Eugène Millet
| Eugène Louis Millet | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
21 May 1819 Paris, France |
| Died | 24 February 1879 (aged 59) Cannes, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Architect |
Eugène Louis Millet (21 May 1819 – 24 February 1879) was a French architect. He planned and began the restoration of the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, home of the Museum of National Antiquities.
Eugène Millet was born in Paris on 21 May 1819. He was in the class of 1837 at the École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts), where he studied under Henri Labrouste and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Millet recalled that Labrouste provided his own drawings to teach his pupils, including studies of classical Italian works and his own designs, since he did not trust the École's materials and was trying to reinvent the discipline of architecture. Millet later became associated with the Gothic Revival led by Viollet-le-Duc.
Millet became an assistant to Viollet-le-Duc in 1847 in the Documents service. After 1848 Millet was appointed architect for the buildings of the dioceses of Troyes and Châlons-sur-Marne. In 1853 the prefect of the Aube started a dispute with Millet over Troyes Cathedral, claiming he was neglecting the work and should be replaced. Viollet-le-Duc wrote a passionate tribute in Millet's defense, giving high praise for a quality of the work he had done at Troyes in the face of many difficulties. The tribute is remarkable in that Viollet-le-Duc was not known for modesty about his own skills. In 1857 Millet continued the project of building the Moulins Cathedral that had been started by Jean-Baptiste Lassus.
Millet was assigned the task of restoring the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1855, and was told to remove all traces of the cells that the Ministry of War had installed when it was used as a prison between 1836 and 1855. In 1857 he reported that all the partitions forming the cells and dungeons had been demolished and the rest of the chateau had been cleaned. He was given the job of restoring the château to hold the planned National Museum of Antiquities. He proposed two alternatives. The first was to keep the château with all its additions, while consolidating the parts that were in poor condition or incomplete. The second, which was approved, was to remove the additions and restore it to its state under Francis I of France.
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