BACHELIER, Nicolas

This half-relief is one of the four surviving reliefs from the large altarpiece of the Church of Our Lady of Dalbade, demolished in 1741.

This half-relief is one of the four surviving reliefs from the large altarpiece of the Church of Our Lady of Dalbade, demolished in 1741.

The important architect of the middle of the sixteenth century in Toulouse is Nicolas Bachelier, who built some of the outstanding private houses of the town. He began as a sculptor, and his works in architecture bear the marks of this early training. His door at the H�tel de Bagis, with its ingeniously arranged supporting herms, is conceived essentially as a work of sculpture.

The photo shows the door in the interior court.

The important architect of the middle of the sixteenth century in Toulouse is Nicolas Bachelier, who built some of the outstanding private houses of the town. He began as a sculptor, and his works in architecture bear the marks of this early training. His door at the H�tel de Bagis, with its ingeniously arranged supporting herms, is conceived essentially as a work of sculpture.

The photo shows the door in the interior court.

The important architect of the middle of the sixteenth century in Toulouse is Nicolas Bachelier, who built some of the outstanding private houses of the town. He began as a sculptor, and his works in architecture bear the marks of this early training. His door at the H�tel de Bagis, with its ingeniously arranged supporting herms, is conceived essentially as a work of sculpture. The entrance to the H�tel d’Ass�zat is more the work of an architect, but is still picturesque in its use of rustication and surface decoration. The application of Italian motives in it is quite personal, and the design has little in common with what was being produced farther north.

This magnificent mansion was built for a wealthy merchant, Pierre d’Ass�zat who made his fortune through the trade of pastel in the sixteenth century. He entrusted the construction to one of the most famous Toulouse architects, Nicolas Bachelier. There is no clear evidence about the authorship of the court of this h�tel, the most original work produced in Toulouse at this time (built between 1552 and 1562), the author was probably Bachelier. The only point that can be established is that the architect was familiar with the treatise of Serlio, since the elevation is largely composed from plates of his book. Whoever the architect may be, however, he must rank with Lescot and Delorme as one of the creators of the classical style of the middle of the century, and his influence seems to have been wide among architects in Toulouse.

The exact extent of Bachelier’s role in the construction of the courtyard is unclear: he seems to have provided only the sculptural decoration (1555–58), while the brick shell was entrusted to the master-mason Jean Castagn�.

The photo shows the courtyard two sides of which have a three-level elevation superimposing the three classical orders (Ionic order, Doric order, Corinthian order); it takes up the hierarchy of orders established by the treatise of Serlio. The imposing stair tower on the corner rises high enough to be visible in the distance. With the loggia, we find all the elements that make up a mansion of the Renaissance period.

This magnificent mansion was built for a wealthy merchant, Pierre d’Ass�zat who made his fortune through the trade of pastel in the sixteenth century. He entrusted the construction to one of the most famous Toulouse architects, Nicolas Bachelier. There is no clear evidence about the authorship of the court of this h�tel, the most original work produced in Toulouse at this time (built between 1552 and 1562), the author was probably Bachelier. The only point that can be established is that the architect was familiar with the treatise of Serlio, since the elevation is largely composed from plates of his book. Whoever the architect may be, however, he must rank with Lescot and Delorme as one of the creators of the classical style of the middle of the century, and his influence seems to have been wide among architects in Toulouse.

The exact extent of Bachelier’s role in the construction of the courtyard is unclear: he seems to have provided only the sculptural decoration (1555–58), while the brick shell was entrusted to the master-mason Jean Castagn�.

The photo shows the courtyard two sides of which have a three-level elevation superimposing the three classical orders (Ionic order, Doric order, Corinthian order); it takes up the hierarchy of orders established by the treatise of Serlio. The imposing stair tower on the corner rises high enough to be visible in the distance. With the loggia, we find all the elements that make up a mansion of the Renaissance period.

This half-relief is one of the four surviving reliefs from the large altarpiece of the Church of Our Lady of Dalbade, demolished in 1741.