Eugène Printz

palmwood and oxidized brass, inside in sycamore

Collection Vallotton, Paris, original collection, and thence by descent
Galerie Vallois, Paris
Collection Mario Valentino, Naples, acquired from the above in 1985

Guy Bujon and Jean-Jacques Dutko, Printz, Paris, 1986, p. 258

Good overall condition consistent with age and gentle use. Some light surface scratches. a few small scattered scratches and some small dents and chips of palmwood along the edges, slightly more significant on the corners of the sideboard. A significant chips of veneer of the proper left lower back corner on approximately 2x3,5 cm, not visible when the sideboard is set along a wall. The proper left side of the top surface with an area measuring approximately 6 x3 cm and the lower front proper left corner measuring approximately 4 x 2 cm have been professionally and sensitively restored and are not visually distracting. The palmwood is covered by a thick varnish that has dried and is flaking in some areas. This lot is sold with 3 keys and 6 shelves.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Born in Naples in 1927, Mario Valentino began his career as a designer against the backdrop of post-war Italy. His father had made bespoke shoes for the Neapolitan aristocracy before the war and Valentino therefore grew up among the artisanal processes of leather craftsmanship, later earning himself the nickname ‘King of Leather’ for his studied mastery of the material. An innovator in design, Valentino intuitively responded to the dynamism of mid-century Europe and its demand for rich colours, voluptuous silhouettes and high, sculptural shoes. As European products began to enter the American market reinvigorated by the economic boost of the Marshall Plan, so too did Valentino’s designs captivate an international audience, with the particular, elegant cachet of quality conferred by the ‘Made In Italy’ label. Along with Roger Vivier, Mario Valentino was one of the earliest exponents of the low-cut stiletto and a pioneer of the flat sandal, at one point scandalising the fashion world by creating a sandal made of coral. Praised by Diana Vreeland, Valentino’s deconstructed sandals were iconically photographed by a young Guy Bourdin for the cover of French Vogue in 1956, engaging a new wave of high-profile customers including Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Catherine Deneuve.
 
Among his contemporaries in the landscape of Italian fashion, Valentino counted the Marquis Emilio Pucci and Salvatore Ferragamo, both of whom were gaining ground in the European and American markets. The twin passions for art and fashion were felt keenly by this generation of young designers, whose chromatic sensibilities in the world of couture translated symbiotically into a devotion to Italian art and collecting. Valentino himself sponsored the restoration of hand-embroidered tapestries and sixteenth-century frescoes at the Neapolitan convent of Santa Chiara. He housed part of his collection in his apartment at the Cellamare Palace adorning rooms already filled with elegant 1920-30s furniture. This collection featured works by Andy Warhol, who became a friend, Gino Severini, Giorgio de Chirico and Art Nouveau objects by René Lalique and Marius-Ernest Sabino. As was the custom among his peers, Valentino also filled his retail and manufacturing spaces with fine art and precious objects; the collection was to be experienced and felt not only by himself but by those living and working around him. The designer had developed a firm friendship with dealer and curator Lucio Amelio, who exhibited international contemporary artists at his gallery in Naples. His friendship with Amelio proved to be a seminal one, whose patronage of exhibitions at the gallery was key to transforming the city into a bastion of the avant-garde landscape of the 1980s.
 
A storied designer and dedicated patron of the arts, Mario Valentino shaped a fashion empire from its beginnings as a local service for well-heeled Neapolitans into a global phenomenon and cultural legacy. From clothing collaborations with Paco Rabanne and Karl Lagerfeld to his work with iconic image-makers Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton, Valentino ranks among one of the most beloved designers of the twentieth century. Sotheby’s is delighted to present a selection of works from the Mario Valentino collection, offered in London in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening and Day Sales on 19th and 20th June and in the Contemporary Art Evening and Day Sales on 26th and 27th June.