Paul Dupré-Lafon

Galerie L'Arc en Seine, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2001

Bruno Foucart and Jean-Louis Gaillemin, Les Décorateurs des Années 40, Paris, 1998, p. 120

This lot is offered together with a certificate of authenticity from the artist's rightsholder.

The Art Deco movement was a period of creative intensity fueled by mass production and a changing definition of domestic life. Artists and designers both indulged in the ornamentation possible with new, luxury materials, and simplified elements to prioritize utility. Paul Dupré-Lafon leaned toward the functionalist trend in the movement. He believed modernity was best expressed through geometry and the necessity of form. Thus, his designs bear minimal decoration and instead prioritize comfort, function and the beauty of raw materials.

Dupré-Lafon enhanced the present pair of tables by contrasting warm, natural materials with a stark, industrial material. Light oak tabletops with distinctive textural lines in the wood grain surround and support original leather elements. Patinated wrought-iron rectangular bars stem from the tabletops ending in arched legs. The use of luxurious and innovative materials enriches the minimal design beyond its functional capabilities. The present lot is emblematic of Dupré-Lafon’s belief that purposeful designs free of ornamentation are the peak of modernity.