Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine began his career in 1778 by assisting his father with hydraulic systems at the Château de L'Isle-Adam.
Early Development and Partnership
Born in Pontoise in 1762, Fontaine studied at the Beaux-Arts de Paris and trained under Antoine-François Peyre. His time in Rome, beginning in 1787, proved decisive as it marked his introduction to Charles Percier. This meeting initiated a lifelong professional and personal partnership. The pair collaborated so closely that their individual contributions became indistinguishable. Between 1794 and 1796, they served as stage decoration directors at the Paris Opera, eventually securing private commissions from wealthy financiers that brought them to the attention of Napoleon and Joséphine de Beauharnais.
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As the primary architects of Napoleon’s reign, Fontaine and Percier defined the Directoire and Empire styles. Their portfolio included extensive restoration work at residences like Malmaison, Saint-Cloud, and Compiègne. While they proposed major new structures such as the Palais du Roi de Rome, financial constraints and Napoleon’s fluctuating focus often kept these plans on paper. Their executed public works included the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the northern wing of the Louvre Palace, and the early sections of the rue de Rivoli.
Later Years and Legacy
Fontaine maintained a prolific career that extended long after the fall of Napoleon, encompassing the Restoration, the July Monarchy, and the reign of Napoleon III. His later projects included the Galerie d'Orléans at the Palais-Royal. In 1841, he was named Commander of the Legion of Honour. Following Percier’s death in 1838, Fontaine designed his partner's tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery. Fontaine died in Paris in 1853, aged 91, and was buried in that same tomb.
Fast facts
- Born: 1762, Pontoise
- Died: 1853, Paris
- Education: Beaux-Arts de Paris
- Notable Partner: Charles Percier
- Award: Commander of the Legion of Honour (1841)
- Burial site: Père Lachaise Cemetery
- Primary style: Neoclassicism
- Key works: Château de Randan, Église Notre-Dame-de-Compassion
Questions readers ask
What was the nature of the partnership between Fontaine and Percier?
They were colleagues and housemates who functioned as a single unit in their creative output; Fontaine managed the public relations and client interactions while Percier led conceptual design.
Which French regimes did Fontaine serve?
His career spanned from the Consulate and the Napoleonic Empire through the Restoration, the July Monarchy, and the era of Napoleon III.
Achievements
- Commander of the Legion of Honour — 1841
- Notable work: Château de Randan
- Notable work: Église Notre-Dame-de-Compassion
- Educated at Beaux-Arts de Paris
- Worked as architect, painter and artist
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