Hôtel Grimod de La Reynière
Encyclopedia
The Hôtel Grimod de La Reynière was an hôtel particulier
in Paris, in the corner between Avenue Gabriel and Rue Boissy d'Anglas.
It was built in 1775 in a Neo-Classical
style by Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré
for the fermier général Laurent Grimod de La Reynière
(1733-1793). It used a plot occupied by a store for ancient statues in the royal collection, on which Grimod de La Reynière had obtained a royal concession to construct a building similar to the hôtel de Saint-Florentin (which had been constructed in the northeastern corner of the new Place Louis XV, now Place de la Concorde
, to plans by Ange-Jacques Gabriel
).
The layout of the rooms is known from a relief by the architect Johann Christian Kammsetzer
, preserved at Cracow
. The grand salon and the state rooms gave onto an English garden spread between the south facade and the gardens of the Champs-Élysées
. The dining room was located in the west wing, between two courtyards and a small, oval internal garden, with heating. Two fountains were placed in a gallery between the kitchen and the buffet, a gallery reached through a billiards room and an octagonal hall. On the other side of the main courtyard was a picture gallery and a library, which gave onto Rue de la Bonne-Morue.
In the interior, Charles-Louis Clérisseau
and Étienne de La Vallée Poussin
executed the first decorative scheme in Europe to be inspired by the new archaeological discoveries at Pompeii
and Herculanum. The painted boiseries were sold in 1850 and may be seen in part at the Victoria and Albert Museum
in London.
Up until the 19th century, the Hôtel housed the imperial Cercle, then the Cercle de l'Union artistique - the latter held some exhibitions by the Society of Watercolourists here in 1914. Disfigured by successive additions, it was razed to the ground in 1932 and replaced by a neoclassical pastiche, built between 1931 and 1933 by the architects William Delano and Victor Laloux
to house the US embassy
.
Hôtel particulier
In French contexts an hôtel particulier is an urban "private house" of a grand sort. Whereas an ordinary maison was built as part of a row, sharing party walls with the houses on either side and directly fronting on a street, an hôtel particulier was often free-standing, and by the 18th century it...
in Paris, in the corner between Avenue Gabriel and Rue Boissy d'Anglas.
It was built in 1775 in a Neo-Classical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
style by Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré
Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré
Jean Benoît Vincent Barré was a French architect. He was one of the most important architects of the 18th century and one of the creators of the 'Louis XVI style' of architecture.-Biography:...
for the fermier général Laurent Grimod de La Reynière
Laurent Grimod de La Reynière
Laurent Grimod de La Reynière was a French financier and fermier général. He was the son of Antoine Gaspard Grimod de La Reynière , another fermier général, and the father of the famous gastronome Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière .In 1775 he had the hôtel Grimod de La Reynière...
(1733-1793). It used a plot occupied by a store for ancient statues in the royal collection, on which Grimod de La Reynière had obtained a royal concession to construct a building similar to the hôtel de Saint-Florentin (which had been constructed in the northeastern corner of the new Place Louis XV, now Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :...
, to plans by Ange-Jacques Gabriel
Ange-Jacques Gabriel
Ange-Jacques Gabriel was the most prominent French architect of his generation.Born to a Parisian family of architects and initially trained by the royal architect Robert de Cotte and his father , whom he assisted in the creation of the Place Royale at Bordeaux , the younger Gabriel...
).
The layout of the rooms is known from a relief by the architect Johann Christian Kammsetzer
Johann Christian Kammsetzer
Johann Christian Kammsetzer or Jan Chrystian Kamsetzer was a Dresden-born architect who was active primarily in Poland.-Life:...
, preserved at Cracow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. The grand salon and the state rooms gave onto an English garden spread between the south facade and the gardens of the Champs-Élysées
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
. The dining room was located in the west wing, between two courtyards and a small, oval internal garden, with heating. Two fountains were placed in a gallery between the kitchen and the buffet, a gallery reached through a billiards room and an octagonal hall. On the other side of the main courtyard was a picture gallery and a library, which gave onto Rue de la Bonne-Morue.
In the interior, Charles-Louis Clérisseau
Charles-Louis Clérisseau
Charles-Louis Clérisseau was a French architectural draughtsman, antiquary and artist. He had a role in the genesis of neoclassical architecture during the second half of the 18th century....
and Étienne de La Vallée Poussin
Étienne de La Vallée Poussin
Étienne de La Vallée Poussin Étienne de La Vallée Poussin Étienne de La Vallée Poussin (certains biographies say Delavallée-Poussin.(1735–1802), was a French history painter and creator of interior decorative schemes.-Life:...
executed the first decorative scheme in Europe to be inspired by the new archaeological discoveries at Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
and Herculanum. The painted boiseries were sold in 1850 and may be seen in part at the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
in London.
Up until the 19th century, the Hôtel housed the imperial Cercle, then the Cercle de l'Union artistique - the latter held some exhibitions by the Society of Watercolourists here in 1914. Disfigured by successive additions, it was razed to the ground in 1932 and replaced by a neoclassical pastiche, built between 1931 and 1933 by the architects William Delano and Victor Laloux
Victor Laloux
Victor Alexandre Frederic Laloux was a French Beaux-Arts architect and teacher.- Life :Born in Tours, Laloux studied at the Paris École des Beaux-Arts atelier of Louis-Jules André, with his studies interrupted by the Franco-Prussian War, and was awarded the annual Prix de Rome in 1878...
to house the US embassy
American diplomatic missions
This is a list of diplomatic missions of the United States.-History:Morocco, in December 1777, became the first nation to recognize the United States and together they maintain the United States' longest unbroken treaty.Benjamin Franklin established the first overseas mission of the United States...
.