Cauchie house
Encyclopedia
The Cauchie house was built in 1905 by Art Nouveau
architect
, painter and designer Paul Cauchie, in Etterbeek
, Brussels
, next of the Cinquantenaire
. Its façade
is remarkable for its allegorical
sgraffiti
.
(in the class of Constant Montald
), where he studied painting (as a pupil of Jean Portaels) and the sgraffito
technique, and followed courses in decorative painting (1893–1898). From 1895, whilst still pursuing his studies, Paul Cauchie started to work for his living. Apart from his own house, only three houses built by Cauchie are known: two others in Brussels and one at Duinbergen. As Cauchie was more of a decorator than an architect, he specialised in designing sgraffiti for architecture.
Cauchie met his future wife in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Carolina 'Lina' Voet achieved a very good level in painting, enabling her to teach drawing and painting privately.
They married in 1905 and decided to build a house on the 6 metres (19.7 ft)-wide plot of land Cauchie bought next to the Cinquantenaire
Park. He designed the front of the house with the intention of advertising and selling their work: sgraffiti for him and art teaching for her. As the house was easily seen from the neighboring roads, it drew the attention of passers-by and demonstrated their know-how.
The Cauchie house is a good example of the application of the principle of "total art" in architecture. Cauchie and his wife wanted that the distinction between the main art forms (architecture, painting, sculpture) and the minor art forms (decorative arts) disappeared to became part of the global œuvre.
museum in cooperation with Hergé. Symbolically on Christmas Day, 1980, Hergé gave Dessicy his official agreement to the project. Dessicy undertook an intensive study with Bob De Moor
, who laid the bases of the scenography. A scale model was made by the Studios Hergé
.
M. Dessicy started to look for sponsors and supports. In the meantime, he devote himself to saving another building, the former Magasins Waucquez, work of the Belgian architect Victor Horta
. Despite many steps taken to find sponsors, Dessicy did not succeed in creating sufficient interest to complete his project of a Tintin Museum at Cauchie house. Eventually, Desiccy succeeded in turning the Magasins Waucquez into the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art).
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, painter and designer Paul Cauchie, in Etterbeek
Etterbeek
Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. It neighbours the municipalities of the City of Brussels, Ixelles, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and Schaerbeek....
, Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, next of the Cinquantenaire
Cinquantenaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark is a large public, urban park in the easternmost part of the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium....
. Its façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
is remarkable for its allegorical
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
sgraffiti
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an...
.
A giant advertising billboard for an artist couple
Paul Cauchie was sixteen when he began his architectural studies at the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts (in the classes of Joseph Schadde and Léonard Blomme). Very soon afterwards he enrolled at the Académie Royale des Beaux-ArtsAcadémie Royale des Beaux-Arts
The Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels is an art school, founded in 1711.The faculty and alumni of ARBA include some of the most famous names in Belgian painting, sculpture, and architecture: James Ensor, Rene Magritte, and Paul Delvaux...
(in the class of Constant Montald
Constant Montald
Constant Montald was a Belgian painter, muralist, sculptor, and teacher.Montald trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, then lived and studied briefly in Paris with fellow artist Henri Privat-Livemont at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts...
), where he studied painting (as a pupil of Jean Portaels) and the sgraffito
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an...
technique, and followed courses in decorative painting (1893–1898). From 1895, whilst still pursuing his studies, Paul Cauchie started to work for his living. Apart from his own house, only three houses built by Cauchie are known: two others in Brussels and one at Duinbergen. As Cauchie was more of a decorator than an architect, he specialised in designing sgraffiti for architecture.
Cauchie met his future wife in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Carolina 'Lina' Voet achieved a very good level in painting, enabling her to teach drawing and painting privately.
They married in 1905 and decided to build a house on the 6 metres (19.7 ft)-wide plot of land Cauchie bought next to the Cinquantenaire
Cinquantenaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire or Jubelpark is a large public, urban park in the easternmost part of the European Quarter in Brussels, Belgium....
Park. He designed the front of the house with the intention of advertising and selling their work: sgraffiti for him and art teaching for her. As the house was easily seen from the neighboring roads, it drew the attention of passers-by and demonstrated their know-how.
Building
At the very centre of the façade, Cauchie drew the words "" (By Us — For Us). The house was designed, from the very beginning, as a joint work intended for private use. Cauchie did the drawings for the house but worked together with his wife to design and decorate their home-workshop. Cauchie and his wife filled the house with their multiple works of art (paintings, wall coverings, furniture,...)The Cauchie house is a good example of the application of the principle of "total art" in architecture. Cauchie and his wife wanted that the distinction between the main art forms (architecture, painting, sculpture) and the minor art forms (decorative arts) disappeared to became part of the global œuvre.
A Tintin Museum in the Cauchie House?
In 1979, the saving of the Cauchie House led to the idea of using it to house a TintinThe Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
museum in cooperation with Hergé. Symbolically on Christmas Day, 1980, Hergé gave Dessicy his official agreement to the project. Dessicy undertook an intensive study with Bob De Moor
Bob de Moor
Bob de Moor is the pen name of Robert Frans Marie De Moor , a Belgian comics creator. Chiefly noted as an artist, he is considered an early master of the Ligne claire style. He wrote and drew several comics series on his own, but also collaborated with Hergé on several volumes of The Adventures of...
, who laid the bases of the scenography. A scale model was made by the Studios Hergé
Studios Hergé
The Studios Hergé were, between 1950 and 1986, a SARL grouping comics author Hergé and his collaborators, who assisted him with the creation of The Adventures of Tintin and derived products...
.
M. Dessicy started to look for sponsors and supports. In the meantime, he devote himself to saving another building, the former Magasins Waucquez, work of the Belgian architect Victor Horta
Victor Horta
Victor, Baron Horta was a Belgian architect and designer. John Julius Norwich described him as "undoubtedly the key European Art Nouveau architect." Indeed, Horta is one of the most important names in Art Nouveau architecture; the construction of his Hôtel Tassel in Brussels in 1892-3 means that...
. Despite many steps taken to find sponsors, Dessicy did not succeed in creating sufficient interest to complete his project of a Tintin Museum at Cauchie house. Eventually, Desiccy succeeded in turning the Magasins Waucquez into the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art).