20 th Century Decorative Arts & Design

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "20 th Century Decorative Arts & Design"

Godwin James
5 years ago
Views:

Paris press release 33 (0)1 53 05 53 66 Sophie Dufresne sophie.dufresne@sothebys.com 33 (0)1 53 05 52 32 Chloé Brézet chloe.brezet@sothebys.

Century Decorative Arts & Design at Sotheby s France will take place on 25 November 2014.

1 Paris press release 33 (0) Sophie Dufresne 33 (0) Chloé Brézet 20 th Century Decorative Arts & Design A JEAN-MICHEL FRANK COLLECTION A JEAN ROYÈRE COLLECTION 14 WORKS BY FRANÇOIS-XAVIER & CLAUDE LALANNE Paris, October 2014 The next sale of 20 th Century Decorative Arts & Design at Sotheby s France will take place on 25 November It will feature a selection of emblematic pieces and remarkable ensembles from private collections two of them devoted to those Giants of Decorative arts, Jean-Michel Frank and Jean Royère. The sale also features 14 pieces by legendary Design couple François-Xavier & Claude Lalanne. Agrément N du 25 octobre 2001 Vente dirigée par Cécile Verdier

Alongside such masterpieces, the sale features creations by such leading names of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Post-War and Contemporary Design with Scandinavian and Italian furniture, as Rembrandt

Such eclecticism is sure to delight specialist collectors.

2 Alongside such masterpieces, the sale features creations by such leading names of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Post-War and Contemporary Design with Scandinavian and Italian furniture, as Rembrandt Bugatti, Emile Gallé, Alphonse Mucha, Paul Iribe, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Gustave Miklos, Pierre Legrain, Line Vautrin, Charlotte Perriand, Shiro Kuramata, Maria Pergay or Ron Arad. Such eclecticism is sure to delight specialist collectors. JEAN-MICHEL FRANK: PRIVATE COLLECTION Jean-Michel Frank takes centrestage with eight pieces of furniture from the collection of Helen Lansdowne Resor legendary Advertising Executive with J. Walter Thompson and pioneer of advertising in the United States. The ensemble is minutely documented by letters exchanged between Mrs Resor and Frank , revealing the importance of these commissions. Frank s inimitably refined and visionary style is captured by a cabinet with radiating straw marquetry (c.1935) that comes with an estimate of 200, ,000 / $254, ,000. Other highlights here include a splendid Infinity vase by Alberto Giacometti, previously known only through a version made from plaster. This vase catches the eye with its colour of deep, almost unreal green. Giacometti wrote that he was working on a vase exactly as I would on a sculpture (est. 70, ,000 / $89, ,000). JEAN ROYÈRE: AN ORIGINAL ENSEMBLE OF 21 WORKS An exceptional, hitherto unknown ensemble of furniture by Jean Royère, conserved in situ for many decades by its owners in north-east France, features iconic works by one of the 20 th century s greatest decorators. Royère s creative 2

fantasy and humour course through 21 lots of stunning quality and variety, which include a pair of 1954 Diabolo wall-lights (est. 8,000-12,000 / $10,200-15,200); a pair of Polar Bear armchairs (est.

30,000-60,000 / $38,000-76,000) jokily entitled Flaque (Puddle) or Semelle (Shoe Sole).

