Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located at 32 rue Vantroyen in Lille was built in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, more precisely in 1862, at the initiative of Urbain Le Thierry. A member of an influential family of Lille industrialists, he built this house in the emerging district of Saint-Maurice-des-Champs. The building is distinguished by its musical salon, located on the first floor, decorated with a set of frescoes made by the painter Victor Mottez, cousin of the owner. These works, unique in the corpus of Mottez, represent mythological scenes related to ancient music, such as Apollo and the muses or Ulysses and the sirens, surrounded by allegories of Greek musical modes.

The frescoes, executed directly on the walls of the living room, form a coherent and scholarly setting, illustrating the importance of musical practice in the well-known Lille environments in the 19th century. A rare example of this type of ornamentation in the region is the large central picture, framed by allegorical upper-doors (L The house, whose facades and roofs have been protected since 2011, bears witness to the local artistic patronage and the influence of industrial elites on architectural heritage.

The official protection, obtained by order of 8 November 2011, concerns both the exterior elements (façades and roofs) and the entire frescoes of the music salon. This classification highlights the exceptional heritage value of the ensemble, both for its architecture and its interior decor. Victor Mottez, a well-known Lille painter, leaves a unique imprint, blending classical erudition and romantic sensibility, characteristic of his work. Today, the house remains a remarkable example of the alliance between industry, art and bourgeois life in the North of France in the 19th century.

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