How Art Deco enchanted a century of collectors

Few events have changed the course of design history as significantly as the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes. Often referred to as the 1925 Paris Exhibition, the government-sponsored presentation sought to introduce an aesthetic that was truly modern, intentionally devoid of references to historical antecedents and a marked departure from Art Nouveau. While the exhibition was open to international exhibitors, ranging from Great Britain and Italy to Japan and the Soviet Union, one of its goals was to reinforce France’s dominance as a cultural capital at the cutting edge of luxurious, artisanal design, across the decorative arts, architecture, jewellery and more.

Originally scheduled for 1915, the Paris Exhibition was delayed due to World War I. By 1925, the ‘Art Deco’ style (a name that resulted from the exhibition’s success) had already been popular in France; however, as Victoria Tudor, Christie’s Head of Sale, Design, notes, the exhibition ‘catapulted’ Art Deco to an international stage. More than 16 million people visited during its six-month run. In the hundred years since, collectors can’t get enough of the movement’s artwork and objects, noted for their bold geometric designs and luxurious materials.

Celebrating the centennial of the 1925 Paris Exhibition, Christie’s will present 1925 | A Modern Vision on 11 December in New York. This dedicated design auction will feature works by many of Art Deco’s most celebrated creators, including Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, André Groult, Jean Dunand, Eugène Printz, Edgar Brandt and more.

‘Art Deco was as important in 1925 as it is today in 2025,’ says Tudor. ‘The love of Art Deco can be seen throughout the world. Christie’s own New York galleries are located at Rockefeller Center, an icon of Art Deco architecture and design.’ Included in the upcoming sale is a plaster model for Alfred August Janniot’s bronze bas-relief that graces the facade of La Maison Française at Rockefeller Center’s 610 Fifth Avenue to this day.

While the 1925 Paris Exhibition inspired edifices as iconic as New York City’s Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, it also served as a catalyst for the careers of numerous French creators and ensembliers, at the centre of which was Ruhlmann, who designed stunning works that considered the ‘totality of an environment,’ says Tudor: ‘There was an understanding of how everything in the interior interacts, from wall treatments to furnishings and lighting, and how those elements came together to create an ambiance.’

The 1925 Paris Exhibition led to many key commissions, including Groult’s shagreen, mahogany and oak bed (circa 1925). Along with other furnishings, a cream version of his scalloped bed was made for the French designer’s contribution to the exhibition, the Chambre de Madame suite, designed for the French Embassy (a chest of drawers from this suite is currently on view in 1925-2025. One Hundred Years of Art Deco at Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris). Groult later remade these designs in seafoam-green shagreen for an American client, as is the case with the present example.

Below, discover more exceptional designs from 1925 | A Modern Vision and the legendary collections from which they hail.

Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson’s passion for the cutting-edge

One of the highlights of Christie’s November 2025 marquee week in New York was Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson’s one-of-a-kind collection, which will continue to be offered in December and through 2026. The couple, known for their daring taste, proudly mixed contemporary paintings and sculptures by Ed Ruscha, Maurizio Cattelan, Richard Prince with the finest French Art Deco design.

‘I find it fascinating that Stefan and Gael lived with these sculptural designs alongside artwork that was so contemporary, modern and bold,’ says Tudor of furnishings such as Ruhlmann’s rare and timeless ‘Hydravion’ salon suite. ‘In 1925, Art Deco was just that, both modern and bold with an evolution in line and silhouette that emphasised geometry and shape, coupled with elegant materials and luxurious texture.’

Tudor adds that Edlis and Neeson’s penchant for mixing cutting-edge pieces from centuries apart reminds her of the interiors Jed Johnson designed for Andy Warhol’s Upper East Side apartment. Like Edlis and Neeson, Warhol surrounded himself with Ruhlmann works, as well as Dunand’s brilliant lacquer vases and furnishings. Warhol’s living room featured a round Dunand table adorned with eggshell, one of the French artist’s signature materials — Edlis and Neeson lived with a similar square model.

