François-Joseph Bélanger (French pronunciation:[fʁɑ̃swaʒozɛfbelɑ̃ʒe]; 12 April 1744 – 1 May 1818) was a French architect and decorator working in theNeoclassic style.
Born inParis, Bélanger attended theAcadémie Royale d'Architecture (1764–1766) where he studied underJulien-David Le Roy andPierre Contant d'Ivry. He did not win the covetedPrix de Rome that would have sent him to study at Rome; however, through Le Roy's circle he was introduced to some advanced neoclassical designers, such asCharles-Louis Clérisseau.
Bélanger began his career in 1767, working at the Menus Plaisirs du Roi designing ephemeral decorations for court fêtes, and by 1777 he was its director. In this position, he was in charge of the funeral preparations forLouis XV and thecoronation coach of Louis XVI. The jewel cabinet he designed for the wedding of the Dauphin to Marie-Antoinette has not survived. However, amaquette of another design that had been also entered into the competition, made of wax and painted paper on a wooden frame, (now at theWalters Art Museum, Baltimore), shows the style of the cabinets that were made at the time. It is Neoclassical taste, with caryatid demi-figures and framed medallions in blue and white
Ten years later he purchased the position of chief architect toMonsieur, the comte d'Artois, brother ofLouis XVI, thanks to the protection of the marquis de Voyer,Marc-René de Voyer d'Argenson, famous patron of that time. For him Bélanger designed and constructed theparty pavilionChâteau de Bagatelle in theBois de Boulogne, 1777, winning his patron's bet with the Queen by completing the house in sixty-three days (and nights) and introducing décors in thestyle Étrusque. Bélanger constructed theFolie Saint James, aFrench landscape garden, inNeuilly from 1777 to 1780, and worked for the comte d'Artois at theChâteau of Maisons-Lafitte. During theRevolution he spent some time in the prison of Saint-Lazare.
In 1813, at the death ofAlexandre-Théodore Brongniart he presented himself successfully as candidate for completing theParis Bourse. From 1808 to 1813 he rebuilt the cupola of theHalle au blé, the formergrain market that is the presentBourse de commerce of Paris. This was among the earliest uses of iron to enclose a long-span interior space.
Bélanger designed and constructed numeroushôtels particuliers for Parisian aristocrats and bankers. He designed the Château de Méréville forJean-Joseph de Laborde, 1784–86.[1] He designed interiors for the Hôtel Baudart de Saint-James, 12Place Vendôme, and influenced garden designs of the epoch.
He supervised the workshop supported by the connoisseur Louis-Marie-Augustin, duc d'Aumont, that produced hardstone and porphyry vases, pedestals, and tabletops, which were mounted with gilt-bronze ornaments to his designs. The late duc d'Aumont's collection was dispersed at auction, 1782: among the purchasers was the Queen.
He died at Paris in 1818. He was married toAnne Victoire Dervieux. Among the architects trained in hisatelier wasJoseph-Jacques Ramée.
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