Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former hotel of Guines, located in Courbevoie (Hautes-de-Seine), is a monument of the 4th quarter of the 18th century, whose southern facade, in the style of Directoire, was decorated in 1800 by Heullin. This exterior decoration reflects the influence of Egyptomania, an artistic current born from the Napoleonic countryside. Originally, the house, built under Louis XV, was acquired by Jean-Baptiste Boiston, a sculptor, who worked there with his son François Charles Boiston before renting it in 1785 at the Duke of Guînes. The interiors combine a large Louis XVI living room, a small room with pumpkin motifs, and a room decorated with Management stuccos, attributed in part to Boiston.

In 1791 the jeweler Francastel became owner and entrusted to Heullin the decoration of a room on the ground floor as well as the facade. The building underwent renovations in the 19th century, as the addition of a loggia on the west side. The garden, now disappeared, was loti and crossed by the streets of Visien and the Halls. Partially classified in 1980 (inner and southern facades) and in 2005 (facades, roofs and floors), the hotel illustrates the evolution of artistic tastes between Ancient Regime and Empire.

The protections under the title of the Historical Monuments specifically concern: the ground floor with a Directoire decoration, three rooms from the first floor to the Louis XVI style, as well as all the facades and roofs. Associate architects and artisans include Forestier (workmaster), Heullin (decorator) and Les Boiston (sculptors). The official address, 51 rue de Visien, corresponds to cadastre S 108. Photography of the site is prohibited, emphasizing its preserved character.

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