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Lot Essay
Considered today as one of the leading architects and designers of the turn of the century, Hector Guimard discovered Art Nouveau after a trip to Belgium, where he discovered the work of Victor Horta at the Hôtel Tassel. His first creation was the most celebrated ‘Castel Béranger’ in 1898, an illustration of the principles of Art Nouveau: the whiplash motif, the organic lines and influences of Medieval art.
What differentiated Guimard from his French contemporaries was his abstract interpretation of Art Nouveau and inspiration of nature’s lines, rather than ornaments, illustrated by his statement: “It is not the flower that I like to use as an ornament, it is the stem.” Guimard’s architectural creations were “complete works” where the façades, architectural and interior elements, wallpapers, lighting, ceramics, furniture, and fireplace surrounds created a cohesive, perfectly harmonious ensemble.
The current fireplace surround, in cast iron, with its stylized, highly dynamic curves, exemplifies Guimard’s modern style, which culminated in his designs for the Metropolitan entrances in Paris, which would later be qualified by Dali as "those divine entrance to the Métro, by the grace of which one can descend into the region of the subconscious of the living and monarchical aesthetic of tomorrow.”
The present lot is marked GH to the reverse, a reference to its dimensions. Designed by Hector Guimard and produced by the Fonderies de Saint-Dizier, the fireplace surround could be selected in four different sizes, as illustrated in the sales catalogue, each size denoted by two letters (GE to GI).
What differentiated Guimard from his French contemporaries was his abstract interpretation of Art Nouveau and inspiration of nature’s lines, rather than ornaments, illustrated by his statement: “It is not the flower that I like to use as an ornament, it is the stem.” Guimard’s architectural creations were “complete works” where the façades, architectural and interior elements, wallpapers, lighting, ceramics, furniture, and fireplace surrounds created a cohesive, perfectly harmonious ensemble.
The current fireplace surround, in cast iron, with its stylized, highly dynamic curves, exemplifies Guimard’s modern style, which culminated in his designs for the Metropolitan entrances in Paris, which would later be qualified by Dali as "those divine entrance to the Métro, by the grace of which one can descend into the region of the subconscious of the living and monarchical aesthetic of tomorrow.”
The present lot is marked GH to the reverse, a reference to its dimensions. Designed by Hector Guimard and produced by the Fonderies de Saint-Dizier, the fireplace surround could be selected in four different sizes, as illustrated in the sales catalogue, each size denoted by two letters (GE to GI).