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Lot Essay
Créée vers 1930, la chaise à siège rabattable est l’une des premières créations mobilières de Jean Prouvé et concentre déjà son intérêt pour les matériaux modernes. Réalisée en tôle d’acier emboutie garnie de toile tendue, l’assise explore les différentes possibilités offertes par de nouveaux matériaux assemblés en un ensemble léger, solide et compact. En dépit de sa modernité esthétique, sa construction reste éminemment artisanale et témoigne d’une période de transition vers l’industrialisation qui s’accélère en 1931, lors du départ du petit atelier de ferronnerie de la rue Général Custine qu’a investi Jean Prouvé. La chaise est entièrement montée à la main, sans que ne soit considéré une production industrielle, par le ferronnier Pierre Missey, ancien élève de l’école des Beaux-Arts de Nancy dirigée par Victor Prouvé. À la manière des concept-cars automobiles, elle représente plus une démonstration du savoir-faire du concepteur qu’un prototype ou un modèle définitif destiné à la commercialisation. Le modèle n’en est pas moins abouti et répond aux obligations de confort et robustesse chères à Prouvé. Deux variantes sont conçues, probablement simultanément : la première est spécialement développée pour Louis Wittmann, qui les commande pour son Château à Rupt-sur-Moselle à l’occasion de son mariage et dispose d’un mécanisme permettant l’inclinaison de l’assise et du dossier sur un axe du piètement. À partir de cette variante, Jean Prouvé réalise deux pièces similaires pour son usage personnel dont l’une fait maintenant partie des collections permanente du Centre Georges Pompidou. La seconde variante présente une assise rabattable contre son dossier permettant l’empilement vertical des chaises et illustre les préoccupations du jeune créateur cherchant à offrir un mobilier facile à transporter et ranger dans une société où l’idée de mobilité devient primordiale. Cette série de six exemplaires, dont est issue notre pièce, sera offerte par Jean Prouvé à sa sœur ainée Marianne Prouvé, à l’occasion de son mariage avec André Georges en 1930.
Ce modèle fait partie des collections permanentes du Vitra Museum, Weil-am-Rhein (MFR-1027).
Created around 1930, the chair with a folding seat is one of Jean Prouvé's first furnishing creations, in which his interest in modern materials was already evident. Made from stamped sheet metal upholstered in stretched canvas, the seat explores the different possibilities offered by new materials assembled into a light, solid, compact whole. Despite its aesthetically pleasing modernity, it remained predominantly hand-crafted and testifies to a period of transition towards the industrialisation for the small iron-working studio in the Rue Général Custine taken over by Jean Prouvé, a transition, which accelerated in 1931. The chair is assembled entirely by hand, without being considered an industrial product, by the metalworker, Pierre Missey, a former pupil at the École des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, of which Victor Prouvé was the Director. Like concept cars in the automotive field, it is representative of the designer's know-how, rather than a prototype or a final model intended for marketing. Nevertheless, the model was of marketable quality and complied with the demand for comfort and sturdiness dear to Prouvé. Two versions were designed, probably at the same time. The first was specially developed for Louis Wittmann, who ordered them for his mansion at Rupt-sur-Moselle on the occasion of his marriage. This version had a mechanism allowing the seat and the back to tilt on an axis on the lower frame. Based on this version Jean Prouvé made two similar chairs for his own use, one of which now forms part of the permanent collections at the Georges Pompidou Centre. The second version has a seat, which folds up against the chair back allowing the chairs to be stacked vertically. This shows the preoccupations of the young designer, who was trying to offer furniture easy to transport and store in a society, in which the idea of mobility was becoming increasingly paramount. This series of six examples, one of which is our object, would be given by Jean Prouvé to his elder sister, Marianne Prouvé on the occasion of her marriage to André Georges in 1930.
This model is part of the permanent collections of the Vitra Museum, Weil-am-Rhein (MFR-1027).
Ce modèle fait partie des collections permanentes du Vitra Museum, Weil-am-Rhein (MFR-1027).
Created around 1930, the chair with a folding seat is one of Jean Prouvé's first furnishing creations, in which his interest in modern materials was already evident. Made from stamped sheet metal upholstered in stretched canvas, the seat explores the different possibilities offered by new materials assembled into a light, solid, compact whole. Despite its aesthetically pleasing modernity, it remained predominantly hand-crafted and testifies to a period of transition towards the industrialisation for the small iron-working studio in the Rue Général Custine taken over by Jean Prouvé, a transition, which accelerated in 1931. The chair is assembled entirely by hand, without being considered an industrial product, by the metalworker, Pierre Missey, a former pupil at the École des Beaux-Arts de Nancy, of which Victor Prouvé was the Director. Like concept cars in the automotive field, it is representative of the designer's know-how, rather than a prototype or a final model intended for marketing. Nevertheless, the model was of marketable quality and complied with the demand for comfort and sturdiness dear to Prouvé. Two versions were designed, probably at the same time. The first was specially developed for Louis Wittmann, who ordered them for his mansion at Rupt-sur-Moselle on the occasion of his marriage. This version had a mechanism allowing the seat and the back to tilt on an axis on the lower frame. Based on this version Jean Prouvé made two similar chairs for his own use, one of which now forms part of the permanent collections at the Georges Pompidou Centre. The second version has a seat, which folds up against the chair back allowing the chairs to be stacked vertically. This shows the preoccupations of the young designer, who was trying to offer furniture easy to transport and store in a society, in which the idea of mobility was becoming increasingly paramount. This series of six examples, one of which is our object, would be given by Jean Prouvé to his elder sister, Marianne Prouvé on the occasion of her marriage to André Georges in 1930.
This model is part of the permanent collections of the Vitra Museum, Weil-am-Rhein (MFR-1027).