THE FOLLOWING 23 LOTS ARE PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION He [Jean Prouvé] combines the soul of an engineer with that of an architect - in one man - and this is exceptional. He has lived through all the intrigues, all the vicissitudes. He has made it. He builds and he designs. Such a role is reserved for the elite; it is one of self-sacrifice, courage, perserverance, obstination..... Paris, January 7, 1964 Le Corbusier Signature pieces by Jean Prouvé blended with a variety of boldly colored ceramics by Ettore Sottsass form the core of this dynamic collection. With visionary instincts and a keen eye, the collection originated over 25 years ago. Works by Prouvé were perceived as sculpture complimenting the collector's modernist home. At the time, this aesthetic was a sharp contrast to the more traditional notions of design and architecture and certainly revolutionary in this bucolic setting. Prouvé's furniture exemplifies the use of new technologies and is an interesting juxtaposition to Sottsass' ceramics that are as he said, 'older than the bible'. In this ancient material Sottsass uses form and color to express his experiences and emotions. For example, the Ceramics of Darkness series was a reaction to a potentially fatal disease he faced, while the vase from the Tantra series relates to his spiritual journey in India. Through the eyes of a collector with a visionary sense, two of the greatest designers of the 20th century are brought together. Although their techinques and approaches vary, they each strive to challenge convention in expressing their true selves.

JEAN PROUVE (1901-1984)

A LAQUERED STEEL AND OAK 'VISITEUR' ARMCHAIR, CIRCA 1952

Details

JEAN PROUVE (1901-1984)
A Laquered Steel and Oak 'Visiteur' Armchair, circa 1952
37¾ in. (95 cm.) high

Provenance

DeLorenzo 1950, New York.

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Lot Essay

cf. Exhibition catalogue, Jean Prouvé Mobilier, 1924-1953, Paris, Galerie Down-Town, Galerie Touchaleaume, 1987, p. 27.
P. Sulzer, ed., Jean Prouvé Complete Works Vol. 2: 1934-1944, Basel, 2000, pp. 292-293 for examples of similar models.
Exhibition catalogue, Jean Prouvé Constructeur 1901-1984, Museé des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, Nancy, 2001, pp. 104-105 for examples of similar models.
P. Sulzer, ed., Jean Prouvé Complete Works Vol. 3: 1944-1954, Basel, 2005, p. 158, no. 1134.5 for an example of this model.

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