Jean Aubert (architect)
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Jean Aubert (; ca. 1680 – 13 October 1741) was a French architect, the most successful of the ''
Régence The ''Régence'' (, ''Regency'') was the period in History of France, French history between 1715 and 1723 when King Louis XV was considered a minor (law), minor and the country was instead governed by Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (a nephew ...
'' and designer of two of the most important buildings of the period: the stables of the Château de Chantilly and the Hôtel Biron in Paris. He also created innovative interior designs, the most notable, the separation of private and public spaces for the
Palais Bourbon The Palais Bourbon () is the meeting place of the National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Parliament. It is in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the Rive Gauche of the Seine across from the Place de la Concorde. The offi ...
in Paris.


Biography

He was the son of Jean-Jacques Aubert, master carpenter in 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 ...
, and was trained in the large atelier 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 ...
. Aubert was employed in the Bâtiments du Roi as a designer from 1703 (Kimball p 131); in 1707, Hardouin-Mansart had him appointed an ''architecte du Roi'' and attempted to get him seated in the second class 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 ...
. As a protégé of Hardouin-Mansart, Aubert may have come into conflict with
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 ...
, Hardouin-Mansart's successor as ''premier architecte'' though not as director at the Bâtiments du Roi. Diversifying his commissions, Aubert became the architect to the Bourbon-Condé: for them he worked on the Château de Saint-Maur (1709–10), the
Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly () is a historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Paris. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château, built around 1560 for Anne de Montmore ...
, and other lesser possessions. Jules Hardouin-Mansart had provided Henri-Jules de Bourbon-Condé plans for the complete transformation of his
Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly () is a historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Paris. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château, built around 1560 for Anne de Montmore ...
. They were realized by Daniel Gittard, and by Aubert after 1708, though documentation for work other than for the stables is lacking (Kimball p 131). The destruction of these works at the Grand Château of Chantilly (begun in December 1718, according to
Fiske Kimball Sidney Fiske Kimball (1888 – 1955) was an American architect, architectural historian and museum director. A pioneer in the field of architectural preservation in the United States, he played a leading part in the restoration of Montice ...
) during the
Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
prevents an assessment of their nature, with the exception of the fine interiors of the Petit Château, which were sufficiently complete for the Regent to be lodged there 4 November 1722 at the return of the court from the coronation of Louis XV, and the famous stables, constructed for the duc de Bourbon, between 1719 and 1735. From 1724 Jean Aubert worked in Paris on the
Palais Bourbon The Palais Bourbon () is the meeting place of the National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Parliament. It is in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the Rive Gauche of the Seine across from the Place de la Concorde. The offi ...
fronting the
Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...
, which was built for Louise Françoise de Bourbon (1673-1743), duchesse de Bourbon. The plans had been consigned to an Italian architect named Giardini, of whom little is known save that he died in 1722. Pierre Cailleteau Lassurance, who succeeded him in the project and designed the decor of the vestibule (Kimball 1943 p 130), died himself two years later. Aubert took up the project, working with the already-established foundations, but redistributing the magnificently-finished apartments and introducing elliptical salons. For the decoration of the interiors he was constrained to work with
Jacques Gabriel 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 t ...
, who had been introduced to the duchess's confidence by her advisor, Abraham Peyrenc de Moras. The Palais Bourbon has undergone many transformations since, but Aubert's work can be seen in six plates of
Jean Mariette Jean Mariette (; 22 June 1660 – 19 September 1742) was a French engraver and print dealer and publisher. He was the father of Pierre-Jean Mariette.Walsh 1996. Ancestry and early life Jean Mariette was born in Paris,Benezit 2006. the son of Pier ...
, ''Architecture françoise''. Right next to the Palais Bourbon, Jean Aubert was also put in charge of the
Hôtel de Lassay The Hôtel de Lassay () is a private mansion located on the Rue de l'Université, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the current residence of the President of the National Assembly, and adjoins the Palais Bourbon, the seat of the l ...
, which Lassurance had also begun, for the marquis de Lassay, the lover of the duchesse de Bourbon. If the edifice came under some criticism, its interiors marked a step towards the freest
rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...
. Between 1728 and 1731 Aubert constructed for the wealthy speculator Abraham Peyrenc de Moras the Hôtel Biron, named for a later owner, which now houses the
Musée Rodin The Musée Rodin () of Paris, France, is an art museum that was opened in 1919, primarily dedicated to the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron and surrounding grounds in central Paris, as well as just ...
. Jacques Gabriel's role in its construction has recently been disallowed. In 1736, he built a little annex to the hôtel, which had been purchased from the widow of Peyrenc de Moras by the duchesse du Maine, herself a Bourbon-Condé by birth. Jean Aubert frequented the unofficial Académie du Petit-Luxembourg, in the Hôtel du
Petit Luxembourg The Petit Luxembourg (; "Little Luxembourg") is an ''hôtel particulier'' and the official residence of the President of the French Senate. It is located at 17–17 bis, Rue de Vaugirard, just west of the Luxembourg Palace, which serves as the s ...
, that was founded in 1729 by the comte-abbé de Clermont, another member of the house of Condé, the younger brother of the builder of the stables of Chantilly. For the abbé, who was
commendatory abbot A commendatory abbot () is an ecclesiastic, or sometimes a layman, who holds an abbey ''in commendam'', drawing its revenues but not exercising any authority over its inner monastic discipline. If a commendatory abbot is an ecclesiastic, however, ...
of
Chaalis Chaalis Abbey (, ) was a French Cistercian abbey north of Paris, at Fontaine-Chaalis, near Ermenonville, now in Oise. History It was founded in 1136 by Louis VI of France. There had previously been a Benedictine monastery in the same place. M ...
, Aubert created the plans for the reconstruction of Chaalis Abbey in 1736. Begun in 1739 and intended as a large quadrangle, only the entrance wing with the abbot's residence was completed. Further work was halted in 1745 due to lack of funds and never resumed.Kalnein 1995, p. 56; Neumann 1996, p. 701. In 1738 Aubert built the lodgings at the Abbey of Fontevraud where Mesdames, the daughters 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 ...
, passed some years of their youth under the supervision of the abbesse de Montmorin. Jean Aubert married Geneviève Brunault; the couple was childless. In Paris they lived in rue des Tournelles, probably in one of the buildings there that belonged to the heirs of Mansart.


