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Origin and history

This house, located in Dunkirk, is a remarkable example of early 20th century Art Nouveau architecture. Built between 1903 and 1910 by entrepreneur C. Ringot, it is distinguished by its brick façade and its decoration in imitation stone cement, made by sculptor Maurice Ringot. The ornamentation illustrates the themes of Day and Night through two female faces, one awake and the other asleep, accompanied by a cock and an owl, traditional symbols of these cycles.

The house has undergone alterations over time: its central bell tower disappeared during the Second World War, and the crowning of the oriel was removed after 1970. Despite these losses, the façade and roof were protected by a registration order for the Historic Monuments on 6 December 1988. The exact address, 51 Gustave-Lemaire Street, is located in an emblematic area of Dunkirk.

The work of Maurice Ringot, with its Art Nouveau style, bears witness to a period of architectural creativity where local artisans, like entrepreneur C. Ringot, collaborated to create buildings combining functionality and aesthetics. This monument thus reflects the influence of European artistic movements in northern France at the beginning of the twentieth century.

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