Laurent-Benoît Dewez (14 April 1731 – 1 November 1812) was a
Belgian architect of
Walloon origin. He is considered the most influential architect in the
Austrian Netherlands (present-day Belgium) from the second half of the 18th century. His architectural projects are of international stature and introduced a neoclassical style, with Italian and English influences, to the region. He designed a large number of
châteaux,
abbeys and
churches in Belgium, many of which were damaged after the
French Revolution.
Early life
Dewez was born in Petit-Rechain near
Verviers on 14 April 1731. The abbot of the Abbey of
Saint Hubert sent him on a study trip to Italy. There he worked with
Luigi Vanvitelli and came into contact with
Robert Adam,
Giovanni Battista Piranesi,
Johann Joachim Winckelmann and
Charles-Louis Clérisseau. After a subsequent study trip to
Split in the company of
Robert Adam he worked briefly as an associate of the
Adam brothers in London in 1758. In 1759 he came back to the
Austrian Netherlands to start the rebuilding of
Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval
Orval Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval) is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 in the Gaume region of Belgium and is located in Villers-devant-Orval, part of Florenville, Wallonia in the province of Luxembourg. The abbey is well known for its ...
, a work which was never completed.
Professional life
In 1760 he settled in
Brussels. He mainly worked for abbeys and nobility in the
Austrian Netherlands. In 1767 he was appointed court architect to the Governor of the
Austrian Netherlands,
Charles-Alexandre de Lorraine for whom he built the
Castle of Mariemont which was demolished in the aftermath of the
French Revolution. A masterpiece still preserved today is the
Château de Seneffe
The Château of Seneffe or Château de Seneffe is an 18th-century château located in the municipality of Seneffe in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The château is property of the French Community of Belgium and serves as the "Centre ...
built between 1763 and 1768. His last great project was the new State Prison in
Vilvoorde. Dewez's adversaries, envious of his success as court architect, accused him of failures and fraud in the execution of this project. Due to these accusations, he fell into disfavour and was dismissed as court architect. On the invasion of the Austrian Netherlands by French revolutionary troops in 1793, Dewez fled to
Prague. In the Czech capital, he designed and built some private mansions for the local bourgeoisie. In 1804 he returned to Belgium. He died relatively impoverished in
Groot-Bijgaarden on 1 November 1812. His tombstone with a brief Latin description of his life and work, can still be seen in the exterior wall of the church of Groot-Bijgaarden.
Buildings designed
*
Abbey of Affligem (demolished)
*
Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval
Orval Abbey (Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Orval) is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 in the Gaume region of Belgium and is located in Villers-devant-Orval, part of Florenville, Wallonia in the province of Luxembourg. The abbey is well known for its ...
(demolished)
*Abbey of
Dielegem in
Jette near
Brussels (partly demolished)
*
Abbey of Forest
*
Vlierbeek Abbey
Vlierbeek Abbey ( nl, Abdij van Vlierbeek) is a former Benedictine abbey to the north-east of Leuven in Belgium, in the sub-district Kessel-Lo.
History
On the abbey site in 1127 a priory was founded by Affligem Abbey, to whom Godfrey I of Lou ...
*Abbey of
Opheylissem today
Hélécine
*
Abbey of Gembloux
*Abbot's palace of the Abbey of
Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
, today
Hôtel de Ville.
*
Abbey church of Bonne-Espérance
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conc ...
.
*Church of
Harelbeke
Harelbeke (; vls, Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total popul ...
*Church of
Andenne
Andenne (; wa, Andene) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Andenne had a total population of 25,240. The total area is 86.17 km² which gives a population density of 292 i ...
*Château de
Wasseiges (demolished)
*
Château de Seneffe
The Château of Seneffe or Château de Seneffe is an 18th-century château located in the municipality of Seneffe in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The château is property of the French Community of Belgium and serves as the "Centre ...
*Château de
Mariemont (demolished)
*State Prison of
Vilvoorde
References
* Kevin Brown, ''Artist and Patrons: Court Art and Revolution in Brussels at the end of the Ancien Regime''
Dutch Crossing, Taylor and Francis(2017).
*Léon Dewez, 'Laurent-Benoit Dewez: premier architecte de la Cour de Bruxelles sous Charles de Lorraine', 1731–1812, in: ''Annales de la Société royale d'archéologie de Bruxelles''. - 35(1930); pp. 65–94.
*Cathérine de Braekeleer, ''Laurent-Benoît Dewez 1731–1812'', Seneffe, 1992.
*H. Gerson and E. H. ter Kuile, ''Art and Architecture in Belgium, 1600–1800'', Harmondsworth, England, 1960.
Image:0 Château Royal de Laeken.JPG, Royal Castle of Laeken
() or () is a residential suburb in the north-western part of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. It belongs to the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, municipality of the City of Brussels and is mostly identified by the ...
Image:SeneffeHinten.jpg, Château de Seneffe
The Château of Seneffe or Château de Seneffe is an 18th-century château located in the municipality of Seneffe in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The château is property of the French Community of Belgium and serves as the "Centre ...
garden side
Image:0 Seneffe 050813 (38).JPG, Château de Seneffe
The Château of Seneffe or Château de Seneffe is an 18th-century château located in the municipality of Seneffe in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. The château is property of the French Community of Belgium and serves as the "Centre ...
, Orangerie
Image:Bonne-Esperance Basilique.jpg, Abbey Church of Bonne-Espérance (with medieval tower)
Image:Vellereilles-les-Brayeux Bonne-Espérance 060110 (27).JPG, Abbey Church of Bonne-Espérance
Image:070215 Tournai (46).JPG, Town hall (former Abbey) of Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
Image:01 Tournai AB1aJPG.jpg, Town hall (former Abbey) of Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
Image:Forest 060106 (14).JPG, Abbey of Forest, Entrance gate
Image:VorstAbdij1.JPG, Abbess residence of the Abbey of Forest
Image:Harelbeke Sint-Salvatorkerk -4.JPG, Saint-Salvator Church in Harelbeke
Harelbeke (; vls, Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total popul ...
Image:Harelbeke Sint-Salvatorkerk -12.JPG, Saint-Salvator Church in Harelbeke
Harelbeke (; vls, Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total popul ...
Image:Harelbeke Sint-Salvatorkerk -13.JPG, Saint-Salvator Church in Harelbeke
Harelbeke (; vls, Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total popul ...
Image:Harelbeke Sint-Salvatorkerk -18.JPG, Saint-Salvator Church in Harelbeke
Harelbeke (; vls, Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total popul ...
(nave)
Image:Harelbeke Sint-Salvatorkerk -21.JPG, Saint-Salvator Church in Harelbeke
Harelbeke (; vls, Oarlbeke) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2019, Harelbeke had a total popul ...
(side aisle)
Image:Andenne 050802 (24).JPG, Andenne
Andenne (; wa, Andene) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Andenne had a total population of 25,240. The total area is 86.17 km² which gives a population density of 292 i ...
, Interior of the Church
Image:Andenne 050802 (26).JPG, Andenne
Andenne (; wa, Andene) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Andenne had a total population of 25,240. The total area is 86.17 km² which gives a population density of 292 i ...
, Interior of the Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dewez, Laurent-Benoit
1731 births
1812 deaths
Architects of the Austrian Netherlands
People from Verviers