Henri van Dievoet

Henri van Dievoet (January 19 1869 - April 24 1931) was a Belgian architect.

Biography

He belonged to an old family of Brussels descendent of the lineage Sweerts, one of the seven Lignages of Brussels, which had already shone in the fine arts of the time of Louis XIV in the person of his great-great-uncles, the goldsmith Philippe van Dievoet and the sculptor Peter van Dievoet, one of the creators of the Grand-Place of Brussels.

He had married with Ixelles, on October 2nd 1894, Eugenie Ernestine Clémence Hortense Masson, born in Ixelles on July 9th, 1872, girl of Stanislas Jean Ernest Masson, ordering captain, knight of the Ordre of Léopold, and Marie Eugenie Louise Clémence Monnoury. Its first construction (1889) was the house and workshop of the sculptor Charles Samuel, 30 rue Washington with Ixelles.

In 1890, it took share with the Living room of Architecture of the Exposure of the Art schools of Brussels beside Victor Horta and of Maurice Van Ysendijck.

In 1894 it gained the Grand Prix of architecture of the Town of Brussels, following its imposing project of “legislative Palate for a constitutional country”. It thus tried to equalize its great-uncle Joseph Poelaert, whose sister Hortense (1815-1900), wife of Eugene van Dievoet (1804-1858), was her grandmother.

In 1901, it conceived a series of buildings with apartments, street Campenhout, for the Company of the Dwellings at a cheap rate of Brussels.

He was a long time the dedicated secretary of the Central Société of Architecture of Brussels and the reports which he made of the meetings are full with life and very instructive.

Starting from 1910, he was professor with the royal Académie of the Art schools of Brussels.

From 1924 to 1931, it was titular courses of architecture and prospect to the Academy for the Art schools for Saint-Gilles.

The whole of its drawings and its plans unfortunately recently “disappeared” in the general indifference…

Among its disciples appears Joseph Van Neck, which had worked as draftsman in his workshop.

Its family

His/her son, Paul van Dievoet (born with Brussels, 131 rue de l'Arbre Bénit, on August 23rd, 1896, deceased unmarried in Schaerbeek on September 7th, 1947), was architect of the commune of Schaerbeek, but has also produced a private work.

His/her daughter, German van Dievoet (born in Brussels on September 26th, 1899, deceased on October 30th, 1990 with Uccle, private clinic of Both Alices), was champion of swimming and took part in the Olympic Games of Antwerp.

Henri van Dievoet was the brother of the famous decorator and art-new sgraffitist Gabriel van Dievoet (1875-1934), whose works still decorate many frontages of Brussels.

He also had a sister, Louise van Dievoet, born in Brussels on November 3rd, 1880, deceased in Paris on December 26th, 1964 (celebrated funeral on December 30th, 1964 with the Temple of the Rise in Paris) which married André Gachassin-Lafite, Viscount of Orthez, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, captain to the 3rd regiment of Hunters of Africa (quartered with Constantine, Algérie), Military Assistant-Attache with the Embassy of France with Brussels, then Membre of the High commission of the Ministry for the War near the factories Schneider, Creusot (1915-1918), born with Rouen (France) on June 23rd, 1868 and deceased in Paris on December 2nd, 1924, wire of Jean Edouard Gachassin-Lafite, Lieutenant-General of the department of the the Gironde under the Second Empire, Officer of the Legion of honor and Catherine-Léonie Lacay.

End of its life

Henri van Dievoet died completely forgotten and, besides its all close family, there was little world to her funeral: only his friend Victor Horta had the beautiful gesture to attend his burial, which took place with the cemetery of Brussels. He is buried in the large central alley, n° 218.

Its work

Its work always marks the urban landscape of Brussels:
*Temple of the Church of the Museum , in style Louis XV, dedicated on November 1st, 1890 in the presence of 350 people.
*Hotel Astoria (1909), Royal street, 103.
*Firm of Muds , quay of Willebroeck, 22.
*Arsenal of Cartage , boulevard Louis Schmidt, 1-29.
*Savings bank , wing located street of the Lame one.
*military royal School , avenue of the Rebirth, 30, in collaboration with Henri Maquet.
*Diamond De luxe hotel , (future Aegidium ), heightening of part of the Moorish room, in Saint-Gilles (Brussels).

and in Hasselt,

*the National Bank .

He is the author, beside these outstanding works, of many

*hotels of Master Which occurred Louise in Brussels, for example the hotel De Leeuw, in 1897, decorated Sgraffite S (" Maronniers") by his/her brother Gabriel van Dievoet.

*of houses to the boulevard of the General Jacques in Brussels, and of
*villas with Watermael-Boitsfort and in the periphery of Brussels. He is also the author with Liege of the

*monument of Leon Rodberg (1832-1888), of style Art nouveau with the Cimetière of Robermont.

Works of other architects van Dievoet

One should not confuse the architectural work of Henri van Dievoet with that of other members of its family, like those of:
*Paul van Dievoet (1896-1947), his son, architect of the Commune of Schaerbeek.
*Gabriel van Dievoet (1875-1934), his/her brother, author of many projects of sgraffitos.
*Eugene van Dievoet (1862-1937), his first cousin, major of the genious, engineer, professor at the Military academy and architect (domiciled street Vergote 30), member of the Royal Company of Archeology of Brussels, author for example of: the Brison House, Reyers boulevard, 120 (blue Stone-built house, style Louis XV).
*or of its nephew the architect Leon van Dievoet (1907-1993), who in addition to an architectural work left hundreds of drawings, watercolours, paintings or engravings of Brussels being spread out of 1923 to 1993 and which preserve us the invaluable memory of many disappeared places from now on.

Its writings

*“Exposure of work of the pupils of the Co-educational school of drawing and industry of Schaerbeek”, in the Emulation , Brussels, 1893, E. Lyon-Claesen, pp. 152 to 154.
*“applied art to the artistic Circle”, in the Chronicle of Public works and Finance , Brussels, February 2nd, 1896.
*“decorative art”, in the Chronicle of Public works and Finance , Brussels, June 7th, 1896.
*“art with Ixelles”, in the Chronicle of Public works and Finance , Brussels, July 5th, 1896.
*“Obituary: Jean Naert”, in the Emulation , Brussels, 1910, n°11, pp. 83-84.

Iconography of his architectural work

ource

*"This article incorporates text translated from French wikipedia."

External links

[http://gw1.geneanet.org/index.php3?b=gabaon&lang=fr&m=N&v=van%20DIEVOET History of the familiy of architect Henri van Dievoet]