André Groult

Much like Andy Warhol’s serial art piece Time Capsule, where the American Pop artist collected and stored over 600 containers of ephemera related to his daily life, Warhol’s six story townhouse was appointed with collected objects both mundane and extraordinary. Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the townhouse was a testament to his storied life of artistic accomplishment and fame. Upon his death in 1988, Sotheby’s auctioned art and objects from the estate. Four lots in this sale were acquired from that auction and represent some of the finest objects of Warhol’s collection; a low table by Jean Dunand (lot 40), a rare cabinet by Pierre Legrain (lot 23), a tureen by Jean Puiforcat (lot 26), and a superb armchair by André Groult. The present armchair is seen photographed in Warhol’s parlor positioned in front of a marble fireplace with a collection of objects on the mantle, including vases by Jean Dunand. The chair, designed circa 1921, is made from luxurious Art Deco materials including shagreen and rosewood and presents with a swooping gondola-shaped back and curved armrests. The chair is indicative of the French designer’s ability to bridge the traditional with the modern and to utilize fine, luxurious materials in an elegant capacity. The armchair reflects the sense of luxury, elegance and simplicity found in Groult’s celebrated works and his elegant interpretation of Art Deco cabinetmaking.