Jules Lavirotte in Minneapolis

September 7, 2007 — Acquisition — Minneapolis, Institute of Art — One of the most striking of the many Art Nouveau buildings in Paris is located at 29, avenue Rapp and is due to Jules Lavirotte. The door (ill. 1) - with its ceramics by Alexandre Bigot and the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Larrivé - is particularly famous and has often been reproduced.

1. Jules Lavirotte, Jean-Baptiste Larrivé et Alexandre Bigot
Door to 29, avenue Rapp
in Paris, 7th arrondissement

The Art Institute of Minneapolis has acquired a preliminary mock-up for this door (ill. 2) which had been shown at the last Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, from the Patrice Bellanger Gallery. This model along with the completed work can be compared to a detail from a drawing project for the façade held at the Archives de Paris before it was stolen from there [1] (ill. 3).

2. Jules Lavirotte (1864-1928)
Mock-up of the door to 29, avenue Rapp
in Paris, 7th arrondissement
Plaster - 102 x 61 x 13 cm
Minneapolis, Institute of Art
Photo : Galerie Bellanger

3. Jules Lavirotte (1864-1928)
Project for the façade of 29, avenue Rapp
in Paris (detail)
Paris, Archives de Paris(disappeared)

There is another mock-up for the sculpted framework, signed by both Lavirotte and Larrivé which can be seen on the blog (in French) Paris 1900. It provides extensive information about the building, particularly that it was erected between 1900 and 1901 and was not, contrary to popular thought, a model home for the purpose of showing off Alexandre Bigot’s skills since the owner of the house was Lavirotte himself who registered the building permit in 1899.