.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
THIS WORK WAS COMMISSIONED TO DECORATE THE GERSHWIN ROOM OF THE RIHGA ROYAL HOTEL IN NEW YORK CITY. IT IS A COPY AFTER THE CHARIOT OF AURORA LACQUER RELIEF FROM THE GRAND SALON OF THE S.S. NORMANDIE
THE CHARIOT OF AURORA, THE DAZZLING ART DECO WALL RELIEF WAS DESIGNED FOR THE GRAND SALON OF THE FRENCH OCEANLINER NORMANDIE, LAUNCHED IN 1935. STANDING ON THE END WALL OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ROOM IN THE FINEST PASSENGER SHIP EVER BUILT, IT WAS PART OF A PALATIAL DECORATIVE SCHEME INTENDED TO SYMBOLIZE THE FRENCH NATIONS PREEMINENT STATUS IN NAVIGATION, ENGINEERING, DESIGN, AND CULTURAL SOPHISTICATION.
THE IDEA FOR A DECORATIVE SCHEME COMBINING THE GODS AND GODDESSES OF ANTIQUITY WITH THE HISTORY OF MODERN NAVIGATION ORIGINATED WITH THE ROOMS ARCHITECT, ROGER-HENRI EXPERT (1882?). A PHOTOGRAPH OF EXPERTS FIRST IDEA FOR THE END WALL (WITH DOORS) INCLUDED THE SUN-LIKE COMPASS ROSE IN THE CENTER, THE GREEK GODS APHRODITE AND POSEIDON IN CHARIOTS DRAWN BY HIPPOCAMPI (MYTHOLOGICAL SEA-HORSES), SHORELINES OF THE CONTINENTS OF NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, EUROPE, AND AFRICA, SPOUTING WHALES AND SEA MONSTERS, AND THE NORMANDIE ITSELF SAILING MAJESTICALLY FROM EAST TO WEST.
JEAN DUPAS (1882-1964), ARTIST AND DESIGNER OF THE CHARIOT OF AURORA AND THE FOUR ENORMOUS VERRE EGLOMISE (PAINTED AND GILDED GLASS) MURALS IN THE ROOMS FOUR CORNERS, ELABORATED ON EXPERTS IDEA AND TRANSFORMED IT INTO A FULL-BLOWN MODERN MYTHOLOGY.
JEAN DUNAND (18771942), THE ARTIST WHO CARVED, LACQUERED, AND GILDED THE RELIEF, FOLLOWED DUPASS DESIGN VERY CLOSELY. HIS GREAT CONTRIBUTION COMES PRINCIPALLY FROM HIS CHOICE OF TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS FOR ITS EXECUTION. VISITORS TO THE GRAND SALON, IMPRESSED BY ITS HUGE PROPORTIONS AND MIRRORED CORNERS, WERE STRUCK BY ITS RESEMBLANCE TO THE HALL OF MIRRORS IN THE ROYAL PALACE OF VERSAILLES CONSTRUCTED BY THE SUN KING LOUIS XIV.
THESE ALLUSIONS TO THE GREATEST CULTURAL PRODUCTIONS OF PAST EMPIRES, JUXTAPOSED WITH A REMINISCENCE OF THE GREAT FRENCH KING LOUIS XIV, PLACE FRANCE FIRMLY AT THE APEX OF GREAT CIVILIZATIONS, AND ALIGN THE NORMANDIE WITH THE FINEST CREATIONS OF HUMAN MINDS AND HANDS.
THE CHARIOT OF AURORA, THE DAZZLING ART DECO WALL RELIEF WAS DESIGNED FOR THE GRAND SALON OF THE FRENCH OCEANLINER NORMANDIE, LAUNCHED IN 1935. STANDING ON THE END WALL OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ROOM IN THE FINEST PASSENGER SHIP EVER BUILT, IT WAS PART OF A PALATIAL DECORATIVE SCHEME INTENDED TO SYMBOLIZE THE FRENCH NATIONS PREEMINENT STATUS IN NAVIGATION, ENGINEERING, DESIGN, AND CULTURAL SOPHISTICATION.
THE IDEA FOR A DECORATIVE SCHEME COMBINING THE GODS AND GODDESSES OF ANTIQUITY WITH THE HISTORY OF MODERN NAVIGATION ORIGINATED WITH THE ROOMS ARCHITECT, ROGER-HENRI EXPERT (1882?). A PHOTOGRAPH OF EXPERTS FIRST IDEA FOR THE END WALL (WITH DOORS) INCLUDED THE SUN-LIKE COMPASS ROSE IN THE CENTER, THE GREEK GODS APHRODITE AND POSEIDON IN CHARIOTS DRAWN BY HIPPOCAMPI (MYTHOLOGICAL SEA-HORSES), SHORELINES OF THE CONTINENTS OF NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, EUROPE, AND AFRICA, SPOUTING WHALES AND SEA MONSTERS, AND THE NORMANDIE ITSELF SAILING MAJESTICALLY FROM EAST TO WEST.
JEAN DUPAS (1882-1964), ARTIST AND DESIGNER OF THE CHARIOT OF AURORA AND THE FOUR ENORMOUS VERRE EGLOMISE (PAINTED AND GILDED GLASS) MURALS IN THE ROOMS FOUR CORNERS, ELABORATED ON EXPERTS IDEA AND TRANSFORMED IT INTO A FULL-BLOWN MODERN MYTHOLOGY.
JEAN DUNAND (18771942), THE ARTIST WHO CARVED, LACQUERED, AND GILDED THE RELIEF, FOLLOWED DUPASS DESIGN VERY CLOSELY. HIS GREAT CONTRIBUTION COMES PRINCIPALLY FROM HIS CHOICE OF TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS FOR ITS EXECUTION. VISITORS TO THE GRAND SALON, IMPRESSED BY ITS HUGE PROPORTIONS AND MIRRORED CORNERS, WERE STRUCK BY ITS RESEMBLANCE TO THE HALL OF MIRRORS IN THE ROYAL PALACE OF VERSAILLES CONSTRUCTED BY THE SUN KING LOUIS XIV.
THESE ALLUSIONS TO THE GREATEST CULTURAL PRODUCTIONS OF PAST EMPIRES, JUXTAPOSED WITH A REMINISCENCE OF THE GREAT FRENCH KING LOUIS XIV, PLACE FRANCE FIRMLY AT THE APEX OF GREAT CIVILIZATIONS, AND ALIGN THE NORMANDIE WITH THE FINEST CREATIONS OF HUMAN MINDS AND HANDS.