Jean-Michel Frank : The Strange and Subtle Luxury of the Parisian Haute-Monde in the Art Deco Period

by MARTIN-VIVIER, PIERRE-EMMANUELFOUCART, BRUNO

• ISBN13: 9780847830299
• ISBN10: 0847830292
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-04-08
• Publisher: Rizzoli

Summary

Jean-Michel Frank was perhaps the most influential Parisian designer and decorator of the 1930s and 1940s, inspiring such varied talents as Andree Putman and Bonetti and Garouse. Frank established his reputation and signature look with the design of the Paris apartment of the Vicomte Charles de Noailles. The Noailles were leading progressives of their day and patrons of the major painters of Paris. Frank's style of understated luxuryvellum-sheathed walls, bleached leather, lacquer and shagreenperfectly complemented the Picassos and Braques on the walls. Frank's blocky, rectangular club chairs and sofas have been endlessly copied and produced by many admirers. He is credited for the design of the modern Parsons table, a stark form that Frank embellished with the most luxurious finish. Admiringly described by the French "le style Frank," his look continues to exert its influence through the powerful combination of the simplest forms and the most exquisite materials to produce objects that are truly noble and utterly modern.

Author Biography

Pierre-Emmanuel Martin-Vivier is a noted art historian based in Paris whose specialty is twentieth-century applied arts. He is a frequent contributor to leading French publications including Connaissance des arts and Maison française.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 7
Jean-Michel Frank: Designing the Absolute, Preface	p. 9
Rediscovering an Artist	p. 12
The Life of Jean-Michel Frank	p. 17
In the Shadow of Silbermann	p. 18
Jean-Michel Frank, Amateur	p. 32
Jean-Michel Frank, Interior Designer and Man about Town	p. 60
The Interior Designs of Jean-Michel Frank	p. 81
The Invention of a Style	p. 82
The Consecration of a Style	p. 96
The Blossoming of a Style	p. 112
A Collective Enterprise	p. 140
The Haute Couture Interior Designer	p. 164
The Stage Designer	p. 178
An International Career	p. 184
From Concept to Marketing	p. 199
The Designers	p. 200
The Rue Montauban Atelier	p. 224
Production and Sales	p. 238
The Esthetics of Renunciation	p. 265
The Negation of Interior Decoration	p. 266
Occasional Quotations	p. 278
An Avant-Garde Clientele	p. 288
Literary Modernism	p. 298
Jean-Michel Frank's Work as Artistic Director	p. 321
A Designer's Work	p. 322
Contributions from Frank's Artists	p. 338
Frank and the French Style	p. 352
The Frank Moment	p. 364
Notes	p. 370
Biography	p. 383
Bibliography	p. 388
Index	p. 394
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