Jacques Gabriel (1667 – 23 April 1742) was a French architect, the father of the famous Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Jacques Gabriel was a designer, painter and architect of the 17th and 18th centuries and one of the most prominent designers of the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

in his lifetime. For his unique creativity and selflessness, he was always attended by

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

and eventually became a trusted advisor to the monarch. He made important contributions to him during his years of service of which the construction of the Palace of Versailles was the most important. He had a mission to build the palace throughout his life and was also the first designer of the bridges in Paris. Gabriel's son Ange-Jacques Gabriel continued his father's journey and in this regard, like his father, completed the Palace of Versailles in reign of

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

Biography

His mother was a cousin of

Jules Hardouin-Mansart Jules Hardouin-Mansart (; 16 April 1646 – 11 May 1708) was a French Baroque architect and builder whose major work included the Place des Victoires (1684–1690); Place Vendôme (1690); the domed chapel of Les Invalides (1690), and the Gra ...

and his father, also named Jacques Gabriel, was a masonry contractor for the ''

Bâtiments du Roi The Bâtiments du Roi (, 'King's Buildings') was a division of the Maison du Roi ('King's Household') in France under the Ancien Régime. It was responsible for building works at the King's residences in and around Paris. History The Bâtiments ...

'', the French royal works, and the designer of the Château de Choisy for the king's cousin, Anne D'Orléans. The younger Jacques Gabriel was appointed one of the at the ''Bâtiments du Roi'' in 1688, at the age of 21. Two years later he was sent to accompany

Robert de Cotte Robert de Cotte (; 1656 – 15 July 1735) was a French architect-administrator, under whose design control of the royal buildings of France from 1699, the earliest notes presaging the Rococo, Rococo style were introduced. First a pupil of ...

on an eighteen-month sojourn in Italy, sharpening his eye, and on his return was made one of the ''Autres Architectes'' in the ''Bâtiments du Roi'', where he proved an efficient administrator. He was made a member of the

Académie royale d'architecture The Académie Royale d'Architecture (; ) was a French learned society founded in 1671. It had a leading role in influencing architectural theory and education, not only in France, but throughout Europe and the Americas from the late 17th centur ...

at Mansart's reorganization of that body in 1699.

Pierre-Jean Mariette Pierre-Jean Mariette (; 7 May 1694 – 10 September 1774) was a collector of and dealer in old master prints, a renowned connoisseur, especially of prints and drawings, and a chronicler of the careers of French Italian and Flemish artists. He ...

, who knew him well says that he was "expert in the conduct of building, but he could not have drawn the least jot of ornament". For designers of ornament, Gabriel relied on Pierre Lepautre and after Lepautre's death, on Jean Aubert, another designer trained in the ''Bâtiments du Roi''. Gabriel succeeded Robert de Cotte as ''Premier Architecte du Roi'' of de Cotte's retirement in December 1734 and held the post until he was succeeded by his "vastly more gifted" son, Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1742. Gabriel's work in Paris has been much remodelled.

's ''Architecture françoise'' offers plates illustrating several ''hôtels particuliers'' by Gabriel. He completed the Palais Bourbon (begun by Giardini, continued by Pierre Cailleteau Lassurance). He completed the Hôtel de Lassay nearby. He was responsible for the Hôtel Peyrenc de Moras (de Biron), 1728–31.

Notes

"Il étoit expert dans la conduite du bâtiment, mais il n'auroit pas pu dessiner le moindre bout d'ornement"; ).

References

External links

''Period Rooms in the Metropolitan Museum of Art ''
a fully digitized text from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (pp. 77–86). {{DEFAULTSORT:Gabriel, Jacques 17th-century French architects 1667 births 1742 deaths Architects from Paris Architects of cathedrals Members of the Académie royale d'architecture Architects from Versailles

Biography

Notes

References

See also

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