Pierre Lescot
Architect from 1515-1578
Biography
Pierre Lescot was born in 1515 in Paris, France and spent most of his life there. He was born to a wealthy family, so he was able to get an education in liberal arts. He studied mathematics and learned about architecture around age twenty. He also studied painting at Fontainebleau, which he had a natural talent for. He can be classified as a practitioner of architecture, a theorist, and a decorator. Pierre Lescot worked under Kings François I, Henri II, François II, Charles IX and Henri III. He brought a new idea of classical architecture to France after spending a lot of his time studying ancient Roman writings and ruins to inspire him and his works. He contributed to the architectural design of many buildings, including the Hôtel de Ligneris, and the Fountain of the Innocents. Some of his patrons included poet Pierre de Ronsard, Philbert de I'Orne, Jean Goujon, and Jean Bullant.
Hôtel de Ligneris
The Hôtel de Ligneris, now called the Musée Carnavalet, was built from 1545 to 1550. This old hotel is now a public museum located in Paris, France. Pierre's classical architecture shows in the building's columns, arches, symmetry, elegance, and Roman-like features. These features classify the Hôtel de Ligneris as classicism. He also abolished the use of Gothic manner for classicism. This building seems fancy and appealing to the eye due to its mixture of ancient Roman architecture and more modern French architecture. It is very detailed and has some intricate designs which make the building look more formal. The outside hedges accent the building to make it appear even more detailed and to show the effort that goes into maintaining order. This piece is interesting because a lot of planning went into its design and many people collaborated to find the perfect layout of the building, and Pierre Lescot's design proved to be the most accurate according to their goal.
Works Cited
"Pierre Lescot." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography in Context. Web. 3 Dec. 2015.
"Pierre Lescot." International Dictionary of Architects and Architecture. Gale, 1993. Biography in Context. Web. 4 Dec. 2015.
"The Hôtel Carnavalet." Musée Carnavalet. Historie De Paris, n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2015.