1.10.08

Another ceramic building

I have already made some posts about “art nouveau” buildings in Paris, Guimard, Lavirotte... and also about what you may call ceramic buildings (1, 2).

There is one ceramic building from 1903 at (number 2) rue Eugène Manuel in the 16th arrondissement, which is hardly mentioned anywhere, but which I think is remarkable. After a long research, I managed to find information on a blog called “Paris 1900”, which is an excellent source for all kinds of Paris 1900 architecture.





The architect is Charles Klein and he’s known for this building only. There is even a doubt whether he was an architect, or just the owner and the initiator of the building. Anyhow, there is a plate on the facade indicating that he’s the architect and Emile Muller the ceramist. References to Emile Muller are easier to find. He was collaborating with leading architects (including Guimard) and artists.

The theme for the decoration in glazed stoneware is obviously thistles!

The remarkable entrance door is created by a certain A. Dondelinger, who designed a lot of ironworks around Paris those days, including in collaboration with Lavirotte.A bit further up on the street you can find some more ceramics on a building, but much more modestly. Between the different early 1900 buildings in the street, a - in my opinion - much less fortunate architecture has found its place. (What did they destroy?)

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder how they able to keep it intact & interesting.

SusuPetal said...

Those ceramics are beautiful, so many fascinating details.

Have a nice day, Peter.

Anonymous said...

Bonnie Scotland ;)

lyliane six said...

Les azulejos parisiens?
En tous cas j'aime beaucoup c'est très beau, quoique un peu roccoco.
A bientôt en Novembre,je t'embrasse.

claude said...

C'est quand même mieux que ce qu'on fait maintenant. Merci Peter pour nous faire décourir ces merveilleux immeubles de Paris.
Lorsqu'on voit l'immeuble à la banne bleue sur ta dernière photo, je me dis que c'est une autre époque bien sûr mais pas en bien !

EMNM said...

How do you say ceramic tile in french?
I saw "azulejo" in the comments

Nice post

Adam said...

Paris could have been a world-renowned centre of Art Nouveau architecture, but somehow it never quite happened. What exists still today is less well known than the buildings of Brussels or Barcelona for example. I think it's probably because the buildings still retained a very classic form, and as is the case with this building, the detail was more in the decoration.

I wouldn't particularly like to live in one of these buildings though and have to pay the 'charges'!

hpy said...

Ah! L'art déco! C'est beau même avec des chardons en profusion.
A choisir entre les deux immeubles de la dernière photo, je sais où j'aimerais habiter, et cela, sans visiter l'intérieur. Mais je peux me tromper.

Cergie said...

Quelle merveille !
Tu noteras les noms associés ce sont des noms de l'est : Klein et Muller ; je ne sais rien de l'origine de Dondelinger par contre. (Cela me rappelle Clésinger le sculpteur de la tombe de Chopin et gendre de George Sand)
Tu as noté le chardon, symbole de la Lorraine où fleurit l'Art Nouveau à Nancy !
Qu'est ce qui a été détruit ?
Maybe un atelier ou une habitation à loyer modéré ?
;o)

Anonymous said...

I don't know much about architecture beyond what I live in; and Indian tipis and hogans which I once lived in when I was here before.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

hello my friend,

I also have not a clue if Charles KLEIN is a architect if so he must be named somewhere.... in the books of architects....when I know it I 'll let you know it too... This building is interesting, the paddo's are also 'strange in a way I cannot name... Not very much seen though...
*
well thanks in the first place for telling me that the music fro m the poem on my blog is from Michel LeGrand, now is the quesion "who wrote the poem?" and ehhh... where are the windmills in Paris? I saw 'a red mill' on TOP of the theatre MOULIN Rouge, in Paris...why? Thats an interesting question...

Wishing you a good day,
Greetings JoAnn's D Eyes

Kate said...

The top photo actually takes my breath away because it is so beautiful! Great photos, as usual. Thanks for visiting my blog today, too.

Jessica said...

I was so excited for Paris 1900 but... it's in French! I must learn.

I love the art nouveau ironwork. Thanks for the gorgeous photos!

Anonymous said...

ça se casse? :-)

Claudia said...

I took the same picture of 2, rue Eugène Manuel a year ago! Beautiful building.

http://flickr.com/photos/claudia1967/1541848870/in/set-72157602341745484/

alice said...

Quel beau travail, tant de la céramique que du métal...Et un sens du détail difficile à imaginer aujourd'hui où on doit déjà s'estimer content s'il n'y a pas de malfaçons!

Virginia said...

So Abe was an Amerian Indian in another life. I am pretty sure I was a lady of leisure living in one of these fabulous apartments in Paris! Peter, if you don't stop this, we will have to extend our stay in Paris by months. Hey, that's a great idea but I am pretty sure a shortage of Euros will nix that grand plan. These photos today are spectacular. The detail and color are amazing. Add it to the list.

Vagabondage said...

Bonsoir Peter,

Jamais vu cette merveille à Paris (heureusement, il y a encore tant de choses à voir et à découvrir..)

