Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie

The Institut d’Art et d’Archéologie is identifiable by its long, curved facade covered in a skin of warm, reddish-brown brick, broken up by dozens of terracotta masks that stare down from the walls. Designed by Paul Bigot in the nineteen twenties, the building served as a laboratory for the study of ancient civilizations. Archaeologist Salomon Reinach insisted the design mimic the spirit of Mediterranean antiquity, leading to these distinct ceramic reliefs which depict various artistic motifs from the ancient world.