Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The villa Majorelle, built between 1901 and 1902 in Nancy by the Parisian architect Henri Sauvage for Louis Majorelle, embodies Art Nouveau and the École de Nancy. This ambitious project, located in the district of Médreville then in urbanization, combines workshop, exhibition venue and family residence. Majorelle collaborates with exceptional artisans: Francis Jourdain for paintings, Alexandre Bigot for ceramics, and Jacques Gruber for stained glass, creating a harmony between interior and exterior.

The villa suffered damage during the German bombardment in 1916, notably losing a Gruber stained glass window, replaced by an orientalising motif inspired by Jacques Majorelle's travels. After the death of Louis Majorelle in 1926, the property was sold in 1931 to the Ponts-et-Chaussées ministry, which transformed it into offices. The furniture is dispersed, but a part (like the bedroom) is saved and reinstated after 2020.

Ranked a historic monument in 1996, the villa became property of the city of Nancy in 2003. A major restoration between 2016 and 2019 aims to restore its original state, based on a family photo album and Majorelle catalogue. The work includes the repair of glazed sandstones, stained glass windows and woodwork, while modernizing infrastructure for public reception. The villa reopens in 2020, highlighting its artistic unity, the central principle of the École de Nancy.

The architecture of the villa, asymmetrical and luminous, breaks with conformism. Henri Sauvage experimented with reinforced concrete structures and curved lines, while Majorelle designed ironwork and furniture incorporating plant motifs (cash, dragonflies). The interior decoration, with paintings by Francis Jourdain and ceramics by Alexander Bigot, reflects an organic aesthetic. The villa remains a unique testimony of French Art Nouveau, combining technical innovation and total art.

The posterity of the villa is marked by its influence on the career of Henri Sauvage and its role in the recognition of the School of Nancy. Although her architect is Parisian, she illustrates the unity of the arts advocated by the nean movement. Today, it is labeled "Maison des illustrieux" and "Heritage of the 20th century", attracting lovers of architecture and art history.

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