Peter Hubert Desvignes

Last updated

Peter Hubert Desvignes (Born April 29, 1804, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire; died December 27, 1883, at Hither Green (today Lewisham), Kent, England) was a civil engineer, architect, and inventor.

Contents

Biography

Beginning in 1823 he trained under William Atkinson at the Royal Academy in London. [1] While a student he was awarded, by The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce, the Silver Isis Medal for his drawing of a Corinthian capital, as well as the Silver Palette prize for the drawing of a bust. In 1835 Desvignes took part in the architectural contest for the design of the Houses of Parliament. [2] In 1836 he met (likely in London) ruling Prince Alois Josef II von und zu Liechtenstein; the following year he moved to Vienna to begin a long stint as architect for the prince. Until 1849 he oversaw the renovation and reconstruction of the Liechtenstein family seat in Austria, the baroque Stadtpalais Liechtenstein on Schenkenstrasse (today Bankgasse) in Vienna. [3] Desvignes also provided drawings and plans for the Liechtenstein country estate Lednice (in German: Eisgrub) in Moravia, which was renovated and expanded during the same period; among other things, Desvignes was chiefly responsible for the appearance of the glass greenhouse (said to be the earliest cast-iron and glass greenhouse on the continent), which bears some resemblance to Joseph Paxton's greenhouse at the Duke of Devonshire's estate Chatsworth.

Since little is known about his early career in England—the lone documented commission is a stable for a merchant in Liverpool [4] —the city palace of the Liechtenstein family, lavishly renovated and altered at great expense with new, over-the-top neo-rococo interiors and furnishings, is seen as Desvignes' major accomplishment and masterpiece. One of the most costly interior projects of the 19th century in Vienna, it is the earliest—and remains to this day the most important and outstanding—example of rococo-revival architecture in Vienna. [5] Desvignes, working closely with mostly local craftsmen, was responsible for the planning and execution of the rooms and many of their furnishings. A two-story garden pavilion, connected by a bridge to the palace and formerly located on the no longer extant city ramparts is the only documented example of an executed building designed in its entirety by the architect. [6] Over time, the renown of several of the craftsmen he employed for the Liechtenstein project outshone his own. His furniture designs were carried out by the firm of Carl Leistler, which at the time had Michael Thonet under contract. Thonet also created a series of intricate marquetry floors for the palace. Desvignes supported Thonet for two years and helped him establish himself in business.

Following his long stay in Vienna Desvignes returned to England in 1849 where, despite his many attempts, he was unable to build on the architectural success he had achieved in Vienna. As a young man in 1827 he had developed a so-called "Speiragraph", an early prototype for the spirograph; he evidently continued on with experiments and inventions, and on February 27, 1860, received British patent no. 537 for 28 monocular and stereoscopic variations of cylindrical stroboscopic devices (see zoetrope). He died at his home (the family owned both Hither Green Lodge and Wilderness House in Lewisham) and was buried in the family plot in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church, Lewisham. His collection of paintings was sold at auction on January 17 and April 2, 1885, at Christie, Mason & Woods in London.

Extant work

—Stadtpalais Liechtenstein, Vienna; interiors and furnishings.
—Schloss Lednice, Moravia; glasshouse.
—A number of drawings for stage sets, strongly reminiscent of Piranesi, came on the market in London in the 1990s; "An elevation of a Design for an Entrance to a Nobleman's Villa" was sold on October 14, 1998, at Christie's in London.
—Furniture has appeared for sale at the Dorotheum, Vienna, including "An unusually large historicist table of round form" likely designed by him in the 2019 sale "Works of Art—Furniture, Sculptures, Glass, and Porcelain", lot 891.
—The "Catalogue of the Designs offered for the New Houses of Parliament now exhibiting in the National Gallery, 1836" includes a description of Desvignes' contest entry; House of Lords Record Office, London.
—Letters, invoices, and photographs in the archives of the ruling Prince of Liechtenstein, Vienna/Vaduz.

Literature

—Colvin, Howard A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, Omnigraphics Inc., London 1995.
—Huey, Michael Peter Hubert Desvignes und die Neo-Rokoko-Neugestaltung des Stadtpalais Liechtenstein 1837-1849, master's thesis, University of Vienna 1999.
—Kräftner, Johann Das Stadtpalais der Liechtenstein. Geschichte und Restaurierung des fürstlichen Palais in der Wiener Bankgasse, Brandstätter, Vienna 2015.
—Ottilinger, Eva B. und Lieselotte Hanzl Kaiserliche Interieurs. Die Wohnkultur des Wiener Hofes im 19. Jahrhundert, Böhlau Verlag, Vienna 1997.
—Witt-Dörring, Christian "Eine Art Offenbarung. Die Neugestaltung der Innenräume des Stadtpalastes Liechtenstein (1837-1848)" in Parnass, Sonderheft 11/95 (Die Sammlungen des Fürsten von Liechtenstein), Vienna 1995, pp. 72–78.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gottfried Semper</span> German architect and theorist (1803–1879)

Gottfried Semper was a German architect, art critic, and professor of architecture who designed and built the Semper Opera House in Dresden between 1838 and 1841. In 1849 he took part in the May Uprising in Dresden and was put on the government's wanted list. He fled first to Zürich and later to London. He returned to Germany after the 1862 amnesty granted to the revolutionaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein</span> Prince of Liechtenstein since 1989

