Design for the Exterior Façade of the Country House of Monsieur Blaney, Belleville (recto); Design for façade (verso) 1700 - 1800

This is an anonymous design for the exterior façade of Monsieur Blaney’s country house in Belleville. Note the symmetrical façade, a motif echoing classical temples. The centralized doorway and evenly spaced windows suggest a desire for order and harmony. This symmetry hearkens back to the Renaissance revival of classical ideals, a visual language employed to evoke stability and reasoned thought. Think of the Roman Pantheon, its perfect dome a symbol of cosmic order, echoed in the facades of Renaissance palazzi and now, here, in a French country house. Yet, consider how this classical motif shifts. In antiquity, symmetry might imply divine perfection; here, it speaks more to aspirations of social status. The house becomes a stage for projecting an image of balance and control, a visual representation of the owner's place in society. The house's façade, therefore, isn't just architecture; it’s a psychological landscape, reflecting humanity’s continuous negotiation between past ideals and present realities.