FEATURES ARCHIVE

After months of preparation, immersed in the details of the breathtaking Les Collections du Château de Gourdon, Philippe Garner, International Head of 20th Century Decorative Art & Design takes a few moments to share his thoughts on the magnificent works and the man behind it all. In particular he highlights the innovative ideas of the Union des Artistes Modernes which inform a truly exceptional part of this sale.

What can you tell us about the man responsible for compiling this wonderful collection?
I think the collection itself tells us a great deal about him. One can sense his passion and curiosity, his singlemindedness and intuition. We haven’t named him in the catalogue for the simple reason that he seeks no personal glory and is emphatic that the collection and its presentation at auction should be a celebration of all of those artists whose work he has championed.

What criteria did he use to shape the collection?
When he started collecting, in his early 20s, he was drawn to the styles of the early 20th century, but without yet having determined the shape of the collection. He very rapidly came to the realisation that it somehow wasn’t the decorative aspects of the arts of this period that appealed to him, but an underlining sense of purpose and pursuit of clarity on the part of the designers that expressed itself in a new purity of form. There is a rich intellectual as well as aesthetic narrative within the collection.

What makes this collection so special?
The collection spans the period from around 1900 to the close of the 1930s and there is a wonderful story that unfolds through these decades. We start with the fluid organic forms of Art Nouveau, followed by the elegant neo-classicism of the finest Art Deco. We then move into the section that truly excited our collector and that makes this collection so special. This is the parallel emergence of the modern movement in France, and most significantly the authoritative work of a group of artists who came to symbolise modernist ideals, the Union des Artistes Modernes. This association embraced artists and designers in every discipline, from architecture to jewellery design. Most seasons we would be thrilled to have one or two really strong pieces by any one of these artists. It is truly exceptional to be able to offer a collection of such breadth and depth.

How did the artists of the UAM define themselves?
At first they defined themselves in contrast to what they saw as the somewhat conservative sensibilities of Art Deco. They shunned decoration and ornament for its own sake. They were convinced that a new aesthetic had to be found that was appropriate to the modern age, the age of mechanisation, speed and movement. They were determined to find visual metaphors for the dynamism of that period. They also explored new materials and sought a fresh approach to design that was essentially utopian. The group shared a faith in the notion of democratic design and in the inherent beauty of functional forms.

How was their work received by the public at that time?
The reality is that their ideas were way ahead of the tastes of the general public. They found respect among peers, but for the most part the works that they created were not put into series production until many decades later. Today certain of their designs have become ubiquitous as symbols of the modern, and they seem as modern today as when they were created. But many works exist only as prototypes. Many of the works in the collection were made as special commissions for sophisticated clients; others were made by the artists for their own use.

What was the most surprising piece in the collection?
The collection has its own logic; like a jigsaw puzzle image coming into focus. Perhaps the most remarkable work is the lacquer room created by Jean Dunand, Les Palmiers. It is one of the finest Art Deco rooms ever created. I can imagine that for a client or architect working on a new build this would make a spectacular centrepiece of stunning quality and breathtaking elegance.

Are most of the works offered unique?
The focus for our collector was to track works which were absolutely exemplary of their kind, emblematic of the artist and of the period. He acquired many works with interesting associations and provenance. A great many of the pieces are indeed unique.

If you could take one piece home which would it be?
Tough question! I’ll pick two extremely contrasting pieces: the fantastic water-lily bed by Majorelle, which I think is one of the most imaginative works in the whole history of furniture design; and an exquisite mechanistic bracelet by Jean Fouquet – for my wife.