Collection of paintings

Like all institutions with of a certain prestige from the past, the École owns a collection of paintings of all its directors since the 18th century, with two exceptions, those of the 14th, Philippe Lagrange (1886-1889), and 19th directors, Auguste Kleine (1906-1920).

Interrupted after the 23rd director, André Brunot (1958-1967), since the 2000s this tradition has resumed in the form of black and white photographs.

The provenance of these paintings is varied: some are the result of gifts or bequests, such as the portrait of Jean-Rodolphe Perronet, by Louis Michel Van Loo (1764), or another of Camille Onfroy de Bréville, by Édouard Dubufe (2nd half of the 19th century). Most of them are commissions from the Direction of the School from  recognized painters. Jules Lefebvre in particular, Grand Prix de Rome 1861 and a member of the Institute, produced a small number of portraits between 1874 and 1901. Others are "family works", such as the portrait of Chaumont de la Millière, painted by his daughter, Angélique Josephine Louise Héron de Villefosse (1781) or that of Louis Bruyère, painted by his wife, née Élise Le Barbier (ca 1809-1815). The last portrait, that of André Brunot, is a work by Nina Vidrovitch, professor of drawing at the École in the 1960s and daughter of the corps' engineer, Rémy Vidrovitch.

Formerly exhibited in the salons or staircases of the École in Paris, these paintings are now kept in reserve for their protection and conservation. However, they are regularly loaned for exhibitions.

 
Sophie Émile Philippe Avril (1797-1872)
7th director 1855-1867
IPC 1821. Anonymous, [2nd half of the XIXe century]
André Brunot (1903-1996)
23rd director 1958-1967
IPC 1928. By Nina Vidrovitch, 1975
Louis Bruyère (1758-1831). IPC 1786
Interim inspector 1810
By Elise Bruyère born Le Barbier, ca 1809-1815
 
 
Alexandre François Cavenne (1773-1856)
6th director 1842-1855
IPC 1796.
Anonymous, [2nd half of the XIXe century]
Antoine L. Chaumont de la Millière (1746-1803)
"Intendant des Finances chargé du détail des ponts et
chaussées" 1781-1791
By  A. Héron de Villefosse, 1781
Antoine Chezy (1718-1798)
3rd director 1797-1798
IPC 1751. Anonymous, ca 1840

 
   
Léon Chrétien-Lalanne (1811-1892)
11th director 1877-1881
IPC 1834. By Jules Lefebvre, 1882
Louis Jean Baptiste Gay (1834-1900)
16th director 1893-1899
IPC 1858. Anonymous, beginning of the 20th century?]
Louis Grelot (1888-1970)
22nd director 1941-1958
IPC 1914. By P. Jérôme, [mid-20th century]
 
Paul Guillemain (1823-1907)
15th director 1889-1893
IPC 1847. By Jules Lefebvre, 1893
Auguste Guinard (1836-1916)
18th director1901-1905
IPC 1860. By Eugène Loup, 1905
Jean Hupeau (fin 17ème-1763). IPC 1731.
1st engineer of "Ponts et Chaussées" 1754-1763
Resumed portrait, by Jean-Baptiste Piauger, May 1759
 
Charles Marie Auguste Jégou d’Herbeline (1807-1880)
10th director 1873-1877
IPC 1830. By Jules Lefebvre, 1879
Jacques Élie Lamblardie (1747-1797).
2nd director1794-1797.
IPC 1772.
Anonymous, ca 1840
Toussaint Le Grain (1860-1935)
20th director 1920-1930
IPC 1885.
Anonymous, [1st half of the 20th century ?]
 
Camille Onfroy de Bréville (1799-1889).
8th director 1867-1869
IPC 1824.
Anonymous, [1870s]
Jean Rodolphe Perronet (1708-1794)
1st director 1747-1794
1st engineer in France 1763-1794
IPC 1735. By Louis Michel Van Loo, 1764
Louis Henri Planchat (1816-1896)
13th director 1883-1886
IPC 1840.
By Jules Lefebvre, 1886
 
 
Gaspard Riche de Prony (1755-1839)
4th director 1798-1839
IPC 1780. By Sébastien Cornu, 1840
Léonce Reynaud (1803-1880)
9th director 1869-1873
IPC 1833. By Jules Lefebvre, 1884
Théophile Luc Ricour (1831-1915)
17th director 1899-1901
IPC 1853. By Jules Lefebvre and M. Boschet, may 1901
 
 
Louis Suquet (1873-1959). IPC 1897.
21st director 1930-1940
By R. Relos de Miremont ?, [1st half of the 20th century]
François Pierre Tarbé de Saint-Hardouin (1813-1885)
12th director 1881-1883
IPC 1837. ByJules Lefebvre, 1883
Jean Bernard Tarbé de Vauxclairs (1767-1842)
5th director 1839-1842
IPC 1784. BySébastien Cornu, 1843

 

Photographs © Celia Larochelle