction of the Constantine Palace in 2003 Le Blond s main building work in St Petersburg was a palace of Count Apraksin Although foreign visitors admitted that even a king would have been jealous of such a noble dwelling the palace was eventually demolished to make room for the Winter Palace which now occupies the site Working with Friedrich Braunstein and Niccolo Michetti the French architect also made many structural changes to the first palace and cascades of Peterhof 1717 for which none of his drawings survive but which are known through copies made by J E Randahl 1739 5 Principal works of architecture EditHotel de Vendome Hotel de Chaulnes from 1733 to 1758 rue d Enfer 1706 1707 for Antoine de La Porte canon of Notre Dame backing onto the Jardin du Luxembourg today housing the Ecole nationale superieure des mines de Paris work also for Marie Anne de Bourbon Reconstruction of the Hotel de Duras rue Saint Augustin 1708 for Louise Madeleine de La Marck widow of Henri de Durfort duc de Duras Hotel de Clermont 69 rue de Varenne 1713 for Jeanne Therese Pelagie d Albert de Luynes marquise de Saissac House at Meudon 1714 for Jeanne Baptiste d Albert de Luynes comtesse de Verrue Archbishop s Palace Auch Jardins du Canet near Narbonne Maison Regnault at Chatillon sous Bagneux Apraksin Palace Saint Petersburg 1717 1718 Strelna and Peterhof parks 1717 1718 Notes Edit l un de nos Architectes qui ont scu mettre le plus a profit parmi nous les preceptes du grand Maitre Il faut convenir neanmoins que pour les imiter il conviendroit d etre pourvu d une certaine intelligence Cours d Architecture iv p 53 quoted in Strandberg 1974 p 65 Le Blond a eu la plus grande part au livre intitule La Theorie et La Pratique du Jardinage C est lui qui non seulement a donne tous les desseins mais qui meme a fait le canevas du livre qui a ete rempli sous ses yeux par M Dezallier d Argenville aujourd hui maitre des comptes Abecedario quoted in Strandberg 1974 p 60 The drawings are divided between the Tessin Harleman Collection Riksarkivet Stockholm and the Albertina Strandberg 1974 p 60 note 70 p 65 Renzo Dubbini Geography of the Gaze Urban and Rural Vision in Early Modern Europe University of Chicago 2002 ISBN 0 226 16737 2 Page 65 Tessin Harlesman CollectionReferences EditOlga Medvedkova Jean Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond architecte 1679 1719 De Paris a Saint Petersbourg 359 s Paris Alain Baudry amp Cie 2007 ISBN 978 2 9528617 0 0 Olga Medvedkova Au dessus de Saint Petersbourg dialogue au royaume des morts entre le tsar Pierre le Grand et son architecte Jean Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond piece en deux tableaux Paris TriArtis Editions 2013 ISBN 978 2 916724 43 0 Michel Gallet 1995 Les architectes parisiens du XVIIIe siecle Paris Editions Menges ISBN 2 85620 370 1 Runar Strandberg The French formal garden after Le Nostre in The French Formal Garden Elizabeth B MacDougall and F Hamilton Hazlehurst editors 1974 Dumbarton Oaks Further reading EditOlga Medvedkova Les architectes et les artistes francais a Saint Petersbourg presences et indirectes and Le plan general de Saint Petersbourg de Le Blond vision utopique ou projet moderne in Trois cents ans de presence francaise a Saint Petersbourg Les Francais a Saint Petersbourg exhibition catalogue Saint Petersburg 2003 Kalyazina N V Kalyazin E A Zhan Leblon Zodchie Sankt Peterburga XVIII vek SPb 1997 Pages 67 111 Portal architecture Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jean Baptiste Alexandre Le Blond amp oldid 1070032538, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
