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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Jacques pharmacy is a pharmacy built in Nancy between 1902 and 1904 for pharmacist Victor Jacques. Designed by architect Lucien Benzz, a former student of the Arts and Crafts of Châlons and the École Centrale de Paris, she embodies the style of École de Nancy, a local artistic movement linked to Art Nouveau. The major work was done by the company Dancelme Frères, while the carved decorations, representing medicinal plants, were executed by Auguste Vautrin. The names of the craftsmen and the date of construction are shown on the façade of rue Jeanne-d的Arc.

The glass windows, signed by the glass painter Jacques Gruber, adorn the impost of the gate rue de la Commanderie and the stairwell. The original furniture, created by cabinetmaker Justin Ferez, disciple of Eugene Vallin, was long believed destroyed before being rediscovered in 2014. The building's arrow has lost its decorative elements (finch and crest). The facades and roofs, classified as historical monuments in 1977, bear witness to Nancy's architectural and artisanal heritage at the beginning of the 20th century.

The building, located at the corner of the streets of the Commanderie and Jeanne-d Although its architecture remains sober, the Art Nouveau decoration, centered on plant motifs related to pharmacy, makes it a remarkable example of the Nancean heritage. The restoration work and the rediscovery of the furniture have highlighted its importance in the history of the art pharmacies and the Nancy School.

The Jacques pharmacy is part of a broader context of aesthetic renewal in Nancy, where Art Nouveau has marked many public and private buildings. Victor Jacques, author of the book, embodies the figure of the patron pharmacist, anxious to combine functionality and beauty. The collaborations between architects, sculptors and glassmakers illustrate the collective dynamics of this movement, which has made Nancy a major artistic home in France.

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