MICHEL ROUX-SPITZ | PAIR OF ARMCHAIRS

Collection of the artist, Greystones Villa, Dinard, France

Galerie 54, Paris

Michel Roux-Spitz, Réalisations, vol. II: 1932-1939, Paris, 1950, pp. 62-63, pl. 101 (for a period photograph of the present lot illustrated in situ in the living room of Greystones Villa)

Michel Raynaud, Didier Laroque and Sylvie Rémy, Michel Roux-Spitz, Architecte, 1888-1957, Brussels, 1995, p. 125 (for the above mentioned period photograph)

The present pair of armchairs once inhabited Greystones Villa, Michel Roux-Spitz’s own private residence located in the town of Dinard in western France. The sumptuous house, perched on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic, was built between 1938 and 1950 by the celebrated architect, who resided there until his passing in 1957. By the time construction began, Roux-Spitz was at the height of his career and was best known as the creative mind behind some of the most iconic modernist buildings in Paris. His architectural style was often characterized by a complementary use of stone and glass, which is best exemplified through his use of large bay windows and geometric treatment of facade elements.

Because of its considerable size and neoclassical inspiration, Greystones Villa holds a unique place in the architect’s œuvre. It also remains one of his most documented works, with numerous photographs and archival images documenting its exterior and lavish interior. “This project, which might seem out of touch with contemporary trends, was born out of a desire to use local materials and to be integrated within the surrounding landscape,” he wrote shortly after the villa’s completion. “It also marks the enormous need, in 1938-39, to get back to a more orderly and structured type of construction which lacks from current architectural trends.” 

The formalistic sense of order to which Roux-Spitz refers is apparent in the residence’s interior design, which he closely oversaw. One of the central vantage points of the living room, where the present armchairs were located, was a large five-panel fresco by Louis Bouquet depicting an allegory of sea travel imbued with Symbolist influences. The decorative sculptures and reliefs adorning the exterior of the house were executed by Alfred Janniot and also reflect a certain return to figurative classicism. Based on period photographs, the furniture in the house displays a sense of overall simplicity that emphasizes the idea of comfort and livability while alluding to Roux-Spitz’s modernist sensibility.

The present armchairs, designed by Roux-Spitz himself, were a prominent feature of the living room and were placed on opposite sides of the room. Simple structural features like the armchairs’ cubic design and monochromatic leather upholstery are also complemented by ingenious features, like the slightly reclined and curved backrest and a chromium-plated steel handle affixed to the back. This matching pair embodies the strict sense of proportions and uniquely modern sensibility often associated to Roux-Spitz’s designs and architectural creations from the previous decade. The result is a highly functional work reminiscent of Roux-Spitz’s most successful modernist designs that tastefully contrasted with Greystones Villa’s neo-classical aspirations.