Eugène Viollet-le-Duc

Architecture French 1814 – 1879 102 quotes

A French architect and theorist, he was a leading figure in the Gothic Revival and known for his controversial restorations of medieval buildings.

Quotes by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc

The cloister is a place of quiet reflection amid the world's clamor.

Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française 1851

Gothic is rationalism in the service of faith.

Entretiens sur l'architecture 1866

To design is to anticipate the needs of generations unborn.

Early design manifesto 1848

The spire pierces the sky like an arrow of prayer.

Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française 1860

Architecture endures when it serves.

Lecture series 1872

The gargoyle guards the sacred from the profane.

Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française 1854

Restoration is an act of love for history.

Report on Sainte-Chapelle 1846

Form and function must dance in harmony.

Entretiens sur l'architecture 1863

The medieval mason was a philosopher with a trowel.

Historical essay 1870

Light through stained glass is divine poetry.

Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française 1859

Build not for today, but for the ages.

Youthful letter 1839

The buttress supports not just walls, but ideals.

Entretiens sur l'architecture 1865

Architecture is frozen music.

Aphorism in notes 1875

To restore Notre-Dame was to breathe life into a legend.

Restoration diary 1860

The ribbed vault is engineering's poetry.

Dictionnaire raisonné de l'architecture française 1853

In stone, we find the pulse of history.

Final reflections 1878

The architect's vision must withstand the test of time.

Early speech 1844

Cathedrals are the mountains built by man.

Entretiens sur l'architecture 1868

Restoration reveals the secrets hidden in decay.

Field notes 1857

True beauty in architecture is structural honesty.

Lecture at Sorbonne 1871