Jean-Baptiste Chaussard

Jean-Baptiste Chaussard is born on September 4th 1729 with Tonnerre (Yonne), it dies in Paris on June 26th 1818

Architect of the king, associated Pierre Telling of Ivry and Jean-Michel Chevotet, it is also the kind of this last, the nephew of the painter of the king Jean Valade, and the father of the revolutionist Pierre-Jean-Baptist Chaussard.

Its family

His/her father François Nicolas Chaussard makes occupation of royal sworn land-surveyor. The fact is not negligible: it is undoubtedly in the paternal agency, in contact with the compasses, of the rules and the statements, that the Jean-Baptiste young person becomes aware of his vocation: he will be architect. One is unaware of all, unfortunately, of his initial training and his humanities. 1752 should be waited until to find its trace in Paris, in the agency of Pierre Telling of Ivry, but he is also raises with the royal Académie of architecture. No one is not unaware of the importance of this official and learned institution, which regulates and carries out the taste in France since nearly one century, and of the prices which it decrees at the time of its annual contests: it is there that are made the careers.

Biography

An architect a little forgotten in 1818

The paragraph of the Newspaper of Paris announcing the death of Jean-Baptiste Chaussard, on June 16th 1818, will specify: one of oldest and the hardest architects of Paris… . This comment is as sibylline as its epitaph with the Cimetière of Montmartre: Man of ancient manners, a distinguished talent and a firm nature. It is necessary any to believe that similar speeches hardly held the attention of the readers, and that the disappearance of Chaussard passes unperceived, in a nearly general indifference. This man of its time, however knew a certain notoriety: the beginnings of its career, in the years 1760, fit in the wake of large the Pierre Telling of Ivry (1698-1777) and Jean-Michel Chevotet (1698-1772), of which he becomes the son-in-law. Its activity is closed - in the actual position of our knowledge - near Pierre-Louis Black-Desproux, of François-Joseph Bélanger and the Madness Saint-James, with Neuilly-sur-Seine. Today its achievements are again studied.

Its beginnings

Chaussard is candidate for several of the contests of the royal Académie of architecture: May 20th 1754 and a year later, on May 12th 1755. The first price escapes to him, but he sees himself gratifié, for each one of his attempts, of a medal decreed by the marquis de Marigny, director of the Academy.

Nearly fifteen years later, this famous and severe Maison continues to exert a real attraction on many architects of talent: in 1767, then in 1770, Chaussard aspires to a vacant post of professor there. It writes on this occasion curriculum vitae which are, with the series z1j Public records, one of the essential sources for the knowledge of its work, and has the merit to involve us on his route.

Jean-Baptiste Chaussard assists Pierre Telling of Ivry with the Palais Royal in 1752, and with the church of the Abbaye of Penthemont, the following year, and with the Farm of the Tobaccos, in 1759: three major buildings in the work of its Master, and which undoubtedly counted much in its formation. But which was its participation? Probably, as it is then the use, it did act as project superintendent, taking care of the good execution of the plans that it perhaps drew itself under the control of their author? Not easily better school is imagined.

Chaussard seems to be released then from the supervision from Telling, but without the bonds being broken between them, to know dice the beginning of the year 1760 an intense personal activity, as well in Paris and in Ile-de-France as in sometimes the most moved back provinces of the kingdom, and while working at the sides of the architect Jean-Michel Chevotet, his/her father-in-law. At that time it is obligatorily necessary to have relations and rich person silent partners to be an architect. He works for certain characters very in sight in the mediums of finance, the magistrature and even of the Church: the Boullongne, Parseval and Caze, which are with the number of the best controllers or farmers general, Ogier, the Lévis-Léran.

Its marriage (1765)

It is near these customers richissime and assiduous that Chaussard begins its own career. In the years 1760, it is a young architect filled with talent , but its family fasteners should not have remained foreign with this success. Its marriage on February 18th, 1765 with Anne-Michelle, the girl of Chevotet: , makes the nephew of a considered pastellist of it, Jean Valade (1710-1787) with which one owes his portrait. It is associated with his father-in-law, Jean-Michel Chevotet, and Pierre Telling of Ivry.

Jean-Baptiste Chaussard works on various projects, in particular the Saint-Wasnon church with Condé-sur-Escaut (1751), with Emmanuel de Croÿ-Solre, which will speak about him in its Mémoires . Strictly contemporary, but unknown little time ago still, the intervention of Pierre Telling of Ivry with the Hermitage is more difficult to encircle: it relates to especially the establishment of the first two houses of commun runs and the diagram of the forecourt.

