The layout for the Père Lachaise Cemetery was commissioned in 1804 by the Emperor, marking a definitive shift in funerary landscape design. This project remains one of the most enduring legacies of Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart, a French architect whose career spanned the volatile decades of the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Paris.
Professional Development and Academic Recognition
Brongniart was educated at the Collège de Beauvais, the Académie Royale d'Architecture, and the Lycée Condorcet. His technical proficiency led to his formal admission as a member of the Académie Royale d'Architecture in 1781. By 1782, he attained the position of architect and controller-general of the École Militaire. His practice focused heavily on the design of hôtels particuliers, which included the Hôtel de Bourbon-Condé, the Hotel de Monaco, and the refurbishment of the Hôtel de Besenval.
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In 1807, the Emperor commissioned the construction of the Paris Bourse. Brongniart developed the initial designs for this structure, which utilized a classical Greek architectural style. Although he completed the planning phase, he did not live to see the project finished. Construction concluded in 1825, twelve years after his death. The structure was officially named Palais Brongniart to honor his original contributions and remains in active use.
Personal Connections and Final Years
His social circle included notable figures such as the portrait painter Marie Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun and the sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon. Vigée-Lebrun sought refuge in his home during the Reign of Terror. Houdon created busts of Brongniart’s children, Alexandrine-Emilie and Alexandre Jr., which are currently held in the Louvre Museum. Brongniart died in Paris in 1813 and was interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, the site he had personally designed.
Fast facts
- Born: 1739, Paris
- Died: 1813, Paris
- Citizenship: France
- Occupation: Architect
- Movement: Neoclassicism
- Buried: Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Key Works: Père Lachaise Cemetery, Palais Brongniart
- Education: Collège de Beauvais, Académie Royale d'Architecture, Lycée Condorcet
Questions readers ask
What is the Palais Brongniart?
It is the Parisian stock exchange building designed by Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart in the classical Greek style.
Where is Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart buried?
He is buried in Paris at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, a site for which he created the original layout.
Achievements
- Notable work: Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Notable work: Palais Brongniart
- Movement: Neoclassicism
- Trained at Collège de Beauvais and Académie Royale d'Architecture