Étienne-Louis Boullée

Architecture French 1728 – 1799 102 quotes

A visionary French Neoclassical architect whose unbuilt projects, like the Cenotaph for Isaac Newton, influenced subsequent generations.

Quotes by Étienne-Louis Boullée

To make a building speak, one must make it speak in its own language, that of architecture.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The art of building is not merely to construct, but to create.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

Architecture is the art of producing and combining images.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The most beautiful buildings are those which, by their very simplicity, impress us most deeply.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

It is by the effects of light that architecture becomes truly sublime.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

Shadow is the great veil of nature.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a poet, for he must create images.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect's task is to make the invisible visible.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

Architecture is the art of making the invisible visible.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a philosopher, for he must understand the nature of man.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a painter, for he must understand the effects of light and shadow.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a sculptor, for he must understand form and mass.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a musician, for he must understand harmony and rhythm.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a poet, for he must understand the emotions of man.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a man of taste, for he must understand beauty.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a man of genius, for he must create.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a man of the world, for he must understand society.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a man of science, for he must understand construction.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a man of art, for he must understand aesthetics.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art

The architect must be a man of all trades, for he must understand everything.

Architecture, Essai sur l'art