Launch of the school project 1950 (≈ 1950)
Municipal decision to build a whole.
22 mai 1951
Trust in Ernest Gaillard
Trust in Ernest Gaillard 22 mai 1951 (≈ 1951)
The architect is responsible for the project.
11 avril 1952
Programme validation
Programme validation 11 avril 1952 (≈ 1952)
Three schools and housing units are planned.
2 octobre 1955
Opening of the school group
Opening of the school group 2 octobre 1955 (≈ 1955)
Presence of the stained glass windows of Matisse.
décembre 1955
Installation of stained glass windows
Installation of stained glass windows décembre 1955 (≈ 1955)
Posthumous work by Matisse.
28 décembre 2001
Partial protection
Partial protection 28 décembre 2001 (≈ 2001)
Registration as a historical monument.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The entire playroom of the nursery school, as well as all the roof façades of the building body overlooking Avenue Henri-Matisse (Box AK 59): inscription by order of 28 December 2001
Key figures
Henri Matisse - Painter and designer of stained glass
Offered *Les Abeilles* to the city.
Ernest Gaillard - Project architect
Designed the school set.
Paul Bony - Master glassmaker
Made the stained glass of Matisse.
Origin and history
In 1950, the city of Cateau-Cambrésis launched a school-wide project for young children. On 22 May 1951, the municipality entrusted the project to architect Ernest Gaillard, a renowned local figure. He collaborated with Henri Matisse, who offered the city a stained glass window entitled Les Abeilles, originally designed for the chapel of Vence in 1948. This artistic partnership is part of a national programme allocating 1% of the budget for public constructions to works of art.
On 11 April 1952, the City Council approved a three-phase programme: a kindergarten, two primary schools (girls and boys), and housing for teaching staff. Subsidized by the State and the Department, the project integrates the stained glass window of Matisse, made by master glassmaker Paul Bony. The inauguration took place on October 2, 1955, a few weeks before Matisse's death on November 3. The stained glass windows were installed in December of the same year, marking the culmination of this collaboration between art and education.
The kindergarten, whose playroom and roof façades have been protected since 2001, embodies Matisse's artistic heritage and the municipality's commitment to innovative school architecture. The building, located Avenue Henri-Matisse, remains a testament to the cultural policy of the Trente Glorieuses, mixing educational functionality and contemporary creation.
