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Elevation of the facade of the Saint-Philippe-du-Roule church, by Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin and his workshop, circa 1774.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the hamlet of theRoule, attached to la Ville l'Evêque then to Paris in 1722 was in urgent need of a new parish church. A first project asked to the architect Louis-Marie Colignon having proved insufficient, it is to Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin (1739-1811) that in 1767, a new project was asked via the count of Saint-Florentin, Secretary of State at the King's House, for whom the architect was building the hotel of Saint-Florentin.
"The plans were approved by the Royal Academy of Architecture on October 12, 1768, but the purchase of the land was slow and it was not until 1773 that the demolition and foundation works were started. The first stone was to be laid by the Count of Provence, and there was a project of a medal to commemorate the event, but the death of Louis XV on May 10, 1774 hindered the ceremony. "(Wikipedia)
" This new church, built on the drawings and under the direction of M. Challegrin, architect of the king, is of a wise and noble plan, its portal, composed of four Doric columns, is crowned with a triangular pediment, in the tympanum of which Duret, sculptor, represented the Religion. "
Our drawing is similar to a pair of drawings sold at Millon in 2008 during the sale " collection of a great amateur " and ascribed to Chalgrin. Stylistically our drawing is close to the original projects of Chalgrin preserved in the collection of the Beaux Arts of Paris, although the tympanum of the pediment is of a different disposition, less happy, corrected by the sculptor Duret.
If the church has undergone significant changes during the 19th century, especially in its choir and sanctuary, its facade has remained identical to the original project, with the exception of a long low-relief by Gois, the miracles of St. Philip, which was never executed in stone due to lack of funds.
The dedication to King Louis XV on our drawing allows a priori to date it before the death of the "Beloved".
Ink, wash on laid paper.
There is a large triangular wetting above the elevation, some rips at the edges.
