The city of Nancy in eastern France offers a beguiling mix of arts, gastronomy and dazzling architecture from medieval style through gilded baroque and a stunning array of Art Nouveau buildings.
The soul of Nancy is undoubtedly the Place de Stanislas, named after the deposed King of Poland, who commissioned its building in the style of Versailles to honour King Louis XV of France, his son-in-law who offered him a place to live in his time of need. It’s a mind-bogglingly beautiful square, quite possible the most sparkling in France.
But that’s not the only architectural gem in Nancy. And if you’re an art nouveau fan, and who could not love this style – an outward embrace of nature’s curves, botanicals and foliage that featured in glassware, metalwork, furniture, buildings and fashion – then Nancy is going to dazzle your senses because it’s one of the top Art Nouveau cities of Europe, a Belle Epoque fantasy, with museums, as well as streets of buildings dedicated to this enduring art movement.
Nancy – the cradle of Art Nouveau in France
Art Nouveau is an art form that flourished from the 1880s to the eve of World War I; it’s all about elegant organic, flowing, curving forms that embrace nature. In Europe it was celebrated in train stations, department stores, restaurants. And in France, the city of Nancy was the centre of art nouveau, especially in architecture.
At first rejected by the locals who adored their gilded Baroque style square, the movement grew to become all-consuming in Nancy. Art nouveau style houses and commercial buildings, furniture and décor were coveted right up until the 1960’s-1970’s when the style went out of fashion and, wanting to modernise, people chucked out their art nouveau jugs, tables, lampshades and more, leaving them on the sidewalk for the rubbish collectors – no one else wanted these things. As we toured the city, my friend Vincent joked “my grandfather deprived me of a small flat in Nancy by putting out the kitchen table.” It was only after this purge that Art Nouveau once more became appreciated, valued and protected.
Take a wander through the streets in the centre of Nancy and you’ll spot Art Nouveau everywhere, at a former seed shop with ornate metal white poppies above the door – an indication that you could buy opium there says Vincent. At the Bank BNP which has a stunning staircase with exquisite metal work and where no one bats an eyelid at visitors walking in an ogling the furniture! At the Chamber of Commerce, ring the bell and ask to see the stained-glass windows and you’ll be met with a smile, the receptionist will push a button to let you into a room with the most extraordinary works of art in an office. Despite the motto of the city of Nancy being “Don’t mess with us” or words to that effect, they’re a friendly lot here. At the Excelsior restaurant, a stone’s throw from the station, and an art nouveau delight, there’s a rather exotic painting of a bare breasted lady beer drinker was re-discovered in 2023, hidden behind a huge mirror for decades, it’s said so as not to offend the eyes of the Sisters from the nearby Convent who could see it through the window as they passed by. And an unusual fact is that this is one of the first restaurants in France to have big windows where diners could be seen from outside, encouraging passers-by to dine there too!
Fine Arts Museum, Nancy
At the Fine Arts Museum in Place Stanislas, alongside a magnificent collection of paintings, the Daum Collection is an entire basement devoted to glass produced from 1878 onwards including many stunning Art Nouveau pieces from perfume bottles to vases, jugs, glasses and dinner services. At the forefront of marketing, Daum offered free glasses to Paris cafés – everyone wanted them when they saw them!
Musée de l’École de Nancy
But it’s in the Art Nouveau district in the suburbs, a 30-minute walk (or short bus ride) from the centre, that you’ll find the world’s most coherent collection of Art Nouveau artefacts at the wonderful Musée de l’École de Nancy in a former mansion with a lovely garden in which there is a stunning Art Nouveau pavilion, built to house an aquarium.
Of the several hundred pieces in the museum’s collection, there are many jaw dropping pieces including works by many stars of Art Nouveau – Majorelle, Grüber, Daum, and Vallin. Highlights include Gallé’s “Dawn and Dusk” bed, Vallin’s grand 1904 dining suite crowned with Victor Prouvé’s leather panels, where every detail expresses the flowing design motifs of the Art Nouveau movement – from floor to ceiling and everything else in between. It feels as if the room is alive, writing before your eyes, a forest of intricately carved furniture from the chairs to the light fitting in the form of a vine dropping from the wooden ceiling. Where Art Nouveau can seem quite fanciful, whimsical even when seen as one of pieces – vases, doors, chairs, when you see all these pieces together like this, the effect is breath-taking but somewhat overwhelming.
Villa Marjorelle
Nearby, best reached via a short walk along rue Felix Fabre where you’ll spot Normandy Art Nouveau style houses, is the sensational Villa Marjorelle, built in 1901–02 for Louis Majorelle, designed by Henri Sauvage with Majorelle’s lush furnishings. It was reopened in 2020 after being restored to its original state after having suffered a few years under multiple coats of white paint when the building functions as offices. Now it looks exactly as it was intended – a symphony of stained glass and signature cabinetry and I wasn’t the only visitor to say “wow” out loud as I wandered the rooms.
Art Nouveau in Nancy
Without a doubt, Nancy is one of the great Art Nouveau cities of the world, and, easy to reach from Paris (just two hours by train), and largely devoid of crowds, it’s an absolute must-see for any lover of art (nouveau – or otherwise), history and heritage.
Find out more and get a city pass which gives you entry to museums, attractions and guided tours: nancy-tourisme.fr/en/
Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com
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