3 fantasy and humour course through 21 lots of stunning quality and variety, which include a pair of 1954 Diabolo wall-lights (est. 8,000-12,000 / $10,200-15,200); a pair of Polar Bear armchairs (est. 100, ,000 / $127, ,000); a Polar Bear sofa (est. 180, ,000 / $228, ,000); and a 1954 coffee-table (est. 30,000-60,000 / $38,000-76,000) jokily entitled Flaque (Puddle) or Semelle (Shoe Sole). 14 WORKS BY FRANÇOIS-XAVIER & CLAUDE LALANNE The sale also features fourteen pieces by François-Xavier & Claude Lalanne that will delight admirers of this creative duo. Works include a flock of black-patinated bronze and epoxy Sheep by François-Xavier Lalanne (est. 180, ,000 / $228, ,000) and a magical Banbiloba II bench by his wife Claude Lalanne (est. 80, ,000 / $102, ,000). Aesthetes will also be tempted by her imposingly voluptuous giltbronze Apple from 2008 (est. 80, ,000 / $102, ,000). WORKS FROM VARIOUS OWNERS Art Nouveau Art Nouveau works in the sale range from a Prowling Brown Bear Right Leg Forward (1909/10) by Rembrandt Bugatti (est. 100, ,000 / $127, ,000) and a decorative Colocynth vase (c.1905) by Daum Frères (est. 30,000-50,000 /$38,000-63,500) to an Emile Gallé vase from around 1900 (est. 25,000-35,000 / $31,700-44,400) and several lithographs by Alphonse Mucha led by his Four Seasons series from the turn of the 20 th century (est. 40,000-60,000 / $51,000-76,000). Art Deco The Art Deco section includes a fine array of furniture by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, led by his elegant ivory-inlaid amaranth Vide-Poche Fuseaux cabinet from 1921/22 (est. 180, ,000 / $228, ,000) and his streamlined, Nicolle games-table from around 1930, unique piece 3

4 convertible into a dining table (est. 25,000-35,000 / $31,700-44,400) from the Jules Deroubaix Collection, head of Ruhlmann s studio. Sculpture highlight is Gustave Miklos unique Young Man Standing (1927), owned by his collaborator s family, François-Louis Schmied (est. 50,000-70,000 / $63,500-89,000). An exceptional pair of Cubist armchairs ( ) by Pierre Legrain are among the sale s more unexpected offerings (est. 100, ,000 / $127, ,000). Only two armchairs by Pierre Legrain, of cubist inspiration, are known today. They were made on this example for Legrain s patron Jacques Doucet, and partly retain their original upholstery whose delicate fresh butter tone recalls that of Eileen Gray s Bibendum armchair from These armchairs are probably from a patron close to Jacques Doucet, such as Jeanne Tachard or Pierre Meyer. 1950s Highlights include a pair of Jean Royère Egg armchairs (est. 40,000-60,000 / $51,000-76,000) and three Charlotte Perriand bookcases two of them acquired by an architect in the 1960s and kept in his collection ever since, the third (est. 60,000-80,000 / $76, ,000) designed for the Maison du Mexique in A selection of Line Vautrin mirrors includes one entitled Colbert (c.1960) with a gilded glass frame (est. 70, ,000 / $89, ,000). Contemporary Fans of pure, harmonious outlines will be enchanted by Ron Arad s steel and leather chair and Shiro Kuramata s 1987 Side One chest-of-drawers (est. 10,000-15,000 / $12,700-19,000), alongside Scandinavian furniture by Mogens Lassen, Alvar Aalto and Poul Kjaerholm. 4

5 FOR MORE NEWS FROM SOTHEBY S Visit: Follow: Join: & Watch: Sotheby s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since Sotheby s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby s presents auctions in eight different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids in real-time from anywhere in the world. Sotheby s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby s Financial Services, the world s only full-service art financing company, as well as private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S 2, the gallery arm of Sotheby s Contemporary Art department, as well as Sotheby s Diamonds and Sotheby s Wine. Sotheby s has a global network of 90 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID). *Estimates do not include buyer s premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer s premium. Images are available upon request All catalogues are available online at or through Sotheby s Catalogue ipad App. 5

Landmark Offering of Harry Bertoia Works Opens at Sotheby s New York

Landmark Offering of Harry Bertoia Works Opens at Sotheby s New York New York +1 212 606 7176 Lauren Gioia Lauren.Gioia@Sothebys.com Darrell Rocha Darrell.Rocha@Sothebys.com Landmark Offering of Works Opens at Sotheby s New York FEATURING MASTERWORKS FROM THE COLLECTION