Louis Métezeau Explained

Louis Métezeau (1559 – 18 August 1615) was a French architect.^[1]

Life and career

Métezeau was born in Dreux, Eure-et-Loir, and died in Paris. He was the son of Thibault Métezeau, the brother of Clément II Métezeau^[2] and the nephew of Jean Métezeau.^[1] The register of the city of Dreux refers to him as architecte du roi et contrôleur des bâtiments royaux.^[3]

Métezeau probably undertook the construction of the Grande Galerie of the Louvre^[4] (the eastern section is traditionally attributed to him)^[5] and may have designed the Petite Galerie.^[3] He may also have conceived the Place des Vosges in Paris.^[2] An archival discovery of 1984 led some historians to name Louis Métezeau as the architect of the Hôtel d'Angoulême.^[6] It is now suggested that Louis' father, Thibault Métezeau, more likely designed it.^{[7] [8]}

Métezeau was probably involved in the building of the Palais du Luxembourg for Marie de Medicis: she is believed to have sent him to Florence in 1611 to make drawings of the Palazzo Pitti, which was to be used as a model by the regent's order.^[9]

At his death, Métezeau was identified as Premier Architecte du Roi of Henry IV of France.^{[10] [11]}

Bibliography

• Ayers, Andrew (2004). The Architecture of Paris. Stuttgart; London: Edition Axel Menges. .
• Babelon, Jean-Pierre (1996). "Métezeau: (1) Louis Métezeau", vol. 21, p.p 345–346, in The Dictionary of Art, edited by Jane Turner, reprinted with minor corrections in 1998. . Also at Oxford Art Online.
• Ballon, Hilary (1991). The Paris of Henri IV: Architecture and Urbanism. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. .
• Gady, Alexandre (2008). Les hôtels particuliers de Paris, du Moyen-Âge à la Belle époque, Paris, Parigramme. 2012 edition: .
• Sturgis, Russell (1901). "Métezeau, Louis", vol. 2 (F–N), col. 868 in A Dictionary of Architecture and Building. New York: Macmillan.
• Thomson, David (1984). Renaissance Paris: Architecture and Growth, 1475-1600, Berkeley, University of California Press. .

External links

• "Louis Métezeau" at Structurae

Notes and References

1. Babelon 1996, p. 345.
2. News: La place Ducale, coeur battant de Charleville . 20 July 2006. Les Échos. 25 March 2010.
3. Sturgis 1901.
4. Web site: Reprise des travaux . The Louvre. 25 March 2010.
5. Ballon 1991, pp. 39–40.
6. Thomson 1984, p. 152; Ballon 1991, p. 43.
7. Gady 2008, p. 180.
8. Ayers says the architect of the Hôtel d'Angoulême is unknown (Ayers 2004, p. 99).
9. https://books.google.com/books?id=BKZ5FVpmYC8C&pg=PA706 The Architecture of the Renaissance by Leonardo Benevolo, p.706
10. Babelon 1996, p. 346.
11. Web site: Chapelle Saint-Louis, Prytanée militaire, La Flèche, France. Université du Québec. 25 March 2010.