Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The villa Berthe, located on the 72nd road from Montesson to Vesinet (Yvelines), is a major work by Hector Guimard, made in 1896 for the annuitant M. Noguès. It was one of the first Art Nouveau constructions in France, marking a break with historicalism and eclecticism dominant in the 19th century. His innovative style, inspired by Victor Horta and English architecture, is distinguished by curved lines, bowl-windows and characteristic portholes, with the nickname La Hublotière.

The villa is part of the urban project of Vesinet, a "city-park" created in 1856 with strict rules of landscape integration. Guimard adapts its architectural language, combining symmetry on the main facade (to respect the local specifications) and asymmetry on the back. The ironwork, decorated ceilings and interior stairway, inscribed in the historic monuments since 1979, illustrate its unique style, blending abstraction and natural inspiration, far from the figurative ornaments of Castel Béranger.

Influenced by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and his theories on "truth in architecture", Guimard conceives the Berthe villa as a modern and luminous envelope, where the interior structure dictates external forms. The bays, arranged according to the functions of the rooms, and the umbrella terrace reflect early attention to the integration of light and landscape, announcing principles of the Modern Movement. Private property, which is open to visitors, remains a key testimony to the artistic exchanges between Guimard and Horta, founders of Art Nouveau in Europe.

The villa Berthe is also distinguished by its social context: commissioned by an annuitant, it embodies the discreet luxury of the Parisian bourgeoisie in search of secondary residences in the countryside. The Vesinet, with its artificial lakes and green spaces arranged by the Count of Choulot, then attracts an elite anxious to combine nature and modernity. Guimard, by integrating neo-Gothic elements (such as the central gable) without falling into historicalism, pays tribute to Viollet-le-Duc while affirming his personal style, the "Guimard style", officially named in 1900.

Classified as a historical monument for its facades, roofs, ironworks and interior decorations, the Villa Berthe is the only Art Nouveau achievement in Vesinet. Its bowl-window, inspired by the Hotel Tassel in Horta (1893), and its wave motifs highlight Belgian influence, while its portholes and wrought iron grille testify to a bold formal search. Guimard experimented with a synthesis between functionality and aesthetics, foreshadowing the principles that would make him famous, notably with Castel Béranger (1898).

External links