Upon the opening of the 1902 Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa Moderna in Turin, where the present desk and chair were exhibited, it was reported that the Queen of Italy had described Carlo Bugatti’s furniture as “Moorish” in style. To which Bugatti supposedly retorted, quite bluntly: “You are mistaken, Your Majesty, this style is my own.”
And indeed, Carlo Bugatti’s artistic vocabulary is unmistakably his. The present desk and chair are a testament to his unique and eclectic style, which transcends the Gothic, Asian, Byzantine and African inspirations that radiate through his spectacular designs. The smoothness of the lines and curves, together with a smooth vellum surface enhanced with superb and highly detailed decorations in copper and brass, encapsulate the beauty and extravagance of the maker’s celebrated practice. In many ways, Bugatti created a truly unprecedented visual language, far removed not only from the traditions of cabinetmaking but also from new and radical movements like Art Nouveau and the Liberty style.
Carlo Bugatti certainly fit into the spirit of the 1902 Esposizione, which stipulated that “only original products that show a decisive tendency toward aesthetic renewal of form will be admitted. Neither mere imitations of past styles nor industrial products not inspired by an artistic sense will be accepted.” For this occasion, Bugatti created an entire series of parchment-covered furniture (which includes the present offering) as well as four distinct rooms that included a game room and a “snail” bedroom built around a spiraling bar in the shape of the mollusk. Though the location of the desk and chair were not recorded in the exhibition, they certainly complemented and harmonized with the artist’s radical vision for the event.
As Philippe Dejean writes, Bugatti’s presentation “was a sort of voyage which blended all the decorative repertory of the history of art and emerged into a fantastic extrapolation, something resembling a mirage or something scarcely believable.” The public and the jury alike were stunned by his eccentric approach and quickly called Bugatti “the first in Italy to execute, and not simply imagine, modern furnishings.” The top prize was awarded to him for his presentation.
The present desk and chair thus provide collectors and Bugatti connoisseurs with the opportunity to acquire an important set by the artist, whose provenance and stellar exhibition history add stature to an exceptional work of early 20th Century Italian design.