A PAIR OF ARMCHAIRS, CIRCA 1926

Details

EDGAR BRANDT (1880-1960)
A PAIR OF ARMCHAIRS, CIRCA 1926
wrought-iron, leather upholstery
each 34 5/8 in. (88 cm.) high
each stamped E BRANDT FRANCE

Provenance

Andy Warhol, New York;
Sotheby's, New York, The Andy Warhol Collection, 23 April 1988, lot 354 or 355.

Further Details

During the nineteenth and early twentieth century iron and steel became the basis of modern civilization. Edgar Brandt (1880-1960), the Parisian forgeron, was in the forefront of modern metallurgy. He advocated an alliance of art and industry to insure that France remained a leader in the decorative arts, as they had been in previous centuries. By using both traditional forging techniques (the anvil and hammer) and the latest machinery (power hammers, the oxy-acetylene welding torch, and milling machines) he created a simplified decorative language for ironwork. His creations were one of the highlights of the yearly French Salons. Brandt was on the planning committee for the Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925 and his ironwork was found throughout the fair. Brandt was a juror for the metal-working section, as his work was deemed hors concours, or above the competition. Consequently, Brandt's decorative ironworks were sought after by collectors from many countries.

The distinctive chairs, shown here, offer a combination of practicality and elegance. The various components of these four armchairs are finely executed in wrought-iron. The graceful curve of the egg-shaped back draws us to the upholstered back splat; wider at the top, it narrows at the base, and flows into an inviting, almost square, upholstered seat. The partly encased arms slope downward at a pleasing angle. A simple running band frames the apron on four sides and then a graduated running band progresses down the front legs. The knee of the front legs begins with nine flutes or fringes that counterbalance the delicate curled foot at the base of the front legs. The back legs curve outward, completing the arc of the chair back. The overall proportion of the chairs speak to Brandt's visual acuity, thus, enabling him to make artful furniture. Since iron chairs were not a major part of Brandt's oeuvre, the present chairs are rare. Certainly they were ordered on commission, but the specific circumstances are unknown.

It is fitting that these superlative chairs caught the eye of the artist Andy Warhol (1928-1987). It is ironic that the Pop artist, who glorified the mundane in American culture, started collecting Art Deco furniture and objets d'art in Paris in 1969. These chairs, purchased in Paris, were used in the dining room of his New York townhouse where he had a Classical Revival table that was twelve feet long. In April 1988, twelve of these Edgar Brandt chairs were sold at auction, as part of the 10,000 piece collection amassed by the artist. Warhol's French Art Deco pieces were of outstanding quality, as exemplified by his choice of these rare Brandt chairs.

Joan Kahr

Lot Essay

cf. J. Kahr, Edgar Brandt, New York, 1999, p. 189.

We would like to thank Joan Kahr for her assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.

More from Design Masterworks

View All