Jean-Benoît-Vincent Barré
Encyclopedia
Jean Benoît Vincent Barré (Seine-Port
, Seine-et-Marne
, c. 1732 - Seine-Port 27 January 1824) 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.
He worked for very rich patrons, erecting sumptuous and elegant buildings, perfectly fitted to the taste of the day. His career nevertheless remains little known. He worked for financiers like Laurent Grimod de La Reynière
, for whom he built the famous Hôtel Grimod de La Reynière
in Paris, Jean-Joseph de Laborde
or for Laborde's father-in-law, Mathias de Nettine, banker at the Austrian court. Through Nettine's influence, he was commissioned to build Brussels
's "place royale", church of Saint-Jacques-de-Coudenberg
, and French embassy.
In 1770 he was named inspector of the buildings for the king's gunpowder
and saltpeter
, during which appointment he built his best-known work, the château du Marais (1772–1779), for Jean Le Maître de La Martinière, treasurer-general of the artillery. For Louis Georges Érasme de Contades
, maréchal de Contades
, he rebuilt the château de Montgeoffroy
, in Anjou
.
Underrated by his fellow architects, only one other backed his presenting himself to the Royal Academy of Architecture.
Barré in 1772 gave himself over to property speculation in the Nouvelle France quartier of Paris, in association with Jean-François Perrin de Cypierre, intendent of the généralité
of Orléans
. Later he speculated in association with Antoine Roy, who married Barré's daughter Adélaïde-Sophie in 1793 and had two daughters by her. (Roy made a great fortune and became finance minister
upon the Bourbon Restoration
.)
In 1797, Barré retired to his property of La Chesnaye at Seine-Port
where he died of old age in 1824.
Seine-Port
Seine-Port is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * * *...
, Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
, c. 1732 - Seine-Port 27 January 1824) 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
Jean Benoît Vincent Barré learned architecture in the school of Antoine Matthieu Le Carpentier, from whom he also derived part of his clientele.He worked for very rich patrons, erecting sumptuous and elegant buildings, perfectly fitted to the taste of the day. His career nevertheless remains little known. He worked for financiers like 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...
, for whom he built the famous Hôtel Grimod de La Reynière
Hôtel Grimod de La Reynière
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...
in Paris, Jean-Joseph de Laborde
Laborde
Laborde or LaBorde may refer to:A number of people, in chronological order:* Alexandre de Laborde , French antiquary, liberal politician and writer* Jean Laborde , first French consul to Madagascar,...
or for Laborde's father-in-law, Mathias de Nettine, banker at the Austrian court. Through Nettine's influence, he was commissioned to build Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
's "place royale", church of Saint-Jacques-de-Coudenberg
Coudenberg
Coudenberg or Koudenberg is a small hill in Brussels where the Palace of Coudenberg was built.For nearly 700 years, the Castle and then the Palace of Coudenberg were the seat of government of the counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors and governors who from the 11th century until its...
, and French embassy.
In 1770 he was named inspector of the buildings for the king's gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
and saltpeter
Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
, during which appointment he built his best-known work, the château du Marais (1772–1779), for Jean Le Maître de La Martinière, treasurer-general of the artillery. For Louis Georges Érasme de Contades
Louis Georges Érasme de Contades
Louis Georges Érasme de Contades was the 6th Marquis de Contades and Seigneur de Montgeoffroi. He was a Marshal of France and a major battlefield commander during the Seven Years' War. He notably commanded the French forces at the 1759 Battle of Minden.He was born to Gaspard de Contades and his...
, maréchal de Contades
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
, he rebuilt the château de Montgeoffroy
Château de Montgeoffroy
The Château de Montgeoffroy is an 18th century manor house located in the commune of Mazé , France.In 1676, Érasme de Contades acquired the property. In 1772, the Marshal Louis Georges Érasme de Contades, governor of Alsace, decided to rebuild the château as a retirement home...
, in Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
.
Underrated by his fellow architects, only one other backed his presenting himself to the Royal Academy of Architecture.
Barré in 1772 gave himself over to property speculation in the Nouvelle France quartier of Paris, in association with Jean-François Perrin de Cypierre, intendent of the généralité
Généralité
Recettes générales, commonly known as généralités , were the administrative divisions of France under the Ancien Régime and are often considered to prefigure the current préfectures...
of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
. Later he speculated in association with Antoine Roy, who married Barré's daughter Adélaïde-Sophie in 1793 and had two daughters by her. (Roy made a great fortune and became finance minister
Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (France)
The Minister for the Economy, Industry and Employment , or Minister of Finance for short, is one of the most prominent positions in the cabinet of France after the Prime Minister....
upon the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
.)
