Jean Louis Charles Garnier was born in Paris on the 6th of
November 1825. He was educated in a primary school, and it was
intended that he should pursue his father's craft, that of a
wheelwright. His mother, however, having heard that with a little
previous study he might enter an architect's office and eventually
become a measuring surveyor (verificateur), and earn as much as six
francs a day, and foreseeing that in consequence of his delicate
health he would be unfit to work at the forge, sent him to learn
drawing and mathematics at the Petite ficole de Dessin, in the rue de
Medecine, the cradle of so many of the great artists of France. His
progress was such as to justify his being sent first into an architect's
office and then to the well-known atelier of Lebas, where he began
his studies in preparation for the examination of the Ecole des Beaux
Arts, which he passed in 1842, at the age of seventeen. Shortly after
his admission it became necessary that he should support himself,
and accordingly he worked during the day in various architects'
offices, among them in that of M. Viollet-le-Duc, and confined his
studies for the ficole to the evening. In 1848 he carried off, at the early
age of twenty-three, the Grand Prix de Rome, and with his comrades
in sculpture, engraving and music, set off for the Villa de Medicis. His
principal works were the measured drawings of the Forum of Trajan
and the temple of Vesta in Rome, and the temple of Serapis at
Pozzuoli. In the fifth year of his travelling studentship he went to
Athens and measured the temple at Aegina, subsequently working
out a complete restoration of it, with its polychromatic decoration,
which was published as a monograph in 1877. The elaborate set of
drawings which he was commissioned by the due de Luynes to
make of the tombs of the house of Anjou were not published, owing
to the death of his patron; and since Garnier's death they have been
given to the library of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, along with other
drawings he made in Italy. On his return to Paris in 1853 he was
appointed surveyor to one or two government buildings, with a very
moderate salary, so that the commission given him by M. Victor
Baltard to make two water-color drawings of the Hotel de Ville, to be
placed in the album presented to Queen Victoria in 1855, on the
occasion of her visit to Paris, proved very acceptable. These two
drawings are now in the library at Windsor.
In 1860 came, at last, Garnier's chance: a competition was
announced for a design for a new imperial academy of music, and
out of 170 competitors Gamier was one of five selected for a second
competition, in which, by unanimous vote, he carried of the first
prize, and the execution of the design was placed in his hands.
Of Garnier's other works, the most remarkable are the Casino at
Monte Carlo, the Bischoffsheim villa at Bordighera the Hotel du
Cercle de la Librairie in Paris; and, among tombs those of the
musicians Bizet, Offenbach, Masse and Duprato. In 1874 he was
elected a member of the Institute of France, and after passing
through the grades of chevalier, officer and commander of the Legion
of Honor, received in 1895 the rank o grand officer, a high distinction
that had never before been granted to an architect. Charles Garnier's
reputation was no confined to France; it was recognized by all the
countries of Europe, and in England he received, in 1886, the royal
gold medal f the Royal Institute of Architects, given by Queen
Victoria. Jesides his monograph on the temple of Aegina, he wrote
several works, of which Le Nouvel Opera de Paris is the most
valuable. For the International Exhibition of 1889 he designed he
buildings illustrating the " History of the House " and a work on this
subject was afterwards published by him in conjunction with M.
Ammann. Not the least of his claims to the gratitude of his country
were the services which he rendered on the various art juries
appointed by the state, the institute of France, and the ficole des
Beaux-Arts, services which in France are rendered in an honorary
capacity. Garnier died the 3rd of August 1898.
Frantz Jourdain, architect and colleague of Garnier said about him :
" Those who have not met Charles Garnier will never understand the
almost bewitching charm that emanated from him. He was simple,
friendly, astute, good, unforeseen, original, impulsive, and supremely
intelligent".
Please, don't copy this text and photos without my permission.
November 1825. He was educated in a primary school, and it was
intended that he should pursue his father's craft, that of a
wheelwright. His mother, however, having heard that with a little
previous study he might enter an architect's office and eventually
become a measuring surveyor (verificateur), and earn as much as six
francs a day, and foreseeing that in consequence of his delicate
health he would be unfit to work at the forge, sent him to learn
drawing and mathematics at the Petite ficole de Dessin, in the rue de
Medecine, the cradle of so many of the great artists of France. His
progress was such as to justify his being sent first into an architect's
office and then to the well-known atelier of Lebas, where he began
his studies in preparation for the examination of the Ecole des Beaux
Arts, which he passed in 1842, at the age of seventeen. Shortly after
his admission it became necessary that he should support himself,
and accordingly he worked during the day in various architects'
offices, among them in that of M. Viollet-le-Duc, and confined his
studies for the ficole to the evening. In 1848 he carried off, at the early
age of twenty-three, the Grand Prix de Rome, and with his comrades
in sculpture, engraving and music, set off for the Villa de Medicis. His
principal works were the measured drawings of the Forum of Trajan
and the temple of Vesta in Rome, and the temple of Serapis at
Pozzuoli. In the fifth year of his travelling studentship he went to
Athens and measured the temple at Aegina, subsequently working
out a complete restoration of it, with its polychromatic decoration,
which was published as a monograph in 1877. The elaborate set of
drawings which he was commissioned by the due de Luynes to
make of the tombs of the house of Anjou were not published, owing
to the death of his patron; and since Garnier's death they have been
given to the library of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, along with other
drawings he made in Italy. On his return to Paris in 1853 he was
appointed surveyor to one or two government buildings, with a very
moderate salary, so that the commission given him by M. Victor
Baltard to make two water-color drawings of the Hotel de Ville, to be
placed in the album presented to Queen Victoria in 1855, on the
occasion of her visit to Paris, proved very acceptable. These two
drawings are now in the library at Windsor.
In 1860 came, at last, Garnier's chance: a competition was
announced for a design for a new imperial academy of music, and
out of 170 competitors Gamier was one of five selected for a second
competition, in which, by unanimous vote, he carried of the first
prize, and the execution of the design was placed in his hands.
Of Garnier's other works, the most remarkable are the Casino at
Monte Carlo, the Bischoffsheim villa at Bordighera the Hotel du
Cercle de la Librairie in Paris; and, among tombs those of the
musicians Bizet, Offenbach, Masse and Duprato. In 1874 he was
elected a member of the Institute of France, and after passing
through the grades of chevalier, officer and commander of the Legion
of Honor, received in 1895 the rank o grand officer, a high distinction
that had never before been granted to an architect. Charles Garnier's
reputation was no confined to France; it was recognized by all the
countries of Europe, and in England he received, in 1886, the royal
gold medal f the Royal Institute of Architects, given by Queen
Victoria. Jesides his monograph on the temple of Aegina, he wrote
several works, of which Le Nouvel Opera de Paris is the most
valuable. For the International Exhibition of 1889 he designed he
buildings illustrating the " History of the House " and a work on this
subject was afterwards published by him in conjunction with M.
Ammann. Not the least of his claims to the gratitude of his country
were the services which he rendered on the various art juries
appointed by the state, the institute of France, and the ficole des
Beaux-Arts, services which in France are rendered in an honorary
capacity. Garnier died the 3rd of August 1898.
Frantz Jourdain, architect and colleague of Garnier said about him :
" Those who have not met Charles Garnier will never understand the
almost bewitching charm that emanated from him. He was simple,
friendly, astute, good, unforeseen, original, impulsive, and supremely
intelligent".
Please, don't copy this text and photos without my permission.
