Ever wondered who Jean Revel was? Rue Jean Revel quietly begins at Rue Henri Gorjus. It stretches to Rue Philippe de Lassalle. The street continues a few meters toward Place Picard. It then meets Rue Dangon. Pedestrians can walk through the residence at 28 Rue Gorjus. This path leads to Rue Hénon near the metro.
Rue Jean Revel is an dead end for cars because of bollards. The narrow street makes parking difficult. Rue Jean Revel slopes gently westward toward Rue Philippe de Lassalle.
On the north side, walls and trees line the street. Portals open to hidden views. On the south side, a garden separates two residences. Two similar houses stand out with their wooden shutters at numbers 5 and 7. Before Rue Lassalle, bushes hide tennis courts. You can see a square and sides of buildings here.
Jean Revel was born in Paris in 1684. He died in Lyon in 1751. At that time it was named Saint Rambert. Jean Revel was a silk decorator. He invented the “point rentré” technique. This is a special shading effect. He introduced flowers into silk designs. This became a Lyon specialty. Jean Revel lived across from Île Barbe. His home was a small château. The current town hall stands on that spot. His daughter Jeanne Barbe married Jean François Clavière. He also owned a château there. This gave his name to Rue Clavière.
Jean Revel worked near Philippe de Lassalle on Rue Sainte Catherine. Now their streets are neighbors again. Another Jean Emile Revel died for France on November 3, 1918. Rue Jean Revel was first called Petite Rue Saint Pothin.
By 1940, Rue Jean Revel had some houses. It connected Rue de l’Enfance and Saint Pothin. These streets later became Rue Gorjus and Rue Lassalle. Rue Jean Revel consists only of residential buildings.
Jean Revel was a French designer. He was born in Paris and died in Lyon. He designed silk patterns for Lyon factories under Louis XV. Revel significantly influenced European weaving. Jean Revel’s father was Gabriel Revel. Gabriel assisted Charles Le Brun with decorating the Hall of Mirrors. Jean grew up in Paris. His father taught him painting. He also learned from Le Brun.
In 1710, Jean Revel moved to Lyon. He tried being a portrait painter. Facing difficulties, he turned to fabric making and trade. He married Marguerite Chaillot-Delessinat. She was the daughter of a Grenoble lawyer. Revel became a successful merchant. By 1715, he was called a bourgeois. He became known as the “Raphael of the Fabrique”.
In 1740, Donat Nonnotte painted Jean Revel’s portrait. The portrait shows a bourgeois man nearing retirement. Nonnotte carefully depicted the fabrics and lace. The painting was not for display. It is now at the Lyon Museum of Fine Arts.
Jean Revel died in 1751 at his Saint-Rambert property. His daughter Jeanne-Barbe inherited his portrait.
It is difficult to attribute designs to Jean Revel. Many designs disappeared or were unsigned. However, he invented the “point rentré”. This weaving technique was inspired by Gobelins factory methods. It separates colors with small horizontal hatching. This multiplies effects on woven fabrics. This changed weaving from stylized to naturalistic. He revolutionized the Fabrique.
The “point rentré” allows light and dark colors to blend. It creates halftones. It represents shadows and lights faithfully. It closely imitates nature.
Jean Revel is known for his voluminous floral designs. Before him, Deschamps and Moulong used two colors on fabrics. Ringuet first introduced natural flowers. Courtois innovated by experimenting with degradation. He developed chiaroscuro and fabric coloring. These four artists were Revel’s important predecessors.
Gabriel Revel influenced Jean’s artistic sensibilities. During Jean Revel’s life, his style was widely copied in Britain. Designers worked on smaller floral compositions with structured backgrounds.
Rue Jean Revel stands as a testament to Jean Revel’s impact. His innovative designs changed silk production. The street today is a quiet residential area. It offers a peaceful contrast to its industrious history.