People:
- Centre canadien d'architecture (compiler)
- Georges Rohault de Fleury (architect)
Title:
George Rohault de Fleury
Level of archival description:
Series 3
Scope and content:
The CCA's Rohault de Fleury collection includes two of Georges' historical and archeological studies of medieval Italian architecture: 'Les Monuments de Pise au Moyen', 1866 (DR1974:028:001:066) and 'La Toscane au Moyen Age Lettres sur L' Architecture Civile et Militaire en 1400' 2 vols.,1874 (DR1974:0002:039 and DR1974:0002:040).
'Monuments de Pise au Moyen Age' is an atlas consisting solely of 66 prints of Pisan architecture, sculpture, and painting. The section on architecture is the largest, and is divided into three sections for the Lombard, Roman, and Gothic periods. The accompanying text, and an identical atlas of prints, is located in the CCA library.
'La Toscane au Moyen Age Lettres...' is a history of Tuscan civil and military architecture to 1400. The text is in the form of a fictitious correspondence between Raimond du Temple, a famous architect of the Louvre under Charles V, and his son Charles who is traveling through Tuscany. The text is accompanied by photomechanical illustrations, mostly sketches of scenes from bas-reliefs and manuscripts, and a few of built structures. The CCA library has two sets of a related publication entitled 'La Toscane au Moyen
Age architecture civile et militaire' 2 vols. These earlier and larger publications are probably the source for some of the text and plates of 'La Toscane au Moyen Age Lettres...'.
The introductory remarks, to 'La Toscane au Moyen Age Lettres..' and to the text (CCA library) of the 'Monuments de Pise au Moyen Age' are particularly informative as they provide an insight into Georges Rohault de Fleury's interpretation of historical periods of artistic renewal, decline, and decadence, and their didactic relationship to contemporary architectural and religious concerns.
Reference number:
CI001.S3
Biographical notes:
GEORGES ROHAULT DE FLEURY
Paris, France, 23 November 1835 - 1905
Georges Rohault de Fleury, the son of Charles and grandson of Hubert, began his studies at the École Des Beaux-Arts in November 1855 where his father taught him. He graduated to first class in 1858, but the termination date of his studies remains unknown. Georges devoted most of his time and energies to the historical and archaeological study of medieval architecture, publishing numerous books, and exhibiting his drawings at the Parisian salons in 1863, 1864, 1867, and 1870).
He is a significant figure in the historiography of Tuscan medieval architecture, and his archaeological work and dating in this field is still referred to in modern texts on the subject. Georges also completed many of the multi-volume archaeological and iconographic studies of Christian art and architecture that his father had left unfinished at his death in 1875.
An album pertaining to the Sacre Coeur church in the CCA photography collection contains lithographs by Georges, which suggest that he was involved with some contemporary architectural projects. He was also a member of the Academy of Beaux-Arts in Florence and Pisa.
