Louis Majorelle

Acquired in Paris by Mabel Chauvin Slagle, New Orleans, LA
Thence by descent to Merwin Hale Wilkinson Sr., Port Allen, LA, circa 1950
Thence by descent to Merwin Hale Wilkinson Jr., Lafayette, LA
Thence by descent to the present owner

Alastair Duncan, Louis Majorelle, Master of Art Nouveau Design, New York, 1991, pl. 63
Roselyne Bouvier, Majorelle, une aventure moderne, Metz, 1991, p. 100 (for the model at the Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy)
Chrisitan Debize, Emile Gallé, l'Ecole de Nancy, Metz, 1998, p. 31
Michel Draguet, L'Art Nouveau Retrouvé à Travers Les Collections Anne-Marie Gillion Crowet, Paris, 1999, pp. 266-267
Alastair Duncan, Louis C. Tiffany, The Garden Museum Collection, Woodbridge, 2004, p. 622
Le Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy, oeuvre choisies, Paris, 2012, pp. 61-62

Very good overall condition. The wooden surfaces with minor surface scratches and scattered abrasions, consistent with age and gentle use. An area of the proper left back leg with some surface dirt and one minor loss along the edge in the same area, measuring approximately ½ x 1/8 inches. Minor separations of the joints, consistent with age and gentle use. The bronze surfaces in beautiful original condition with a few minor surface scratches and light rubbing to the patina, consistent with age and gentle use. The two waterlilies showing at the top of the upper edge with a beautiful red hue to the gilding. The bronze surfaces with minor oxidation, consistent with age and use. The recessed areas of the bronze with some dirt, consistent with age and use. Some of the screws of the feet have been replaced in a manner that is consistent with the original screws. The leather is likely original and retains its original brass upholstery tacks. The surfaces of the leather with some traces of wear, discoloration, scratches, cracks and minor losses, consistent with age and use. The leather of the seat was previously torn in two areas, as seen on the left of the catalogue illustration and has been sensitively restored to stabilize the seat. There is an area of discoloration adjacent to the tears from a previous amateur restoration. One of the tacks is missing at the base of the proper left arm. The tacks with some light surface discoloration, consistent with the aging of the material. A sculptural armchair and a great example of a wonderful design in original condition.
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.

MAJORELLE: THE POETRY OF WATERLILIES

The desk and chair offered here are masterful examples of Majorelle’s distinct approach to the Art Nouveau aesthetic, creating furniture inspired by the fluid and elegant lines of nature. The structural details are sculpted like plant stems and the curved lines are ornamented with voluptuous waterlilies mounts. Majorelle’s Nénuphars pieces appear spiritedly animated as if they might spring out from the ground if not supported by the dynamic gilt bronze structure. The Nénuphars series demonstrates Majorelle’s talent to create a world of poetry and imagination, inspired by the Symbolist poets as much as by a close observation of nature. 

Louis Majorelle spent his childhood in his father’s faience and furniture workshop in Nancy, France. In 1877 he entered the painting section of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His studies were interrupted by the sudden death of his father and at barely twenty years old, he became the artistic director of the family business. From 1890 onwards, Majorelle began to experiment with more naturalistic forms, inspired by the aesthetic of the emerging Art Nouveau. 

Prior to 1900, Majorelle’s work was strongly influenced by Emile Gallé. At the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, the effect of Majorelle's distinct aesthethic was a triumph evident in the imitation of his style by numerous furniture makers. Majorelle's Nénuphars design attests not only to his exceptional technical mastery, but also to his ability to create perfect harmonious forms inpired by nature.

In 1904, Majorelle purchased Samuel Bing’s Maison de l'Art nouveau shop in Paris. While successfully developing his business, Majorelle remained an active member of the Paris Salon, designing genuine masterpieces such as the Nénuphars desk. Majorelle was referred to as the "Charles Cressent" of Art Nouveau, in reference to the great ébéniste of the French Régence, celebrated for his gilt bronze mounted furniture and the creator of the bureau plat with its leather covered surface. Majorelle’s familiarity with historical forms and his sensitivity to nature, which he described as his "admirable collaborator," allowed him to create pieces with perfect balance of elegant forms heightened by precious decoration.