And if the architect promises to study the plan of a square house , for the future castle, it is for better discharging some, with its return of Paris, on Chaussard. One can imagine besides that Telling, solicited by other building sites, wanted to mean with its pupil the regard in which it holds it, thus leaving him the occasion make his first weapons. In any event, Chaussard becomes, consequently, the friend and the faithful adviser of the Croÿ.

Is this with its request that Jean-Michel Chevotet is consulted in its turn for the same castle of the Hermitage, in 1754, or is this fruit of the chance, in fact the close links which link Emmanuel de Croÿ-Solre and Claude Lamoral II of Line? Always it is that to this Chevotet date, which orders the gardens of Belœil, with fifteen kilometers from there, also a general project for the country house of Condé gives.

The participation of the three architects in the castle of the Hermitage is thus quite real, though to differing degree. It is it as much with Arnouville-lès-Gonesse, where the intendant of Hainaut become Minister for Finance, celebrates it Jean-Baptiste de Machault d' Arnouville, makes him build an important castle of the Dumb woman and the Saint-Denis church of Arnouville-lès-Gonesse. Telling and Chevotet work there in concert between 1750 and 1760, and in 1782 it is in Chaussard that one owes the parish church, at the entry of the prospect.

After the death of his/her father-in-law (1772)

With died of Jean-Michel Chevotet in 1772, it takes again its building site of Mareuil-on-Ay, close to Epernay, where it finishes shortly after the castle of Domangeville. It thus comes out from all this a narrow collusion of the main actors, which makes it possible to suppose that there exists between them, beyond the regard and of the friendship, if not an identity of sight at least a relationship of spirit without which any common realization had been impossible.

Jean-Baptiste Chaussard and the Freemasonry

Are their bonds of friendship stronger because of their membership of freemasonry? Not, Chaussard is not yet at that time freemason. It is only after the death of Chevotet in 1772, then that of Telling in 1777, that Chaussard, whose career however sat well, is found affiliated, as of 1773, with the powerful maconnic cabin of the Pole star , where meet inter alia Dumont and Nicolas Camus de Mézières. Three years later, one finds them among the simple Hearts of polar Star , surrounded this time of Jean-François Chalgrin, Augustin Pajou, Charles De Wailly and Henry de Mars.

Nothing indicates, of course, that this affiliation did not answer a major aspiration, and with the desire to divide it within a company of thought. Which influence that it will have on its work and the political course of his/her son and his political ideas. Which are its ideas? It seems to have approved the revolutionary ideas of his son. In all the cases that will avoid the guillotine to him. But its papers disappear during the Revolution, as he explains it to the duchess dowager of Croÿ, in one of his rare not destroyed mails.

Its readings and its ideas

The inventory of its goods hardly makes it possible to half-open the door of its reserve. At most the titles of its library make it possible to better determine its tastes, very diversified, as regards architecture: Oppenort, Dumont, Jacques François Blondel are neighborly with Vitruve, Andrea Palladio and Neufforge, Pierre Patte and Daviler, but also Bullet de Chamblain, Desgodetz, Jean-François Félibien, Jean-Baptiste Courtonne, and still Chambers. Raise ones, Chaussard does not remain deaf with the calls of the others. It seems an eclectic finally, with the very flexible talent (right before the Revolution, it collaborates with Pierre-Louis Black-Desproux) Autant of assets which enable him to yield with the requirements of a rich person customers aristocratic, faithful to the tradition of the great taste , and to the service of which it puts his very thorough knowledge of French architecture. This does not prevent it, on the occasion, scrupulously to fill any order with a new type, claiming if not an adaptation, at least a real comprehension of the contemporary tendencies.

It is regrettable that Publicola, his/her oldest son, will not believe necessary to deliver a portrait of Chaussard to us. The thing should have been easy to him, brought closer that they were by a common taste of architecture.

Jean-Baptiste Chaussard knows which party one can draw some and to conceive it imposing. Such sign, its famous Monuments of French heroism , revolutionary vast project which proposes to make a kind of sacred way since the national Muséum of natural history to the bridge of Neuilly.

End of its life

In the years 1780, they are the essential achievements of the ripe age. It acquires a pretty fortune, but without ostentation.

It seems more not to have worked since 1789. At that time all its customers died guillotines or assassinated.

In 1802, it acquires a house in Paris, street Taillepied. He died in Paris on June 26th, 1818 and passes to the East eternal.

Its descent

Pierre-Jean-Baptist Chaussard
Louise Francoise Michelle Chaussard , whose several descendants will be architects or married to architects.
Jean François Chaussard-Maisonneuve

Notes and references of the article

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