Jean-Nicolas Huyot

Who was Jean-Nicolas Huyot?

Jean-Nicholas Huyot was a French architect, best known for his 1823 continuation of work on the Arc de Triomphe from the plans of Jean Chalgrin.

Son of a builder, Huyot attended the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and won the Prix de Rome in 1807.

Following his study in Rome, between 1817 and 1821 Huyot traveled in Asia Minor, Egypt, and Greece. He developed significant credentials as an antiquarian. He was part of the Cléopâtra expedition under Louis Nicolas Philippe Auguste de Forbin in 1817, and Huyot sent to Jean-François Champollion a collection of inscriptions he'd found in the temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel; this contribution was helpful in Champollion's work in deciphering hieroglyphics. Huyot also provided technical archeological assistance to the Fine Arts section of the French scientific Morea expedition into Greece in 1823.

In 1822 Huyot was elected a member of the Academy of Fine Arts of the Institut de France. Among his architectural students were Hector Lefuel, Alexis Paccard, Jean-Louis Victor Grisart, Jean-Charles Danjoy and the Swiss architect Melchior Berri.