Eileen Gray, 1879 - 1976

la structure en bois laqué noir de section rectangulaire, les deux côtés rejoints par un tube en laiton nickelé, les sabots et les éléments de jointure en laiton nickelé, l'assise matelassée et l'appui- tête, placé dans un cadre pivotant, en cuir naturel d'origine, doublé d'une toile beige d'origine également

Maharaja d'Indore, Palais de Manik Bagh, Inde

Vente Sotheby's Monaco Mobilier Moderniste provenant du Palais du Maharaja d'Indore, 25 mai 1980, lot 204

Collection privée, acquis au cours de cette vente par le propriétaire actuel

Robert Descharmes, En Inde un Palais 1930, Connaissance des Arts, n. 223, septembre 1970, p. 55
Peter Adam, Eileen Gray, architect designer, éd.Thames and Hudson, revised edition, Londres, 2000, p. 188
Philippe Garner, Eileen Gray, éd.Taschen, 2006, p. 36 et 103, n. 31
Peter Adam, Eileen Gray, her ife and work, éd. Thames and Hudson, 2009, p. 96 et 281

 

 Cette pièce sera inclue dans le catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre de l'artiste en préparation par monsieur Patrice Le Fay d'Exepare d'Ibarrola.

Ce fauteuil, acquis en 1980 par le propriétaire actuel, n'a jamais été retouché depuis, hormis une petite restauration de conservation sur le cuir, renforcé par l'arrière, totalement invisible. La structure en bois laqué présente quelques petites rayures, certaines un peu plus profondes. Le bras gauche comporte un manque de laque le long de l'intérieur du bras, d'environ 2,5 x 0,5 cm, un autre au niveau de l'angle, à l'intérieur de 1 x 0,5 cm. Plusieurs coups et manques sur les arêtes des pieds, plus importants et nombreux sur le pieds droit (ou en quatre endroits la laque est manquante sur plusieurs centimètres). Des petites traces de restaurations anciennes ponctuelles sur l'arête inférieure des barres de raccordement des pieds avant et arrière sont à peine visibles. Le dossier pivotant présente un manque important de laque à l'angle supérieur gauche résultant d'une craquelure du bois. Les parties en métal ont quelques piqures liées à l'oxydation, plus visibles sur les sabots. Le cuir a une très belle patine brun clair. Il comporte des tâches anciennes, et des craquelures. Quelques restaurations anciennes, datant du précédent propriétaire, pourraient être largement améliorées. Une petite déchirure à l'angle inférieure droit de l'appui tête. La toile au revers est en bon état hormis des tâches d'humidité. Une pièce exceptionnelle dans son état d'évolution normale compte tenu de son ancienneté et de sa provenance géographique. Un très bel exemplaire aussi par l'opposition de la laque noire et du cuir fauve. The Eileen Gray ‘Transat’ chair is unanimously recognised as one of the masterpieces of 20th century design. It could be also recognised as one of the first tubular armchair creations if she had chosen to make it in metal. In fact the line of this piece gives the feeling that it is made of metal, which begs the question, why was it not?, since Eileen Gray was already creating pieces in tubular metal at this time. Three reasons seems to explain her choice of wood; given that the wood is of square and not tubular section, there is an aesthetic reason, since the two lateral frames would have certainly been less elegant in tubular metal; also, had it been executed in metal, the piece would have been very heavy and too expensive. Supporters of the De Stijl movement have often said that the designer must have been heavily inspired by Gerrit Rietveld’s ‘red/blue’ armchair for the creation of her Transat. This view is questionable since the Transat was created ten years later, and, even if she has seen this model on a visit to Utrecht in 1925, she was first and foremost an independent, devoted to original ideas. By the same token, it is difficult to identify any influence from Marcel Breuer’s ‘B3’ armchair since the two chairs were created at the exact same moment. Eileen Gray conceived the chair in two different sizes - small and long - and two different finishes - sycamore and lacquered wood. A letter from Eileen Gray to curator Carol Hogben in the Acquisitions file of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London confirms: `The 1926 chair was made for a client in a great hurry; to get it made I was obliged to order 12 or more, to bring down the price, these were all sold except the one you have...’. At the time of writing, there are only nine recorded surviving examples, four in sycamore and five in lacquer, of which only two still had their original finish in 1980. The example offered here, created for the Prince Yeshwant Roa II Holkar Bahadur, later the Maharajah of Indore, is certainly the most desirable version of this iconic design. With its prestigious provenance, and the fact that it has changed hands only once, having been bought by the present owner at Sotheby’s historic 1980 auction in Monaco of the contents of the Palace of Indore, it is also because it has kept its original finish for both the lacquer and the leather.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.