Cauchie House, Art Nouveau museum in Etterbeek, Belgium
Cauchie House is a narrow, six-metre-wide town house at 5, rue des Francs in Etterbeek, built in 1905 to Paul Cauchie's design. Its pale rendered facade carries sgraffito panels in ochre and brown: a round window framed by women representing architecture, fine arts and applied arts, and the inscription "PAR NOUS" above "POUR NOUS". A shallow balcony with white railing and two medallions crosses the front; the ground floor keeps original furniture and decorated panels.
Paul Cauchie built the house in 1905 on a 6-metre-wide plot at 5, rue des Francs, probably with architect Édouard Frankinet. After the couple's death it was abandoned and nearly replaced by an apartment block in 1971; heritage pressure led to its listing. Guy and Léona Dessicy restored it between 1981 and 1988, with sgraffito restored by Marc Henricot and Walter Schudel in 1981.
The facade inscription "Par Nous — Pour Nous" (By Us — For Us) was a statement of the couple's joint authorship: Paul designed the sgraffito, Lina painted and taught art. Around the round window, female figures personify architecture, fine arts and applied arts. The house was conceived as a Gesamtkunstwerk, with furniture and wall decoration designed as part of the whole.
The house stands at 5, rue des Francs/Frankenstraat in Etterbeek, beside the Parc du Cinquantenaire. The ground floor and the basement gallery are open to the public on Saturdays; groups can arrange a visit by appointment. The two upper floors have been converted into private apartments and are not open.
The sgraffito technique on the facade was scratched by hand into wet plaster, revealing layers beneath to create the patterns. This labor-intensive craft technique was favored by wealthy Brussels homeowners but is rarely practiced today.
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