Jean Beausire
Encyclopedia
Jean Beausire was an architect, engineer and fountain-maker and the chief of public works in Paris
for King Louis XIV of France
and King Louis XV of France
between 1684 and 1740, and was the architect of all the public fountains constructed in Paris that period. Several of his fountains still exist and continue to work. Three streets in the 4th arrondissement of Paris today carry his name: Rue Jean-Beausire, Impasse Jean-Beausire, and Passage Jean-Beausire.
Marie Roman died in 1679, and the following year Beausire remarried to Marie-Catherine Le Trotteur, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. They had nineteen children, many of whom became part of his fountain workshop.
In 1681, he began working on royal construction projects, including the gates of the Palais Royale, and the reconstruction of the fontaine Sainte-Avoye. In 1683, with the help of his wealthy father-in-law, he purchased the title of Master of Masonry Works of the City of Paris. In 1690, he received the additional title from Louis XIV of controller of public works of Paris. (contrôleur des bâtiments de la Ville). In 1706 he was given a new title, Maître Général, Contrôleur et inspecteur des bâtiments, in charge of all the fountains in Paris. He had to pay 50,000 livres for this new post, but it entitled him to an annual income of 2500 livres in fees and 2500 in appointments.
Beausire was extremely active in his post. Among his projects was the transformation of the old walls of the city into parks planted with trees (1670); installing a statue of Louis XIV in front of the Hotel de Ville (1689); the development of Place Vendôme
and Place des Victoires; building a barracks for the royal Musketeers on rue Chareton; rebuilding the Petit Pont after it burned (1718-1719), and creating a whole new neighborhood between the rue des Filles-du-Calvaire and the rue du Temple.
The many children of Beausire entered into marriages with prominent architects and families, creating a whole dynasty of architects. For instance, in 1717 his daughter Catherine-Elisabeth Beausire married Barthélémy Bourdet, one of the most successful architects in Paris. His son Jean-Baptiste-Augustin Beausire, became a prominent architect and assumed his father's official titles, and his grandson, Pierre-Louis Moreau, was the last municipal architect of the Old Regime, and died under the guillotine
during the French Revolution
on July 9, 1794.
His fountains include:
Fontaine de la Reine (reconstruction of earlier fountain) (1732)
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for King Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and King Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
between 1684 and 1740, and was the architect of all the public fountains constructed in Paris that period. Several of his fountains still exist and continue to work. Three streets in the 4th arrondissement of Paris today carry his name: Rue Jean-Beausire, Impasse Jean-Beausire, and Passage Jean-Beausire.
Biography
Jean Beausire was born February 26, 1641. His father was a stonemason, and the family lived in the St. Severin quarter of Paris. He married Marie Roman in 1670, and they had eight sons, one of whom, Pierre, born in 1673, also became a fountain-maker. Five of the sons died prematurely, and the other two sons went into the church.Marie Roman died in 1679, and the following year Beausire remarried to Marie-Catherine Le Trotteur, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. They had nineteen children, many of whom became part of his fountain workshop.
In 1681, he began working on royal construction projects, including the gates of the Palais Royale, and the reconstruction of the fontaine Sainte-Avoye. In 1683, with the help of his wealthy father-in-law, he purchased the title of Master of Masonry Works of the City of Paris. In 1690, he received the additional title from Louis XIV of controller of public works of Paris. (contrôleur des bâtiments de la Ville). In 1706 he was given a new title, Maître Général, Contrôleur et inspecteur des bâtiments, in charge of all the fountains in Paris. He had to pay 50,000 livres for this new post, but it entitled him to an annual income of 2500 livres in fees and 2500 in appointments.
Beausire was extremely active in his post. Among his projects was the transformation of the old walls of the city into parks planted with trees (1670); installing a statue of Louis XIV in front of the Hotel de Ville (1689); the development of Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France, located to the north of the Tuileries Gardens and east of the Église de la Madeleine. It is the starting point of the Rue de la Paix. Its regular architecture by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and pedimented screens canted across the...
and Place des Victoires; building a barracks for the royal Musketeers on rue Chareton; rebuilding the Petit Pont after it burned (1718-1719), and creating a whole new neighborhood between the rue des Filles-du-Calvaire and the rue du Temple.
