Charles Louis Ferdinand Dutert was born on 21 October 1845 in Douai, son of a merchant of that town.

He was admitted to the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in 1863, and studied in the studios of Hippolyte Lebas and Léon Ginain.

Entering twice for the Prix de Rome, he won the Grand Prize for Architecture in 1869 for a project called "Palace of the French embassy in the capital of a powerful state".

Dutert was chosen as architect for the Palais des Machines at the Exposition Universelle (1889), and was fully responsible for its architectural design.

[4] Talking of the Palais des Machines, Hénard said it successfully combined aesthetic appearance with engineering function.