Letter from Paris Presents...Paris Art Market Buzz

Palais de Tokyo, Image via Wikipedia

 

By contributing editor Paul Paradis, Art Historian, Specialist Consultant in French Furniture and Decorative Arts

 

CHROME AND GLASS WITH A SPLASH OF INTELLECTUAL ELITISM AT CHRISTIE'S 

 

AS I APPROACHED the Palais de Tokyo, a columned concrete edifice constructed for the International Exposition of 1937 (now housing the Paris Museum of Modern art and huge temporary exhibit space) for the vernissage to the Christie’s auction of the collections of the Château de Gourdon, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the glamourous events held at the Grand Palais for the dispersion of the Yves Saint Laurent - Pierre Berge collection in February 2009.  True, there was a glossy five volume catalogue presented in a slip-box (for a mere €200), there was the media coverage (one French art magazine even coined the now infamous term “Sale of the Century”), and the special venue.  Nathalie Crinière designed the exhibition, the same architect creator who installed the Yves Saint Laurent collection. 

Nevertheless, there was something distinctly different about this collection and the event.  One small poster in its glass-covered frame (lodged between two others of current shows on offer at the venue) greeted visitors rather than the larger than life banner that had adorned the Grand Palais for the other event.  The austerity of the edifice was almost intimidating.  On further reflection, it became clear to me that to compare the two collections and events would be missing the point.  This was something quite unique. 

 

 

Entrance to Château de Gourdon Exhibit

The collection amassed by Laurent Negro (son of the founder of a successful temporary employment agency) is emblematic of the evolution of the decorative arts in the early 20th century.  He inherited the Château de Gourdon (a medieval fortress, modified in the 17th century) perched on a dramatic cliff north of Grasse, from his father in 1997 and since devoted himself to acquiring the most exquisite pieces possible from the period.  His devotion to the lesser known movement, the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM, created in 1929), in addition to the love of classical art deco in all of it’s sumptuous glory, exemplified by the preciously veneered and ivory-inlaid works of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879-1933), make this collection unique in the world.  The château was actually a museum until recently open to the public. The owner decided to part with his precious objects (more than 900 lots) for personal reasons, a lucky break for the zealous collectors and dealers who flocked to the auction.

Château de Gourdon, Former home to the collection (Photo: Monuments Historiques de France) 

 

Once inside the foyer of the Palais de Tokyo, a seemingly disorganized, open concrete space, I was comforted at the sight of an elegant backlit sign bearing the branding of the sale, a close-up of the Jean Dunand lacquered les palmiers panels with the stylish logo to the auction.  I started to feel better and on familiar territory so ventured up the stairs towards the entrance to the exhibition.

 

 Principal logo for the auction

 

The allotted space (usually dedicated to contemporary art) is intentionally open and raw, featuring concrete block floors and an open ceiling revealing steel beams and wiring to the fluorescent fixtures.  However, the mise en scene of the collection was surprisingly intimate. Crinière made the choice of simplicity (sometimes to a fault), and arranged the furnishings and lighting thematically, or around a single creator, in little spaces resembling a living room or bedroom. The overall muted lighting, although sometimes a frustration to someone like me with dated bifocals, contributed to the illusion of coziness in the mammoth and potentially overwhelming space. The visitor was offered a thematic explanation of the three main currents in the collection (Art Nouveau, Art Deco, UAM) on transparent glossy signage, reeling the onlooker into the collector’s world without overwhelming him with detail. 

The bizarrely vegetal water lilies bedroom set by art nouveau master Jacques Majorelle (1859-1926) presented at the start of the exhibit, immediately followed by the starkly modernist briques screen in black lacquer by the iconic (and very expensive) Franco-Irish designer Eileen Gray (1878-1976) alerted me that this would be an experience in contrasts.  Both of these items were later featured in the first prestigious evening session of the auction, fetching €1 162 600 (for the bed and side-tables) and € 1 353 000 respectively.  These works are separated by a mere 18 years, testament to the rapid and radical metamorphosis taking place in the early 20th century.  Although one has to admit, it’s a rather expensive history lesson.

 

 

Bedroom Aux Nénuphars by Jacques Majorelle (c. 1905)

Briques screen by Eileen Gray (c. 1922-1925)

 

The show continued to flow in a similar vein with works by the great Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann presented on the right, and modernist works by Le Corbusier (1887-1965), Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999), and the enigmatic Pierre Chareau (1883-1950) on the left.  Again the fierce evolution from the classical works of Art Deco, to the chrome-tube creations of Perriand and Gray, brought home the message of the radical nature of the Union des Artists Modernes.  Lead by Perriand, René Herbst (1891-1982) and Robert Mallet Stevens (1886-1945), a group of artists and designers broke from the more established Union des Artistes Décorateurs (UAD) in 1929 and held their first independent Salon in 1930.  The latter placed emphasis on simplified forms and functional modern materials while the former was rooted in the tradition of French ébénistes relying on precious veneers and heavier-handed decoration.  Although it would be an oversimplification to depict Ruhlmann as representing the “old vanguard”  since, he too, transformed his style to more modern industrial materials, the works presented in this collection brought the message of modernity vs. tradition clearly home.

 

 

Works by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann in Macassar ebony, tortoise shell and ivory inlay 

 

Works by Eileen Gray, Charlotte Perriand, and Le Corbusier, featuring the famous chaise longue B 306

To be continued on Friday, April 15th.  Stay tuned!