Percier and Fontaine Collection

French architects Charles Percier (1764–1838) and Pierre François Leonard Fontaine (1762–1853) are widely credited with the development of the neo-classical Empire style. Appointed architectes du gouvernement by Napoleon in 1801, their architecture and interior design work can be found in many of the monuments of Napoleonic Paris. Percier and Fontaine also authored numerous books on architecture and design throughout their partnership. The Art Institute of Chicago purchased Fontaine’s library in 1927, which included original architectural drawings and prints that are now held in the Ryerson and Burnham Archives. The early drawings are primarily by Fontaine’s nephew, Pierre François Louis Fontaine, and include examples of his architectural work at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and his studies of classical antiquities in Italy and Greece. The later drawings reflect both Fontaines’ work in reshaping Paris under Napoleon III and the younger Fontaine’s own architectural work throughout France. Only a few examples of Percier’s original drawings are included in the collection. The prints are primarily published plates of classical and renaissance architecture in Italy and annotated studies of the redevelopment of Paris under Napoleon III. The purchase also included more than two hundred books and published portfolios documenting Percier and Fontaine’s architectural work, their interest in antiquities and historical design styles, and the rebuilding of Paris under Napoleon III. The books are held in the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries.

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<a href=""https://www.artic.edu/node/1056"">Detailed Collection Description.

Collection access:
Collections may be accessed in the Franke Reading Room of the Research Center at The Art Institute of Chicago, by appointment only. For further information, consult <a href=""https://www.artic.edu/archival-collections/contact-usage-and-faq"">the FAQ.

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Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives:
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