Et puis la déclinaison de la porte est très délicate. J'aime beaucoup..

Bonne soirée à toi. à bientôt à l'aube je crois... quelque part. (je te taquine. mais tu rêves de péniche..)

Shammickite said...

Those thistles are breathtakingly lovely! Did Charles Klein have a connection to Bonnie Scotland? I hope this building is being well maintained, it would be a shame to loce shch a work of art. Truly gorgeous, thank you for posting these pictures.

Alain said...

Le propriétaire était un passionné du chardon : l'ambassadeur d'Ecosse, peut-être ?

PeterParis said...

cuckoo:
Mybe excellent quality from the start?

susupetal:
When I read this, the day is over... but it was nice, thanks!

richard:
Maybe the architect was called Charles McKlein?

PeterParis said...

lyliane:
Bon voyage! Tu vas sans doute trouver des azulejos au Pérou!

claude:
Les architectes des années 60 manquaient souvent de l'inspiration, dans nos banlieus aussi les moyens (non valable pour ce quartier)!

matritensis:
Grès flammé (je crois)!

PeterParis said...

adam:
It's true, Horta in Brussels, Gaudi in Barcelona... Guimard, Lavirotte are possibly les world wide known.

hpy:
Art nouveau! Pour l'immeuble à habiter, je ne pense pas que tu te trompes!

cergie:
C'est vrai que l'art nouveau est très lié à Nancy (Daum, Gallé...) et ques Klein et Muller étaient peut-être d'origine lorraine?

PeterParis said...

abraham:
So you were reborn to what you are? ... your guess for next time?

joann:
i guess you will have difficulties in your research, but good luck!

Regarding the Moulin Rouge, please have a look at some previous posts under this label: http://peter-olson.blogspot.com/search/label/Moulin%20Rouge

The whole story is there!

kate:
Of course I visited your blog! ... even days, when you are not posting!

jessica:
The best way to learn French would be to come here for a couple of months, a year... ! ... and then you could also see all these buildings!

PeterParis said...

miss porcelaine:
Je me demande qui se cache derrière ce nom? :-))) (Oui, j'ai une idée.)

claudia:
Fantastic! How did you find it? Not so well known, not in so many guides...!

alice:
Avant, certains avaient des moyens... et les ouvriers ne gagnaient pas beaucoup.

PeterParis said...

virginia:
The list will be long! For how long can you extend your visit?

mathilde:
Je peux te montrer le chemin, mais pas avant 9 heures! (Eh oui... les péniches!)

shammickite:
Obvioulsy the thistles are also linked to the east of France (see comments by Cergie above). :-)

PeterParis said...

alain:
Ecosse ou... Cergie a lancé le débat!

Shionge said...

It is amazing that you are fascinated by these and I bet many Parisian don't appeciate it at all.

Thank you for your well wishes at my last post Peter, yes the Arch of Triump will always be there for us as I have visited it so many times since our honeymoon in 1990 and was glad that last visit in Year 2004, we climbed to the top too :D

Have a wonderful day Peter :D

claude said...

Je ne me lasse pad regarder cet immeuble, c'est un vrai régal pour les yeux, surtout pour les miens parisiens pour toujours !

Maxime said...

L'utilisation de la céramique en architecture demeure pour moi un perpétuel enchantement.
Il est vraiment dommage que ce materiau ne soit pas plus intégré dans les projets contemporains, surtout lorsque l'on sait que sa résistance au temps, aux intempéries et aux chocs thermiques est exceptionnelle.

Olivier said...

le problème quand on arrive après tout le monde, pas facile de rajouter quelque chose, superbe cette céramique, ce qui est bien c'est que tu as toujours quelque chose a découvrir dans le vieux Paris.
Pour les vidéos, il faut attendre les derniers jours ;o).

Anonymous said...

that's really a phantastic building and you have shown us a lot of interesting details. the portal with all the thistles around is georgous. and thanks for the url of the paris blog.

Thérèse said...

Très gaies ces photos on croirait presque, de loin, avoir à faire à des photos d’époque colorisées. Et puis on comprend en lisant.

Neva said...

Hi Peter....I lvoe the things I learn from you....are you sure you aren't a history teacher? The ceramic on the buildings are very beautiful.....and over at Kate in St Paul....doesnt' that sculpture remind you of "Atlas Shrugged"(a novel) by Ann Rand?

PeterParis said...

shionge:
Would every five years be OK? In 2009 again?

claude:
Je sais, toujours parisienne!

maxime:
Tu as parfaitement raison!

PeterParis said...

olivier:
Il va falloir que j'impatiente! Je pars pour quelques jours.

april:
Yes, the 1900 buildings-site is really something!

therese:
J'ai bien fait d'un mettre un texte!

PeterParis said...

neva:
I'm learning myself!

I must admit that I didn't know the "Atlas Shrugged". I looked it up now on Google... and , yes you are right - of course!

krystyna said...

Thank you Peter,
fantastic.