43 - Abel BLOUET (Passy 1795–Paris 1853)

Abel BLOUET (Passy 1795–Paris 1853) Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile—Completion Plan An album containing 13 plates. Album: 62 x 46 cm Pl. 1 - General view of the square Engraving enhanced with watercolor. Inscribed “Arc de l’Étoile” in the upper left corner; titled at the bottom center. Mounted on the album backing. 24 x 37 cm inscribed within an oval PL. 2 - General Plan Engraving enhanced with watercolor. Titled and scaled at the bottom center. Mounted on the album page. 25.2 x 37 cm Pl. 3 - Main Facade Engraving enhanced with watercolor. Inscribed “Arc de l’Étoile” in the upper left corner, titled at the bottom center. Mounted on the album page. 37 x 31.5 cm Pl. 4 - A montage comprising three coronation designs: - Minerva on her chariot Pen and black ink, watercolor over black pencil lines. Glued along the edges. 16.2 x 21.5 cm - Napoleon surrounded by two winged bulls Engraving enhanced with watercolor and gold leaf. Titled and captioned at the bottom: Coronation design / executed on the occasion of the transfer of Emperor Napoleon’s ashes. Scale indicated at the bottom center. Drawing doubled on the album mount. 16 x 33 cm - Coronation design, side view Pen and black ink, watercolor over black pencil lines. Glued along the edges. 16.2 x 21.5 cm Pl. 5 - Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile / Plan of the Coronation Pen and black and pink ink. To scale at the bottom; titled at the top center on the album mount. Small spots. Drawing doubled on the album mount. 25.2 x 43 cm Pl. 6 - Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile/Coronation Design: Minerva on Her Chariot Pen and black ink, watercolor over black pencil lines. Titled at the bottom center on the mount; scaled at the bottom center. Drawing mounted on the album page. 25.5 x 42 cm Pl. 7 - Arc de Triomphe de L'Étoile/Crowning Design: Minerva Surrounded by Winged Horses Pen and black ink, watercolor over black pencil lines. Titled at the bottom center on the mount, scale indicated at the bottom center. Drawing mounted on the album page. 25 x 43 cm Pl. 8 - Arc de Triomphe de L’Étoile/Crowning Design: Side View Pen and black ink, watercolor over black pencil lines. Titled at the bottom center on the mount, with scale indicated at the bottom center. Drawing mounted on the album page. 25 x 42 cm Pl. 9 - Minerva on her chariot: “To the French Armed Forces” Watercolor over black pencil lines. Captioned and scaled at the bottom center. Creases and small stains. 43 x 59 cm Pl. 10 - Minerva surrounded by winged horses: “Fatherland / To the French Armed Forces” Watercolor over black pencil lines. Captioned and scaled at the bottom center. Creases and small stains. 43 x 59 cm Pl. 11 - Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile / Plan of the room at the height of the attic Pen and black and pink ink over black pencil lines. Titled at the top center of the mount. Small stains. Drawing doubled on the album mount. 27.7 x 43 cm Pl. 12 - Plate featuring two designs: Cross-section of the semicircular vault and Cross-section of the elliptical vault Pen and black ink, watercolor, and gold highlights over black pencil lines. Titled on the left, right, and center, with a scale bar at the bottom. 43 x 59 cm Pl. 13 - Plate featuring two designs: Development of the elliptical vault and Development of the semicircular vault Pen and black ink, watercolor, highlights in white gouache, and gold highlights over black pencil lines. Titled on the left, right, and center, with a scale at the bottom. 59 x 43 cm Blouet entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1814 and won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1821. In 1828, he led the architectural and sculptural aspects of the Morée scientific expedition and discovered the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Beginning in 1831, he was commissioned to complete the Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, which was finished in 1836. Several drawings from this collection were used by the architect Jules-Denis Thierry, inspector of the Arc de Triomphe since 1824, who published in 1845 a history of the building’s construction, from Chalgrin through Huyot (Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile, Paris, Firmin-Didot, 1845). Thierry’s drawings, preserved at the Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris, incorporate some of Blouet’s drawings (see C. Leribault, *Paris romantique*, Paris, Musée du Petit Palais, 2019, ed. Paris Musées, pp. 274–275, repr.). For the crowning group of the Arc de Triomphe, Seurre’s design was preferred over Blouet’s for the 1836 inauguration. During the ceremonies marking the return of the Emperor’s ashes on December 15, 1840, Blouet created a design for an imperial crown. It can be seen in a lithograph by Charpentier (see *Napoleon at Les Invalides*, Fondation Napoléon-Musée de l’Armée, 1990, éd. de l’Albaron, p. 62, repr.). In 1843, Abel Blouet exhibited at the Salon a design for a coronation scene at the Arc de Triomphe featuring the Fates