Viollet-le-Duc's Drawing Practice Reassessed in First U.S. Retrospective at Bard Graduate Center

The Bard Graduate Center in New York is hosting 'Viollet-le-Duc Drawing Worlds,' marking the first American retrospective focused on Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, which runs until May 24. Curated by Martin Bressani and Barry Bergdoll, the show showcases nearly 200 archival drawings and artifacts, emphasizing Viollet-le-Duc as a significant intellectual rather than just a proto-modernist. Highlights include a working desk from around 1862 and a model of Notre-Dame's spire crafted by a carpenter. The exhibition, sourced from the Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie in Paris, explores his early Grand Tour, the restoration of Carcassonne, and his geological research. This event coincides with the seventh anniversary of the Notre-Dame fire in 2019, reigniting interest in his legacy and hinting at a 'slow rehabilitation' of his reputation.