| Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine | |
| Birth Date: | 20 September 1762 |
| Birth Place: | Pontoise, France |
| Death Place: | Paris, France |
| Burial Place: | Père Lachaise |
| Other Names: | Pierre Fontaine |
| Known For: | Creation of the Directoire style and the Empire style |
| Notable Works: | Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, Galerie d'Orléans, Chapelle expiatoire, western portion of the Rue de Rivoli |
| Honours: | Legion of honor, Prix de Rome |
| Education: | Instruction by Antoine-François Peyre |
| Occupation: | Architect, designer, interior decorator, artist |
Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine (in French pronounced as /pjɛʁ frɑ̃swa leɔnaːʁ fɔ̃tɛn/; 20 September 1762 – 10 October 1853) was a French neoclassical architect, interior decorator, designer and artist.
In addition to his important contributions to the architecture and interior design of his day, Pierre Fontaine was remarkable for his ability to not only prosper in his architectural career, but also to survive the numerous tumultuous regime changes – his architectural practice prospered for seven decades, from the Consulate to the reign of Napoleon III, almost without interruption.
Fontaine was born in Pontoise, Val-d'Oise in 1762. His father, Pierre Fontaine (1735-1807), was an architect and fountain designer.[1] In 1778 and 1779, the 16-year old participated, with his father, on building the hydraulic systems at the Château de L'Isle-Adam,[2] which belonged to Louis-François-Joseph de Bourbon, Count of La Marche and Prince of Conti.[3]
In 1779, he moved to Paris, where he followed the teachings of Antoine-François Peyre. He was elected to the Académie de Beaux-arts in 1782 and won the second Prix de Rome in 1785 (he lived in Rome for several years starting in 1787). It was during this period that he met Charles Percier, a fellow student in Peyre’s workshop (Percier also won the prix de Rome and joined Fontaine there a year later).[4] The encounter between the two men was the beginning of a lifetime partnership. Starting in 1794, Fontaine worked so closely with Percier that it is difficult to distinguish their work.[5] A 19th century observer noted the following about their intertwined careers: "It is surprising what a complete mastery these young men in a few years contrived to exercise over the tastes of their day."[6]
They would be jointly named directors of stage decoration at the Paris Opera from 1794 to 1796. In 1798, they published their successful collection of line drawings made during their stay in Rome, Palais, maisons et autres édifices dessinés à Rome.[7] Their initial successes in interior decoration came while serving wealthy, private clients: "The first clients of Percier and Fontaine were the financiers Ouvrard, Chauvelin and Gaudin, who had their recently acquired hotels in the Chaussée d'Antin district fitted out and decorated."[8]
These early, private projects attracted the interest of Joséphine de Beauharnais and of Napoleon. In 1799, the artist, Jacques-Louis David, introduced Fontaine to Joséphine de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s first wife. Fontaine is soon named architect of the Invalides in 1800 and architect of the government in 1801. This link to the Emperor Napoleon was to be the source of numerous architectural and decorating projects until Napoleon abdicated and was banished to the island of Elba in 1814.
As demand for their services grew, Fontaine and Percier became influential proponents of French neoclassicism, which they perfected and promoted through their numerous projects, their publications and through Percier’s teachings at the Ecole de Beaux Arts.[9] Relatedly, they are credited with being among the principal creators of the Directoire style and the Empire style. They deployed their Empire style in numerous interior decors and in restoration work on the royal residences of Malmaison, Saint-Cloud, Compiègne and Fontainebleau.
Fontaine and Percier applied this style in the design of furniture, tapestries and porcelain as well as in their architecture and interior design projects. The style proved to be influential in courts across Europe.[10] [11] In the area of architecture, much of their work during the Napoleonic period involved restoration of existing buildings. While they designed new buildings for Napoleon, especially the Palais du Roi de Rome (Palace of the King of Rome, to be built on what is now the site of the Trocadero in Paris), ultimately existed only on paper and were never built.One of their major collaborations was the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, which was modelled on the Arch of Constantine (312 AD) in Rome and which celebrates Napoleon's military victories. It is located at the eastern end of the line following the Champs-Élysées, starting at the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile and passing through the Tuileries garden. Fontaine also served as an advisor on the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.
Fontaine was also the architect of the Galerie d'Orléans, rebuilt in 1830 on the site of the former Galeries de Bois, as part of the Palais Royal in Paris.[12] Most of this Galerie was demolished in the 1930s and the only vestiges are a series of columns on the southern end of the garden.
Percier and Fontaine lived together as well as being colleagues and partners. In the partnership, Fontaine assumed the more public role and was the active manager of their projects, while Percier led a reclusive existence in his apartments in the Louvre, while still participating conceptually in their joint projects.
Fontaine married late in life and adopted the daughter of his wife. Following Charles Percier's death in 1838, Fontaine designed a tomb in their characteristic style in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
Fontaine died in Paris on 10 October 1853 at the age of 91 years. His body was interred in the tomb he designed for Percier, in accordance with his wishes. His successful career spanned seven turbulent decades marked by the French Revolution, the Directory, the Napoleonic Empire, the Restoration, the July Monarchy and the governments of Napoleon III.
A timeline of the main events and projects in Fontaine's life and career is as follows: