Plattegrond van de entresol van het huis van Léon Berthous in Bayonne - Gabriel Huquier

An eighteenth-century architectural floor plan engraving by Gabriel Huquier, detailing the entresol level of a residence in Bayonne.

This architectural print depicts the floor plan of the entresol level of the residence belonging to Léon Berthous in Bayonne. The work is a precise technical engraving, reflecting the mid-eighteenth-century interest in domestic spatial organisation and the rationalisation of private interiors. The composition is strictly functional, utilising a top-down perspective to delineate the various chambers, including the 'Bureau pour les commis' and the 'Grand Cabinet'.

Gabriel Huquier was a significant figure in the dissemination of Rococo design, frequently collaborating with architects and designers such as Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier, whose name appears on this plate. The print demonstrates the clarity of line and systematic approach characteristic of French architectural documentation from this period. The layout reveals the specific requirements of a bourgeois household, balancing formal reception areas with utilitarian spaces like the 'Chambre de Domestiques' and the 'Garderobe'.

Visually, the print relies on clean, thin lines to define the walls and structural boundaries. The use of hatching provides depth to the masonry, while the lettering remains clear and legible, serving the practical purpose of an architectural guide. The inclusion of a central courtyard, labelled 'Cour', indicates the importance of light and ventilation in the urban housing of the time. This document provides a glimpse into the domestic life and architectural standards of eighteenth-century France, stripped of decorative excess to focus entirely on the geometry of the living space. It is a piece of historical record, documenting the intersection of professional design and private habitation.