Hans-Adam II is the Prince of Liechtenstein. He is the son of Prince Franz Joseph II and his wife, Countess Georgina von Wilczek. He also bears the titles Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, and Count of Rietberg. Under his reign, a 2003 constitutional referendum expanded the powers of the Prince of Liechtenstein. In 2004, Hans-Adam transferred day-to-day governmental duties to his eldest son Hereditary Prince Alois as regent, like his father had granted him in 1984 to prepare him for the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belvedere, Vienna</span> Historic building complex in Vienna, Austria

The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its centre. It houses the Belvedere museum. The grounds are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and majestic wrought iron gates. The Baroque palace complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein</span> Prince of Liechtenstein from 1805 to 1836

Johann I Joseph was Prince of Liechtenstein between 1805 and 1806 and again from 1814 until 1836. He was the last Liechtenstein prince to rule under the Holy Roman Empire between 1805 and 1806 and as regent of Liechtenstein from 1806 until 1814. He was the fourth son of Franz Joseph I, Prince of Liechtenstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein</span> Prince of Liechtenstein from 1858 to 1929

Johann II, nicknamed the Good, was Prince of Liechtenstein from 12 November 1858 until his death in 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach</span> Austrian architect, artist, and historian

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was an Austrian architect, sculptor, engraver, and architectural historian whose Baroque architecture profoundly influenced and shaped the tastes of the Habsburg Empire. His influential book A Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture (1721) was one of the first and most popular comparative studies of world architecture. His major works include Schönbrunn Palace, Karlskirche, and the Austrian National Library in Vienna, and Schloss Klessheim, Holy Trinity Church, and the Kollegienkirche in Salzburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinrich Laube</span>

Heinrich Laube, German dramatist, novelist and theatre-director, was born at Sprottau in Prussian Silesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gebrüder Thonet</span> Former furniture manufacturer

Gebrüder Thonet or the Thonet Brothers was a European furniture manufacturer. It continues as a German company, Austrian and Czech (TON).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein</span> Prince of Liechtenstein from 1929 to 1938

Franz I was Prince of Liechtenstein from 11 February 1929 until his death in 1938.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theophil Hansen</span> Danish-Austrian architect (1813–1891)

Baron Theophil Edvard von Hansen was a Danish architect who later became an Austrian citizen. He became particularly well known for his buildings and structures in Athens and Vienna, and is considered an outstanding representative of Neoclassicism and Historicism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha</span> Head of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry

Prince Ferdinand Georg August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a German prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and a general of cavalry in the Austrian Imperial and Royal Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Initially remaining a Lutheran until 1818, by marriage he established the Catholic branch of the family, which eventually gained the thrones of Portugal (1837) and Bulgaria (1887).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franz Xaver Dieringer</span>

Franz Xaver Dieringer was a Catholic theologian. He was a professor of dogma and homiletics at the University of Bonn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Thonet</span>

Michael Thonet was a German-Austrian cabinet maker, known for the invention of bentwood furniture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Arnulf of Bavaria</span> German prince and military general (1852–1907)

Prince Arnulf of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a General of Infantry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Gangolf Kayser</span> Austrian architect

Carl Gangolf Kayser was an Austrian architect at the service of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, during the Second Mexican Empire. In the later part of his life he returned to Austria and worked on restoring medieval castles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domenico Martinelli</span> Italian architect (1650–1718)

Domenico Martinelli was an Italian architect who worked for Carlo Fontana during 1678. He was an evident figure in the shaping of Baroque style in the North Alps. In 2010 a musical tribute called "Project Martinelli" was performed to him in Munich.

Karl August Auberlen was a German Lutheran theologian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Café Museum</span>

Café Museum is a traditional Viennese café located in the Innere Stadt first district in Vienna. The café opened in 1899. The original interior was designed by renowned architect Adolf Loos. The café became a meeting place for Viennese artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Moritz</span> German architect and real-estate entrepreneur

Carl Moritz was a German architect and real-estate entrepreneur. Based in Cologne, he built the Cologne Opera House of 1902, and various banks, theatres and churches in Germany. Some of his buildings were destroyed during the last two years of his life in World War II.

Max Creutz was a German art historian and curator of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln and the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Museum in Krefeld where he worked from 1922 until his death. In Cologne, in 1914 he was instrumental in the first exhibition of the Deutscher Werkbund, Deutsche Werkbundausstellung. In Krefeld, he succeeded in acquiring modern art exhibits, including works by Max Ernst, Wassily Kandinsky, and Alexej von Jawlensky. He included a substantial collection of art, crafts and design from the Bauhaus.

References

  1. ↑ Colvin, Howard A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, Omnigraphics Inc., London 1995.
  2. ↑ The "Catalogue of the Designs offered for the New Houses of Parliament now exhibiting in the National Gallery, 1836" includes a description of Desvignes' contest entry; House of Lords Record Office, London
  3. ↑ Huey, Michael Peter Hubert Desvignes und die Neo-Rokoko-Neugestaltung des Stadtpalais Liechtenstein 1837-1849, master's thesis, University of Vienna 1999.
  4. ↑ Huey, Michael Peter Hubert Desvignes und die Neo-Rokoko-Neugestaltung des Stadtpalais Liechtenstein 1837-1849, master's thesis, University of Vienna 1999.
  5. ↑ Witt-Dörring, Christian "Eine Art Offenbarung. Die Neugestaltung der Innenräume des Stadtpalastes Liechtenstein (1837-1848)" in Parnass, Sonderheft 11/95 (Die Sammlungen des Fürsten von Liechtenstein), Vienna 1995, pp. 72-78.
  6. ↑ Huey, Michael Peter Hubert Desvignes und die Neo-Rokoko-Neugestaltung des Stadtpalais Liechtenstein 1837-1849, master's thesis, University of Vienna 1999.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.