Alfred Leclerc

Alfred Leclerc
Alfred Leclerc
Born	10 December 1843
Occupation	Architect
Awards	Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (1892) ;

Charles Alfred Leclerc (10 December 1843 – 9 April 1915) was a French architect.

First grand prix de Rome in 1868, he was the chief architect of the Palace of Versailles from 1881 to 1887.

Biography

After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts, Alfred Leclerc competed for the Prix de Rome in 1868. Its subject is a Calvary including a Scala Santa and a Stations of the Cross, a program considered "particularly anachronistic by some". He won the first grand prize, a reward that allowed him to be admitted as a resident at the Villa Medici from 1869 to 1872. During this stay, he carried out numerous works and surveys of ancient sites in Rome, in particular the plans and elevations (still frequently reproduced) of the Baths of Titus built on the ruins of the Domus aurea.

His submissions were nevertheless discussed by architectural professionals, who underlined his "boldness" and "dubious taste". In 1870, Le Moniteur des architectes perfidiously pointed out that waiting a few more years to send Alfred Leclerc to Rome "would have been better for his work, his talent and for the public".

Back in France, Alfred Leclerc, well established in official circles, made a name for himself in the construction of many public buildings. In 1878, thanks to his support, he won the contract for the development of the Capitole de Toulouse: the contract was directly entrusted to him by Paris to close fifty years of procrastination in Toulouse and two competitions (1840 and 1844) to which the municipality had never followed up. Between 1879 and 1883, he was sent to build his most important building — nowadays, his most often cited work — the town hall of Limoges, the Hôtel de Ville, a vast building in the neo-Renaissance style, with a campanile and façade decorated with mosaic medallions representing famous Limousins.

An illustration of the prolific and official architect of the early Third Republic, Leclerc came to be a respected architect. In 1881, he was appointed chief architect of the Palace of Versailles. Charles Gosselin, chief curator from 1882, did not create any obstacle for him insofar as he lost interest in Versailles, which he considered to be an exile. Leclerc only stayed in place for six years, enough to carry out serious work. Pierre de Nolhac cites in particular his important work on the Neptune Basin — its lead pipes and the repairs of vases and shells. Moreover, Nolhac spoke of the restoration of the basin (the construction site was not completed until 1889, after Leclerc's departure).

Leclerc was then appointed architect of the Parc de Saint-Cloud, which burned down in 1870 and, in the end, was totally deconstructed and destroyed under his tenure in 1892.

He died in 1915, aged 72.

Distinctions

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (awarded 4 January 1892)

Bibliography

Leclerc, Alfred (1899). Le bassin de Neptune à Versailles. p. 48.

References

↑ Acte de décès (avec date et lieu de naissance) à Paris 9e, No. 347, vue 17/31.
↑ Lucan, Jacques (2009). Composition, non-composition: Architecture et théories, XIXe-XXe siècles (in French). p. 119. ISBN 978-2-88074-789-3.
↑ Villa Medici. "Pensionnaire : Charles Alfred Leclerc". Académie de France à Rome.
↑ Cassanelli, Roberto; David, Massimiliano (2002). Ruins of Ancient Rome: The drawings of French architects who won the Prix de Rome. Getty. p. 160 (The baths of Titus, dessin de Leclerc). ISBN 978-0-89236-680-4.
↑ Bosc, Ernest (1870). "Les envois de Rome". Le Moniteur des architectes. 5: 35–36. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
↑ Foucaud, Odile (2000). Toulouse: l'architecture au 19th century (in French). Somogy - Musée Paul-Dupuy. p. 73. ISBN 978-2-85056-396-6.
↑ Labasse, Jean (1980). L'hôpital et la ville: Géographie hospitalière (in French). Hermann. p. 137. ISBN 978-2-7056-1397-6.
↑ Nolhac, Pierre de (2002). La résurrection de Versailles: Souvenirs d'un conservateur, 1887-1920 (in French). Perrin. p. 10. ISBN 978-2-262-01983-9.
↑ Nolhac, Pierre de (1926). Versailles et la cour de France. Vol. 3. p. 35-37.
↑ Centre national de la recherche scientifique (1992), Saint-Cloud, Bulletin de la société d'histoire de l'art français, p. 126

[1] Acte de décès (avec date et lieu de naissance) à Paris 9e, No. 347, vue 17/31.

[2] Lucan, Jacques (2009). Composition, non-composition: Architecture et théories, XIXe-XXe siècles (in French). p. 119. ISBN 978-2-88074-789-3.

[3] Villa Medici. "Pensionnaire : Charles Alfred Leclerc". Académie de France à Rome.

[4] Cassanelli, Roberto; David, Massimiliano (2002). Ruins of Ancient Rome: The drawings of French architects who won the Prix de Rome. Getty. p. 160 (The baths of Titus, dessin de Leclerc). ISBN 978-0-89236-680-4.

[5] Bosc, Ernest (1870). "Les envois de Rome". Le Moniteur des architectes. 5: 35–36. Retrieved 24 October 2026.

[6] Foucaud, Odile (2000). Toulouse: l'architecture au 19th century (in French). Somogy - Musée Paul-Dupuy. p. 73. ISBN 978-2-85056-396-6.

[7] Labasse, Jean (1980). L'hôpital et la ville: Géographie hospitalière (in French). Hermann. p. 137. ISBN 978-2-7056-1397-6.

[8] Nolhac, Pierre de (2002). La résurrection de Versailles: Souvenirs d'un conservateur, 1887-1920 (in French). Perrin. p. 10. ISBN 978-2-262-01983-9.

[9] Nolhac, Pierre de (1926). Versailles et la cour de France. Vol. 3. p. 35-37.

[10] Centre national de la recherche scientifique (1992), Saint-Cloud, Bulletin de la société d'histoire de l'art français, p. 126