The many children of Beausire entered into marriages with prominent architects and families, creating a whole dynasty of architects. For instance, in 1717 his daughter Catherine-Elisabeth Beausire married Barthélémy Bourdet, one of the most successful architects in Paris. His son Jean-Baptiste-Augustin Beausire, became a prominent architect and assumed his father's official titles, and his grandson, Pierre-Louis Moreau, was the last municipal architect of the Old Regime, and died under the guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
on July 9, 1794.
The Fountains of Jean Beausire
Beausire is best remembered for his fountains. According to architectural historian Isabelle Derens, "...his fountains resembled his character. Sober structures, without unnecessary ornament; they were above all useful urban constructions, without excessive monumentality or extravagence."His fountains include:
- Fontaine saint-Avoye (reconstruction of existing fountain) (1682)
- Fontaine Saint-Séverin, (reconstruction) (1685)
- Fontaine fontaine de l'Echaudé Richelieu (reconstruction) (1686)
- Fontaine Saint-Victor (moving from another location) (1686)
- Fontaine de Vendôme (1697)
- Fontaine Boucherat (1699)
- Fontaine Saint-Lazare ((1699)
- Fontaine des Récollets (1700)
- The Fontaine de Paradis (Reconstruction of earlier fountain) (1705)
- Fontaine du regard de Soubise (1706)
- Fontaine des Blancs-Manteaux (1725)
- Fontaine Sainte-Catherine (reconstruction) (1707)
- Fontaine de Louis-le-Grand (1707)
- Fontaine le regard des Annonciades (1710)
- Fontaine de Saint-Martin (1712)
- Fontaine de Montmartre (1713-1715)
- Fontaine de l'Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-PrésFontaine de l'Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-PrésThe Fontaine de l'Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a fountain constructed in 1715-1717, at the end of the reign of King Louis XIV and the beginning of the reign of Louis XV, to provide drinking water in the neighborhood near the church of Saint Germain-des-Prés, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris...
, (1715-1717) - Fontaine de la Petite-Halle, (1719)
- Fontaine de de Basfroid, (1719)
- Fontaine de Charonne (1719)
Fontaine de la Reine (reconstruction of earlier fountain) (1732)
- Fontaine MaubuéeFontaine MaubuéeThe Fontaine Maubuée is an 18th century water fountain located at the corner of rue Saint-Martin and rue Venise in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The fountain was originally at the corner of the rue Saint-Martin and the rue Maubuée. The site was originally occupied by one of the oldest fountains...
(reconstruction) (1733)
Existing Fountains by Jean Beausire
- The Fontaine de la Reine (1732) at the corner of rue Saint-Denis and rue Greneta, 2nd arrondissement.
- The Fontaine de Paradis, (1705), corner of rue de Paradis and rue du Chaume, 3rd arrondissement.
- The Fontaine des Blancs-Manteaux, (1725), in square des Blancs-Manteaux, against the wall of the church, 4th arrondissement
- Fontaine MaubuéeFontaine MaubuéeThe Fontaine Maubuée is an 18th century water fountain located at the corner of rue Saint-Martin and rue Venise in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The fountain was originally at the corner of the rue Saint-Martin and the rue Maubuée. The site was originally occupied by one of the oldest fountains...
, (1733), Rue Saint-Martin and rue Venise, 4th arrondissement - Fontaine Boucherat (1698), rue Charlot et rue de Turenne, 4th arrondissement
- The Fontaine Saint-Severin, (1685), corner of rue Saint-Severin and rue Saint-Jacques, 5th arrondissement
- Fontaine de de Basfroid, (1719), rue de Basfroid and rue de Charonne, 11th arrondissement
- Fontaine de l'Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-PrésFontaine de l'Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-PrésThe Fontaine de l'Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a fountain constructed in 1715-1717, at the end of the reign of King Louis XIV and the beginning of the reign of Louis XV, to provide drinking water in the neighborhood near the church of Saint Germain-des-Prés, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris...
, (1715-1717) now in Place Langevin, 5th arrondissement. - Fontaine de la Petite-Halle, (1719), corner of Fauboug-Saint-Antoine and re de Montreuil, 11th arrondissement
- Fontaine de Charonne,(1719), corner of rue de Charonne and Faubourg St. Antoine, 11th arrondissement