Spotlight on More Fascinating Art Nouveau

Fascinating Art Nouveau architecture abounds in the 16th and 7th arrondissements. Images of the door at 29 avenue Rapp are abundant on Facebook and Instagram….And with just reason! The door is spectacular.

However, I will focus on a few of the Art Nouveau buildings found in the 6th and 14th arrondissements in this particular post. Looking at the map below, you can envision the route I followed.

Félix Potin

Located at 140 rue de Rennes, the Félix Potin building earns its place as my favorite today. This building is delightful! The architect was Paul Auscher.

His design incorporates fluid lines that are particularly appealing to me. Using reinforced concrete in the structure to create these curves, it was the first of its kind in Paris.

As we stood waiting at the bus stop on a beastly hot August morning, the clear sky and brilliant sun highlighted the white building.

Potin was something of a legend in his time. He created a grocery store empire, opening his first store at the age of 24. He receives the credit for developing a mass marketing strategy that manufactured goods that were then sold under his own store label.

Sèvres Portal – Square Desruelles

Square Desruelles, beside the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the 6th arrondissement, displays this portal. Dozens of buildings were created for the Universal Exposition of 1900. This portal was for the building designed to focus on the quality of French manufacturing art.

Renaissance inspired, the Sèvres factory workers created the porcelain details themselves.  Only this portal remains of the building from the Exposition. Since 1905, it has been display here in the Square Desruelles . (reference ParisZigZag)

The architect Charles Risler and sculptor Jules Coutan receive credit for this lovely portal. I wonder, do the people who frequent the bench here know of the history behind the portal ?

As close look at either side of the upper part of the arch reveals lovely floral designs. The color is soft and subtle.

In the center of the arch, the beauty of the detailed ceramic work forms a lasting tribute to these artisan ceramists.

Building of Artists

Besides the architecture of this next building, I also find it remarkable because the apartments here are all designed to include a huge studio for artist that lives there. What magnificent windows! They must flood the studios and apartments with light.

31 rue Campagne-Première

Architect André Arfvidson designed this building with the ceramist Alexandre Bigot creating the ceramic work.

In addition to the floral work around the oval window, consider the floral motifs that frame the doorway above and the windows below.

This building dates from 1910, right at the end of the Art Nouveau period.

Rue Boulard and Rue Froidevaux

Compare the curves around the doors and windows of this building. They remind me of the Potin building.  I found this building, which is located at intersection of rue Boulard and 11 rue Froidevaux, included in several Art Nouveau books. However, since it dates from 1911, each book makes a note that this building is slightly outside the time frame for Art Nouveau.

Yet, Art Nouveau clearly influenced the architect. Observe the floral motifs carved to the left of the window at the bottom of the photo. Also, consider the inset orange mosaic design that runs vertically. These mosaics are attributed to Alphonse Gentil and François Bourdet.  This nod to the floral aspect of Art Nouveau also shows up in the door design which fronts rue Froidevaux.

The attention to little details such as the mosaic street signs on both sides of the building is particularly delightful.

Historic mosaic street sign

Finding These Fascinating Art Nouveau Pieces

I have a two previous posts on Art Nouveau on Avenue Rapp in the 7th arrondissement as well as some lovely Art Nouveau I found in the 10th arrondissement if you enjoy Art Nouveau.

Reference

Paris Art Nouveau by Janine Casevecchie