Principal works

*Stables of the
Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly () is a historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Paris. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château, built around 1560 for Anne de Montmore ...
, 1719-1735. * Palais-Bourbon,
rue de l'Université ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of the genus '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for ...
, Paris, 1724-1730. *
Hôtel de Lassay The Hôtel de Lassay () is a private mansion located on the Rue de l'Université, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the current residence of the President of the National Assembly, and adjoins the Palais Bourbon, the seat of the l ...
, rue de l'Université, Paris, 1726-1730. * Hôtel Biron, the Musée Rodin, 1728-1731. *Château at Chaalis Abbey, 1736.


Notes


References

* Gallet, Michel (1995). ''Les architectes parisiens du XVIIIe siècle'', (Paris, Éditions Mengès). * French Wikipedia: Jean Aubert * Kalnein, Wend von (1995). ''Architecture in France in the Eighteenth Century''. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. . * Kimball, Fiske (1943). ''The Creation of the Rococo''. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Dover 1980 reprint: . * Neuman, Robert (1996)
Aubert, Jean
vol. 2, p. 701, in ''
The Dictionary of Art ''Grove Art Online'' is the online edition of ''The Dictionary of Art'', often referred to as the ''Grove Dictionary of Art'', and part of Oxford Art Online, an internet gateway to online art reference publications of Oxford University Press, ...
'', 34 volumes, edited by Jane Turner. New York: Grove. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Aubert, Jean 18th-century French architects 1680s births 1741 deaths Members of the Académie royale d'architecture