Beschreibung:

Property of a Private European Collector Jean-Michel-Frank Follow Large "X" table lamp circa 1928 Terracotta, leather, paper shade. Height of terracotta base: 9 in. (23 cm) Produced by Chanaux & Pelletier, Paris, France. Underside impressed J.M.FRANK/MADE IN FRANCE/CP. Together with a certificate of authenticity from the Comité Jean-Michel-Frank.
Provenance Private collection, acquired from the designer Thence by descent Acquired from the above by the present owner Literature Léopold Diego Sanchez, Jean-Michel-Frank, Paris, 1980, p. 178 Pierre-Emmanuel Martin-Vivier, Jean-Michel-Frank: un décorateur dans le Paris des années 30, Paris, 2009, front cover Pierre-Emmanuel Martin-Vivier, Jean-Michel-Frank: The Strange and Subtle Luxury of the Parisian Haute-Monde in the Art Deco Period, New York, 2012, pp. 40, 319 Catalogue Essay Terracotta was perhaps the most subversive in Jean-Michel-Frank’s repertoire of provocative materials. Also known as red earthenware, terracotta is traditionally associated with building materials such as bricks and tiles, and, if used in decoration, the clay body is covered with a colorful glaze, as is the case with faience. However Frank introduced terracotta into his interiors in its raw, unglazed state, which created a startling effect in his highly refined interiors. Terracotta is also related to Frank’s collaborations with Alberto Giacometti who favored the material in his sculptures and decorative objects in this period, which evoke archaeological relics. The “X” lamp was also made in metal and in wood, but the present terracotta version, which is extraordinarily rare in this material, is arguably the most powerful. Read More Artist Bio Jean-Michel-Frank French • 1895 - 1941 Follow Working in Paris, New York and Argentina, Jean-Michel-Frank designed subtle, exquisitely proportioned furniture and lighting for sophisticated interiors. His elite roster of patrons included the vicomte Charles de Noailles, the businessman and politician Nelson A. Rockefeller, the couturier Elsa Schiaparelli and the perfumer Guerlain, among many others. Against the backdrop of the interwar period, Frank designed calm, subdued interiors that offered refuge from the chaotic world. His furniture, which was often clad in vellum, bleached leather or shagreen, featured clean lines and served to complement the art collections of his clients, which included works by Picasso, Léger and Matisse. View More Works