Mathurin Cherpitel (14 December 1736,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

– 13 November 1809, Paris) was a

French architect The following is a chronological list of French architects. Some of their major architectural works are listed after each name. Middle Ages Étienne de Bonneuil (late 13th century) * Uppsala Cathedral, Sweden Jean de Chelles (13th century ...

, whose notable buildings include the

Hôtel du Châtelet The hôtel du Châtelet is a ''hôtel particulier'', a kind of large townhouse of France, at 127, rue de Grenelle, in the 7th arrondissement, Paris. The building is now the home of the Ministry of Labour and the minister’s official residence. ...

Biography

Mathurin Cherpitel was the son of a master carpenter who helped to build the Rue de Bourgogne in Paris. Cherpitel followed the teachings of Jacques Francois Blondel, and spent three years working as a

draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans f ...

for

Ange-Jacques Gabriel Ange-Jacques Gabriel (23 October 1698 – 4 January 1782) was the principal architect of King Louis XV of France. His major works included the Place de la Concorde, the École Militaire, and the Petit Trianon and opera theater at the Palace of V ...

, before winning the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

in 1758. When he returned to Paris, he had difficulty finding work, but his father, who was employed in several projects in the

Faubourg Saint-Germain ''Faubourg Saint-Germain'' () is a historic district of Paris, France. The ''Faubourg'' has long been known as the favourite home of the French high nobility and hosts many aristocratic '' hôtels particuliers''. It is currently part of the 7th a ...

, managed to find him employment. Around 1765, he was employed by

François Dominique Barreau de Chefdeville François Dominique Barreau de Chefdeville (1725 – 29 June 1765) was a French architect. Life From a good middle-class Paris family, Bareau de Chefdeville studied architecture under Germain Boffrand and one first prize in the 1749 Prix de Rome f ...

, working on the

Palais Bourbon The Palais Bourbon () is the meeting place of the National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French Parliament. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, on the '' Rive Gauche'' of the Seine, across from the Place de la Co ...

. During this time, he also drafted plans for a reconstruction of the Hotel Locmaria on the

Rue de l'Université ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...

for the

Duke of Harcourt {{Unreferenced, date=June 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) When the Viking chieftain Rollo obtained via the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte the territories which would later make up Normandy, he distributed them as estates among his main supporters. Amo ...

. In 1766, he participated in the competition for the reconstruction of the Hotel d'Uzes, on the Rue Montmartre, which was won by

Claude Nicolas Ledoux Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (21 March 1736 – 18 November 1806) was one of the earliest exponents of French Neoclassical architecture. He used his knowledge of architectural theory to design not only domestic architecture but also town planning; as ...

. In 1768, he received his first commission: the Lieutenant General of Police, Antoine de Sartine, instructed him to build a nurses' bureau, on the Rue de Gramont. By 1770, he had become a famous architect. He built the Hotel du Chatelet on the

Rue de Grenelle ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...

, and his most notable hôtels, the Hotel de Damas d'Antigny and the Hotel de Rochechouart. His most important public building was the , built in 1775, but destroyed in 1798 and later replaced with a new design. He was received as a member of the

Académie Royale d'Architecture The Académie Royale d'Architecture (; en, "Royal Academy of Architecture") was a French learned society founded in 1671. It had a leading role in influencing architectural theory and education, not only in France, but throughout Europe and t ...

in 1776.Le Bas 1849
p. 84
Cleary 1996.

Notes

Bibliography

* Cleary, Richard (1996). "Cherpitel, Mathurin", vol. 6, p. 554, in ''

The Dictionary of Art ''Grove Art Online'' is the online edition of ''The Dictionary of Art'', often referred to as the ''Grove Dictionary of Art'', and part of Oxford Art Online, an internet gateway to online art reference publications of Oxford University Press, ...

'', 34 volumes, edited by Jane Turner. New York: Grove. . Also available a
Oxford Art Online
(subscription required). * * Le Bas, Philippe, editor (1840). ''France. Dictionnaire encyclopédique'', volume 1 (A–Az). Paris: Didot Frères. See the articl
"Académie d'architecture", pp. 82–85
(at Google Books). * Magny, Françoise (1976). "Mathurin Cherpitel (1736-1809)", ''Bulletin de la société de l'histoire de Paris et de l'Île-de-France'', vol. 103–104 (1976–1977), pp. 95–113
Copy
at Gallica.

External links

Plans, élevations de l'eglise paroissiale du Gros-Caillou
at Gallica 1736 births 1809 deaths 18th-century French architects Architects from Paris Prix de Rome for architecture Members of the Académie royale d'architecture {{France-architect-stub