Disegni dall'antico di Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, 1762-1855, architetto di Napoleone

This volume functions as a scholarly examination of the sketchbooks maintained by Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine, the preeminent French architect who, alongside Charles Percier, defined the Empire style under Napoleon I. Published in 2007 by Polistampa, the work compiles Fontaine’s drawings from the antique, capturing his rigorous study of classical ruins and Roman architecture during his formative years in Italy. These sketches served as the foundational visual lexicon for the neoclassical ornamentation that would eventually define the interior aesthetics of the Napoleonic court.

Daniela Di Castro curated this collection to highlight the transition from Fontaine’s academic discipline to his role as a royal architect. The book explores how these early observational drawings influenced the specific proportions and motifs he later applied to his major commissions, such as the renovations at the Louvre and the Tuileries. By contextualizing these drawings within the broader tradition of the Grand Tour and eighteenth-century architectural training, the text provides a detailed look at the meticulous preparation behind the era's most iconic imperial designs.