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Collection Overview

Creator:
Dufour, Claude-Henri, 1766-1845 and Dufour, Claude-Henri, 1766-1845
Title:
Claude-Henri Dufour Art Course Materials
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/h415pd184
Dates:
1797-1822
Size:
2 boxes and 1.5 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-2
Language:
French

Abstract

The collection consists of course planning materials, manuscripts for an illustrated treatise on art and design, speech drafts, and drawings of French professional designer and art teacher Claude-Henri Dufour (1766-1845), dating from the period during and following the French Revolution, related to an art course he developed and taught at l'École Centrale d'Allier in the Auvergne region of central France. Dufour's writings depict an ardent republican who promoted the value of design education for artists during the Industrial Revolution and early years of industrial design. Course materials cover elements of design and perspective, anatomy and proportion of the human figure, aesthetics, composition, and ornamental design, as well as touch on architecture and natural history.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of course planning materials, manuscripts for an illustrated treatise on art and design, speech drafts, drawings, and other writings and illustrations of French professional designer and art teacher Claude-Henri Dufour (1766-1845), related to an art course he developed and taught at l'École Centrale d'Allier in the Auvergne region of central France around the time of the French Revolution. Materials pertaining to Dufour's teaching account for the majority of the collection, comprising outlines, preparatory materials, notes, and justifications for the course, manuscripts and drawings related to an accompanying illustrated art and design textbook that was never published, and other documents elaborating on his teaching philosophies, the organization of the art school, building plans for schools and museums, and his arguments in favor of the usefulness of art education. An outline describes the course's contents, which consist of: Part I, covering the elements of design, perspective, and the balance of bodies ("De la ponderation ou équilibre des corps"); Part II, on the human figure, proportion, anatomy, and aesthetics ("De la Beauté et de la Grâce"); and Part III, on composition. In several of his writings, Dufour proposes an unrealized fourth part, which would deal with landscapes, animals, architecture, flowers, and ornamental design, which he claims would be essential for young artists working in the textile manufacturing and decorative ironwork fields; however, only a few drafts and notes exist for this section. Manuscripts for the treatise are most complete for the first two parts of the course and feature frequent sketches and illustrations intended as figures to demonstrate the principles described in the text, including geometrical designs, anatomical sketches, and cross-hatching examples.

These documents provide insight into a pragmatic approach towards the teaching of art and design around the time of the French Revolution by an ardent republican who was keen to promote the value of design education in provincial France in the early years of industrial design. Dufour's related writings also draw connections between the utility of art and the French national identity, as seen in his discourses on the effects of the art of drawing on the people and in his arguments against Latin inscriptions on French monuments. His interest in architecture and natural history is also apparent in his various architectural drawings and plans, notes in preparation for a visit to the Roman baths at Néris-le-Bains near Moulin, preliminary plans for an illustrated work on natural history based on the methods of Maria Sybilla Merian, and his notes on Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon.

Collection Creator Biography:

Dufour, Claude-Henri, 1766-1845

Claude-Henri Dufour was a professional designer and art teacher active in central France in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Born in Moulin, in 1766, Dufour was the son of a state prosecutor and traveled to Paris to study law, where he frequented Jacques-Louis David's studio and the Jardin des Plantes and studied natural history painting. At the beginning of the French Revolution, Dufour returned to Moulins, where he taught drawing and design courses at l'École Centrale de l'Allier in the Auvergne region of central France. Dufour also collected Bourbon art and collaborated with art scholar and archaeologist Achille Allier on his work L'ancien Bourbonnais (1833). Dufour was a passionate republican, as well as very committed to arguing for the utility of art school instruction for designers and textile manufacturers. He died in 1845.


Dufour, Claude-Henri, 1766-1845

Claude-Henri Dufour was a professional designer and art teacher active in central France in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Born in Moulin, in 1766, Dufour was the son of a state prosecutor and traveled to Paris to study law, where he frequented Jacques-Louis David's studio and the Jardin des Plantes and studied natural history painting. At the beginning of the French Revolution, Dufour returned to Moulins, where he taught drawing and design courses at l'École Centrale de l'Allier in the Auvergne region of central France. Dufour also collected Bourbon art and collaborated with art scholar and archaeologist Achille Allier on his work L'ancien Bourbonnais (1833). Dufour was a passionate republican, as well as very committed to arguing for the utility of art school instruction for designers and textile manufacturers. He died in 1845.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchase, 2015 (AM 2015-91).

Appraisal

Nothing was removed from the collection during 2015 processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Kelly Bolding in June 2015. Finding aid written by Kelly Bolding in June 2015.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Claude-Henri Dufour Art Course Materials; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/h415pd184
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-2