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Baltard, Victor A son of Louis Pierre Baltard. He was educated at the Lycée Henri IV, and studied architecture and painting with his father and at the École des Beaux Arts, Paris. In 1833 he won the Grand Prix de Rome. In 1850 he was associated with Lassus and Viollet-le-Duc in the preservation of diocesan buildings. Between 1852 and 1859, with F. E. Callet, he designed and built the great market (Halles Centrales) of the city of Paris. In 1853 he was made architect of the Hôtel de Ville, Paris. With Max Vauthier he designed and built the famous stairway of the Cour d'Honneur of this building, afterward destroyed (1871). March 30, 1860, Baltard was made architect in chief of the city of Paris. Between 1860 and 1871 he built the Church of S. Augustine. In 1847 he published his monograph on the Villa Médicis à Rome, and in 1863, with F. E. Callet, the Monographie des halles centrales de París (2d ed., folio, 1873).
Lenoir, Marie Alexandre Lenoir was a pupil of the historical painter, Doyen. He was placed in charge of the magazine established by the revolutionary government for the storage and sale of confiscated property. This depository, the old monastery des Petits Augustins, where is now the École des Beaux Arts, he made the nucleus of a museum, which was opened to the public Aug. 10, 1793. March 30, 1796, his collection received the official title Musée des Antiquités et Monuments français. During the Terreur Lenoir was obliged to act with great vigilance and courage. Bonaparte and Josephine took great interest in the Musée des Monuments français. Eight thousand francs annually were assigned to it under the Empire. Lenoir's main purpose was the preservation of monuments which were especially associated with the history of French art and of the French people. He saved in this way much of the best work of the Mediaeval and Renaissance periods. He preserved also numerous chronicles and documents, public and private. The modern archaeological movement in France derived its principal impulse from his efforts. By decree of the government of Louis XVIII, dated Dec. 18, 1816, it was ordered that the works collected by Lenoir should be returned to their original owners. The tombs of the kings of France were carried back to the church of S. Denis, and various monuments to the churches of Paris. This dispersion was accomplished with haste and disorder, much property was destroyed, and many monuments abandoned in the cloisters and garden of the deserted monastery. Among these were the great portal of the château of Auet and some superb architectural decoration from the chateau of Gaillon, near Rouen, which were rearranged by Duban in the court of the École des Beaux Arts when that building took the place of the old Petits Augustins. Between 1792 and 1816 Lenoir published not less than twelve editions of the catalogue of his museum, and in 1800 his Musée des Monuments français (Paris, 5 vols. 8vo). Folio books with plates were also devoted to this museum. |
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