Important Design
Important Design
August Endell and Alphonse Debain
An Important Cabinet
Auction Closed
June 7, 06:14 PM GMT
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
August Endell and Alphonse Debain
An Important Cabinet
circa 1900
offered together with one later key
rosewood, silver, oak
71¼ x 34¾ x 20¾ in. (181 x 88.3 x 52.7 cm)
Christie's New York, June 8, 1998, lot 137
Macklowe Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Macklowe Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Alastair Duncan, Art Nouveau Furniture, New York, 1982, p. 161, cat. no. 161
Alastair Duncan, The Paris Salons 1895-1914, Vol. III, Suffolk, 1996, p. 124
Alastair Duncan, The Paris Salons 1895-1914, Vol. III, Suffolk, 1996, p. 124
Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1900
The present cabinet, designed by August Endell and adorned in silver elements by lead French silversmith Alphonse Debain, was displayed at the 1900 Paris Exposition and is a testament to the creative ethos of the turn of the twentieth century. Remarkable in form and detail, the cabinet conveys the duality of the theme of the 1900 Exposition - to celebrate the achievements of the past and to accelerate development into the future.
Alphonse Debain designed exquisite silver tea sets and tableware in the lavish Louis XV and Empire styles in the late nineteenth century. Towards the end of the 1890s, his work began to embrace the emerging "new style" associated with the Art Nouveau movement, which aimed to blur the boundaries between the applied and fine arts. August Endell, a German-born designer, architect, and theorist, played a significant role in the development of Jugendstil, the German equivalent of Art Nouveau. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, Endell strongly criticized historicism in decorative arts and advocated for reducing ornamentation while emphasizing form and color. Debain and Endell's affinity for the new art movement is reflected in their collaboration to create the present cabinet.
By 1900, the “new style” was reaching its peak and had found mass appeal at the Paris Exposition where many artists, designers and craftsmen took the birth of a new century as an opportunity to celebrate changes in the visual arts. Alphonse Debain utilized the present cabinet in his display of silver objects at the exposition. Avant-garde in form, the cabinet comprises mahogany carved into sinuous curves and silver hardware that gracefully swirls across the surface.
This cabinet, inspired by nature and laden with whiplash curves, is a remarkable vestige of the Art Nouveau era and a testament to the significant role of the 1900 Paris Exposition in the visual arts. The exhibition showcased a departure from traditional norms, capturing the evolving social and cultural perspectives and setting the stage for subsequent design movements. This lot presents a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of design history from a time when the applied and fine arts converged on the global stage.
Alphonse Debain designed exquisite silver tea sets and tableware in the lavish Louis XV and Empire styles in the late nineteenth century. Towards the end of the 1890s, his work began to embrace the emerging "new style" associated with the Art Nouveau movement, which aimed to blur the boundaries between the applied and fine arts. August Endell, a German-born designer, architect, and theorist, played a significant role in the development of Jugendstil, the German equivalent of Art Nouveau. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, Endell strongly criticized historicism in decorative arts and advocated for reducing ornamentation while emphasizing form and color. Debain and Endell's affinity for the new art movement is reflected in their collaboration to create the present cabinet.
By 1900, the “new style” was reaching its peak and had found mass appeal at the Paris Exposition where many artists, designers and craftsmen took the birth of a new century as an opportunity to celebrate changes in the visual arts. Alphonse Debain utilized the present cabinet in his display of silver objects at the exposition. Avant-garde in form, the cabinet comprises mahogany carved into sinuous curves and silver hardware that gracefully swirls across the surface.
This cabinet, inspired by nature and laden with whiplash curves, is a remarkable vestige of the Art Nouveau era and a testament to the significant role of the 1900 Paris Exposition in the visual arts. The exhibition showcased a departure from traditional norms, capturing the evolving social and cultural perspectives and setting the stage for subsequent design movements. This lot presents a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of design history from a time when the applied and fine arts converged on the global stage.
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