In 1797, Barré retired to his property of La Chesnaye at Seine-Port
Seine-Port
Seine-Port is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * * *...
where he died of old age in 1824.
Main projects
- Château d'HénonvilleHénonvilleHénonville is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.-References:*...
(Oise), between PontoisePontoisePontoise is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the "new town" of Cergy-Pontoise.-Administration:...
and BeauvaisBeauvaisBeauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, rebuilt for Jean-Marie Roslin d'Ivry, 1765–1771. - Château de MontgeoffroyChâteau de MontgeoffroyThe Château de Montgeoffroy is an 18th century manor house located in the commune of Mazé , France.In 1676, Érasme de Contades acquired the property. In 1772, the Marshal Louis Georges Érasme de Contades, governor of Alsace, decided to rebuild the château as a retirement home...
(Maine-et-LoireMaine-et-LoireMaine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
), 1772–1775, rebuilt for marshalMarshal of FranceThe Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
Louis Georges Érasme de ContadesLouis Georges Érasme de ContadesLouis Georges Érasme de Contades was the 6th Marquis de Contades and Seigneur de Montgeoffroi. He was a Marshal of France and a major battlefield commander during the Seven Years' War. He notably commanded the French forces at the 1759 Battle of Minden.He was born to Gaspard de Contades and his...
. - Château du Marais (EssonneEssonneEssonne is a French department in the region of Île-de-France. It is named after the Essonne River.It was formed on 1 January 1968 when Seine-et-Oise was split into smaller departments.- History :...
), main work of the Louis XVI style, 1772–1779. - Hôtel Grimod de La ReynièreHôtel Grimod de La ReynièreThe 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...
, corner of Avenue Gabriel and Rue Boissy d'Anglas, Paris, for Laurent Grimod de La ReynièreLaurent Grimod de La ReynièreLaurent 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...
, 1775 (destroyed). - Château du LudeChâteau du LudeThe Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. The chateau is situated in the commune of Le Lude in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire and stands at the crossroads of Anjou, Maine and Touraine.-History:The original fortress was built...
(SartheSartheSarthe is a French department, named after the Sarthe River.- History :The department was created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790, pursuant to the law of December 22, 1789, starting from a part of the province of Maine which was divided into two departments, Sarthe to the east and...
), 1785, for the marquess of La Vieuville : Barré realised an important landscaped garden in removing the previous courtyard, building a portico to the western rooms and constructing the wing in the Louis XVI style. To the east, he masked the towers using parallel pavillons with higher roofs than the central pavillon, created a unified facade. The somewhat archaistic allure of this facade also avoids too marked a rupture with the 17th century parts of the building. - For the financier Jean-Joseph de LabordeJean-Joseph de Laborde- Biography:Laborde was born near Jaca in Aragon, into a modest béarnaise family. When he reached adolescence he joined his uncle, who was head of a maritime import-export company at Saint-Jean-de-Luz, and took over as head of the business on the cousin's death...
, Barré created interior decorative schemes and, above all, more of his famous garden landscapes (in collaboration with the painter Hubert RobertHubert RobertHubert Robert , French artist, was born in Paris.His father, Nicolas Robert, was in the service of François-Joseph de Choiseul, marquis de Stainville a leading diplomat from Lorraine...
) : cenotaph of Cook, rostrumRostral columnA rostral column is a type of victory column, originating in ancient Greece and Rome where they were erected to commemorate a naval military victory. Traditionally, rostra — the prows or rams of captured ships — were mounted on the columns...
-type column, temple of filial PietasPietasPietas was one of the Roman virtues, along with gravitas and dignitas. It is usually translated as "duty" or "devotion."-Definition:The word pietas is originally from Latin. The first printed record of the word’s use in English is from Anselm Bayly’s The Alliance of Music, Poetry, and Oratory,...
, Gothic tower, ruined bridge. - Hôtel Micault d'Harvelay, quartier de la chaussée d'Antin, Paris, for Joseph Micault d'Harvelay, Jean-Joseph de Laborde's father in law (destroyed).
- Hôtel d'Aubeterre, quartier de la chaussée d'Antin, Paris (destroyed).
- Hôtel de Cypierre, 26 rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, Paris, for Jean-François Perrin de Cypierre (destroyed).
- Hôtel Barré, 24 rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, Paris, for himself.
- Hôtel de Lalive, rue d’Artois
- Maison de Monsieur Girault, Boulevard de la Chaussée d’Antin
- Hôtel de Laborde, Boulevard des Italiens
- Transformation of the château de ChevillyChevilly, LoiretChevilly is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
(LoiretLoiretLoiret is a department in north-central FranceThe department is named after the river Loiret, a tributary of the Loire. The Loiret is located wholly within the department.- History :...
), for Jean-François Perrin de Cypierre.