: French design became the gold standard for the expression of
power, long before Versailles stunned the world with its
magnificence. Politics and architecture have been intertwined in
France ever since the Romanesque evolved into the Gothic.
A cathedral's flying buttress demonstrates that man can redirect
the force of gravity through beauty. This French approach to
architecture as a way to control nature places man directly in
the center of the universe.
Antique design drawings of buildings and their décor communicate
this sense of mastery as clearly as Louis XIV used architecture
to overwhelm his opponents.
ArthiTech Gallery has assembled a collection of design drawings,
antique prints, watercolors and photographs that speak of that
French need for control. Drawings from the Nineteenth Century
Parisian firm of Viollet-le-Duc, the most powerful architect of
the time, outline schemes for Paris' City Hall, The National
Assembly, and various cathedral remodelings.
Watercolors by Elizabeth Ockwell reduce to a sinuous line the
exotic meanderings of the Paris Opera House. And photographs by
Mark Ballogg of the legendary Pére LaChaise cemetery reveal that
a wealthy Frenchman's grip on power extended long past death.
"Magnifique!" opens Friday, September 12, and continues
through November 28 at 730 North Franklin, Suite 200 in Chicago's
River North gallery district. Hours are noon to 6 pm, Thursdays
through Saturdays. For an appointment, 312-475-1290.
