Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The bakery located at 13 rue Malher, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, occupies the ground floor of a corner building built at the end of the 19th century. Its front, dated from the 1st quarter of the 20th century, is distinguished by an exceptional decor: three canvases fixed under glass, representing a harvester, a seeder and a wheat sheath. These works, signed by Gilbert, a Parisian decorator, illustrate the craftsmanship and traditional symbols related to the bakery. Together, although protected under the Historic Monuments since 1984, has lost its original function and now houses a trade in women's clothing.

The inscription of the front as a Historical Monument, by order of 23 May 1984, underlines its heritage value, in particular for its iconography and its characteristic style of the early twentieth century. The building, at the corner of Malher Street and Rue des Rosiers, is located in the historic Marais district, marked by a high density of artisans and shops at the turn of the century. The transformation of the bakery reflects the urban changes in Paris, where spaces dedicated to food crafts gradually give way to modern commercial activities.

The decorative canvases, attributed to Gilbert, are a rare testimony of the commercial decoration techniques of the time. Their agricultural theme, centred on harvest and wheat, recalls the historical link between Paris and its grain supply, while the city was still partially surrounded by cultivated land. The accuracy of the location (noted as "passible" in the databases) and the absence of detailed archives on the craftsman or sponsors, however, limit the exhaustive knowledge of this heritage. Today, only the exterior decoration remains as a visible trace of this former bakery, classified among the protected elements of the Merimée base.

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