Étienne Martellange
| Étienne Martellange | |
|---|---|
| Born |
22 December 1569 Lyon, France |
| Died | 3 October 1641 (aged 71) Paris, France |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Architect and draftsman |
Étienne Martellange (22 December 1569, Lyon - 3 October 1641, Paris) was a French Jesuit architect and draftsman. He travelled widely in France as an itinerant architect for the Jesuit order and designed more than 25 buildings, mostly schools and their associated chapels or churches. His buildings reflect the Baroque style of the Counter-Reformation and include the Chapelle de la Trinité in Lyon and the church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis in Paris. In the course of his travels he made almost 200 detailed pen drawings depicting views of towns, buildings and monuments. These pictures have survived and provide an important historical record of French towns in the first third of the 17th century.
Martellange was born in Lyon on 22 December 1569. His father, also named Étienne Martellange, was a well-known painter in the town. Martellange had two brothers, Bernoît and Olivier, who both became Jesuits. Almost nothing is known about his early life. Although it was once believed that he may have spent some time in Rome, this is now considered unlikely. He joined the Jesuit order in Avignon on 24 February 1590, when he was 21, and became a "temporal coadjutor" in Chambéry on 29 March 1603. The first mention of Martellange as an architect is in 1603. Before this date he is listed as an artist.
The Jesuits had established themselves in France in the 1560s but were temporarily banned in 1595 after the attempted assassination of Henry IV by Jean Châtel. The edict of Rouen issued by the king in 1603 allowed the Jesuits to return and they then began a very active period of expansion. Beginning in 1604 Martellange travelled around France working as an itinerant architect and organising the construction of Jesuit schools and novitiates. For each building project he sent plans back to the Jesuit headquarters in Rome where they were scrutinized by the chief architect. Each project also had to be approved by the Superior General. Martellange also sent progress reports and estimates of the cost of the building work. Some of this correspondence has survived, including 65 plans and a number of letters. In the course of his travels Martellange also drew pictures of the local buildings and monuments. These very detailed pen drawings have been preserved and provide a valuable historical record.
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