Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building located at 43bis rue Damrémont, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, dates from the 1st quarter of the 20th century. Its entrance hall houses a unique set of twelve ceramic paintings, integrated into cells separated by marble columns. These works, dated 1910, represent scenes of children's games in the Montmartre district, partly inspired by the cartons of the painter Francisque Poulbot. Other panels illustrate a lakescape populated by pink flamingos, adding a poetic touch to the ensemble.

The architect of the building, unidentified, designed this space to showcase these creations, realized by the company Boulenger and Compagnie de Choisy-le-Roi (Val-de-Marne). The panels also bear the signature of A.-J. Arnoux, head of the decoration workshop at Boulenger. These paintings, protected by a registration order in 1988, bear witness to the decorative art of the time and the link between local craftsmanship and Montmartre identity.

Originally, this corridor served the old Damrémont baths, a settlement that has now disappeared. The presence of these works in a residential building reflects a desire to embellish the collective spaces, typical of the Parisian constructions of the early twentieth century. Their style, mixing social realism and fantasy, evokes the bohemian spirit of Montmartre, then in full artistic effervescence.

The listing of tables as Historic Monuments in 1988 underscores their heritage value. Their in situ conservation preserves a fragment of the cultural history of the area, while providing residents and visitors with an overview of the industrial decorative art of the time. The exact address, 43bis rue Damrémont, remains a discreet but emblematic place of this unknown heritage.

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