Madame Agnès, milliner and muse to Jean Dunand

Several of the striking lacquer vases and objects by Dunand in Edlis and Neeson’s collection are layered with distinguished provenances. Amongst their trove, for example, is a red bonbonniere (circa 1925) the artist inscribed to one of his muses, Madame Agnès. The French milliner was known not only for her unusual yet elegant hats but also for her patronage of like-minded artists including Dunand. The two enjoyed an enduring professional relationship: Dunand decorated several of her salons and apartments and collaborated with her on an extensive range of fashion accessories.

Hélène Rochas, perfume entrepreneur and Cubism collector

Like Madame Agnès, Hélène Rochas was an entrepreneur, businesswoman and art collector known for her exquisite taste and interiors. A classical dancer and drama student, Rochas married the fashion designer and perfumier Marcel Rochas. Following his death in 1955, she became one of the first women business leaders in France, turning the company into a major luxury perfume brand.

Rochas acquired works by Cubist master Picasso, as well as Kandinsky and Balthus, alongside Art Deco furniture and objects. She also was muse to artists such as Warhol. Two totemic sculptures by Gustave Miklos, a Hungarian artist whose work was featured in prominent shows including the 1925 Paris Exhibition, reflect Cubism’s influence on Art Deco. The present work was then acquired at Rochas’s 1990 sale at Christie’s in Monaco by the French racing driver, author and auctioneer Hervé Poulain. Poulain also conceived BMW’s celebrated Art Car project, which has seen top artists reimagine the company’s automobiles.

Claude and Simone Dray: a record-setting Art Deco collection

Christie’s has been privileged to offer many of the world’s preeminent Art Deco collections, including the collection of French hotelier Claude Dray and his wife Simone in 2006. The some 300 lots achieved nearly €60 million, tripling its presale estimate and setting 19 records for Art Deco works at the time.

Amongst the trove was Dunand’s sinuous ‘Psyché à la baigneuse’ lacquered wood dressing mirror (1927). After purchasing the work, the present owner embarked on an extensive three-year restoration. The work’s original lustre and metallic geometric backdrop have been beautifully revived for a new owner to enjoy.

Steven A. Greenberg: a collection dedicated to the 1925 Paris Exhibition’s finest makers

Another sale at Christie’s that marked a watershed moment for Art Deco was the 2012 auction of Steven A. Greenberg in New York. As one of the most important collections of French Art Deco ever presented in the United States, Greenberg’s collection had an in-depth focus on the most distinguished artists associated with the 1925 Paris Exhibition. The entrepreneur’s passion for Art Deco was sparked in the 1970s when he bought his first pieces on a trip to Paris. For many years his office was situated on the 67th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where he installed a magnificent homage to Paris in the 1920s and 1930s.

Christie’s 1925 | A Modern Vision auction features several works from Greenberg’s collection, including an iron and glass chandelier by Edgar Brandt, the greatest ironworker of his era, and glass purveyor Daum Frères (1925), also formerly in the collection of Rod Stewart. Brandt’s extensive contributions to the 1925 exhibition, which included a model of this chandelier, led to numerous large-scale commissions, such as his first project in the United States: the main entrance, window frames, decorative iron work and grilles for the Madison-Belmont Building on Madison Avenue and 34th Street.

Eva Chow: an eye for chic and timeless design

As a fashion designer, collector and trustee at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, whose Art+Film Gala she co-founded, Eva Chow has always had an eye for the avant-garde. Passionate about Art Deco furnishings, she has amassed a trove that includes a pair of Jean Dunand Templeton Crocker games tables. Best known for his creations in lacquer, these tables are exemplary of Dunand’s hand, who was working as a sculptor, artist and designer. The tables were originally commissioned by Charles Templeton Crocker, an arts patron and philanthropist, who was championed Art Deco design and meaningfully contributed to its rise in popularity. The striking geometric borders of the games tables reflect the silvered leaf interiors and the renowned Templeton Crocker penthouse in San Francsico.