Art Nouveau Lover? You MUST Take A Journey to Nancy, France.
If you love Art Nouveau, make sure to add Nancy to your French touring itinerary. Why? It’s where you’ll find the Ecole de Nancy – the School of Nancy Museum. Housed in the former home of Eugene Corbin, the School’s most important patron and collector, visitors are treated to intimate viewings of furniture, objets d’art, glassware, ceramics and fabrics by Art Nouveau’s shining stars, including: Emile Galle, Victor Pouve, Louis Majorelle, Antonin Daum, Eugene Vallin, and Jacques Gruber. Founded in 1901, the artists and architects of the School turned Nancy into an artistic center that rivaled Paris, and earned the city the nickname “Capitale de l’Est.”
Elaine’s History With Art Nouveau
I fell in love with Art Nouveau in Prague while gazing at Alphonse Mucha’s stained glass windows in the Cathedral of St. Vitus. I always believed Austria and the Czech Republic was the birthplace of Art Nouveau. But its inception can actually be traced to two distinct influences. The first was around 1880 with the creation of the British Arts and Crafts movement – a reaction against the cluttered designs of Victorian-era decorative art. The second inspiration was born in the late 19th century and focused on Europe’s love affair with Japanese art (particularly wood block prints). Artists like Gustav Klimt and James McNeill Whistler drew inspiration from both organic and geometric forms, evolving elegant designs that united flowing natural forms resembling the stems and blossoms of plants.
Don’t Forget To Tour The Town
Art Nouveau building in Nancy, France
After you spend a blissful hour or two in the School of Nancy Museum, you’ll want to do a driving tour of the city’s other important Art Nouveau buildings – a collection of banks and private homes. In addition, the city is known for its array of 18th century architecture, including Place Stanislas, Place del Carriere and Place d’Alliance, all listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Ecole de Nancy is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm. It is also closed January 1, May 1, July 14, November 1 and December 25. Admission is 6 Euros, with free entry the first Sunday of the month. The address is 38 rue du Sergent Blandan, 54000, Nancy, France. Google Maps will guide you there, and there is free is free parking on the street. The garden is also well worth visiting. For more information, visit here.
TIP: Nancy is in northeastern France, and was the former capital of the Duchy of Lorraine. If you are driving from Paris to Nancy (about a 4 hour trip), make sure to stop in Reims. Of the three major Cathedrals Derek and I toured on our recent trip: Strasbourg, Chartres and Reims, we both agreed Reims was our favorite (due in part to the stained glass windows of Marc Chagall.)
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