Architecture in a Time of Upheaval: Projecting the Future in the French Revolutionary Decade 1789-99

Art Historian Barry Bergdoll discusses the French Revolutionary Decade, 1789-1799, and its impact on the discipline of architecture.

About the Program:

The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) hosted this program in a virtual livestream format on June 11th, 2020.

It is often assumed that periods of political upheaval are unproductive in the arts of building. But in fact, the French Revolutionary decade was one of the most vital for new forms of architecture, new definitions of the meanings of architectural form--classical and otherwise--but also the shape of the city and of its citizens. This lecture considers the rethinking of territory, measurement, collective identity, and political organization that accompanied the French Revolution as well as novel new building types and types of urban dwelling.

About the Speaker:
Barry Bergdoll is a specialist in late 18th and 19th century French and German architecture, and the author of numerous works on the period, including the textbook European Architecture 1750-1890 in the Oxford History of Art series. He is also the author of the introduction to the recent ICAA publication The Complete Works of Percier and Fontaine, published in partnership with Princeton Architectural Press. He is Professor of Art History at Columbia University and former Chief Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art.

How to See More Programs Like This:
This video was featured in the ICAA's weekly newsletter, "Classicism at Home." Sign up today to receive a weekly escape into the worlds of architecture, art, and design. Each Tuesday you will receive a new edition, delivering online courses and lectures, documentaries, articles, film recommendations, and more directly to your inbox. Find out more and sign up here: https://www.classicist.org/enjoy-clas...

Sponsors
This lecture is presented as part of The Françoise and Andrew Skurman Lecture Series on Classical French Architecture.

Lead Annual Public Programs Sponsor:
RINCK

Seasonal Public Programs Sponsor:
Hyde Park Mouldings