Publisher's Synopsis
Creator and architect of the emblematic Maison de verre in Paris, Pierre Chareau left behind a rich and coherent body of work, a "Chareau style" that places him as much in the modernist movement as in avant-garde thinking that embraces a world of new forms and materials. This first volume looks back at his biography, his decisive encounters with artistic movements such as cubism and primitive arts, and with leading figures such as Nicolas de Staël, Jeanne Bucher, Jacques Lipchitz, Pablo Picasso, Rose Adler, Max Jacob, Jean Lurçat and Rob Mallet-Stevens, who remained loyal to him throughout his short life. It traces his career, from his beginnings as a draughtsman at Waring & Gillow to his emergence as an independent designer; it details his participation in the Salons d'automne, the Salons des artistes décorateurs, the Groupe des 5 and the UAM, which set the tone for the modernity that thrilled the rest of the world; his work on Marcel L'Herbier's film sets; and his departure for the United States in 1940. It also introduces us to the collector and gallery owner, surrounded by artists such as Braque, Ernst, Gris, Léger, Lurçat, Masson, Modigliani, Motherwell and de Staël. The boutique he set up with his wife Dollie, on rue du Cherche-Midi, exhibits not only his own works but also the creations they produced: fabrics by Hélène Henry, rugs by Jean Burkhalter and Charchoune... Richly illustrated with almost 500 visuals, this first volume offers a complete overview of Dollie's furniture and lighting production, drawing on several iconographic collections (Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris, Moma, New York). Text in French.
