Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau

Who was Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau?

Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau, also given as Du Cerceau, DuCerceau, or Ducerceau was a well-known French designer of architecture, ornament, furniture, metalwork and other decorative designs during 16th century, and the founder of the Androuet du Cerceau family. He introduced Renaissance architecture to France with the assistance of Pierre Lescot, Philibert Delorme and Jean Bullant. Though he was referred to by contemporaries as achitecte and was even appointed architecte du roi, he is remembered especially for his suites of engravings produced from 1549 from his printshop in Orléans.

Androuet was born in Paris, but worked in Orléans until 1559, when he returned to Paris, where he produced his notable Livre d'architecture. In 1569, under the pressures of the French Wars of Religion, Jacques I Androuet du Cerceau fled to the Huguenot stronghold of Montargis, the seat of Renée de France, duchess of Ferrara, daughter of Louis XII; the château featured strongly in his best-known work, the folio volumes of Les plus excellents bastiments de France. He died in Annecy.