Edgar Brandt

40 x 29 x 10 ½ in. (101.6 x 73.7 x 26.7 cm)

Christie’s New York, April 1, 1995, lot 148

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Henri Clouzot, La Ferronnerie Moderne, Paris, 1925, p. 5, no. 2 (for a related example)

Joan Kahr, Edgar Brandt: Master of Art Deco Ironwork, New York, 1999, pp. 142 (for this screen)

Joan Kahr, Edgar Brandt: Art Deco Iron Work, New York, 2010, p. 124 (for this screen)

Sotheby's would like to thank Joan Kahr for her assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.

A master of harmoniously marrying ironwork with poetic and naturalistic themes, Edgar Brandt remains one of the most accomplished metalworkers from the first half of the twentieth century. Exhibited at the groundbreaking 1925 Parisian Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the present “Le Nid” (The Nest) fire screen is a masterpiece in its treatment of animalistic motifs and innovative technique.

“Le Nid” displays a mother bird hovering over her three chicks in their nest, enveloped by stylized roses, buds, and leaves. Borrowing from the undulating and organic lines of Art Nouveau, the screen’s iron swirls and leaves are softened from the traditional whiplash curves, and there is a hint of the modernism to come in the execution of the complex shapes. These delicate details are an example of a vital modern aspect of Brandt’s ironwork technique, the utilization of the newly designed oxyacetylene blowtorch, allowing various petite ironwork elements to easily be soldered at minute points. 

The 1925 Exposition reestablished Paris as the design capital of the world, with “Le Nid” positioned as a focal point of Brandt’s presentation, which solidified his reputation as a master ironworker. The artist’s display featured a number of exceptional new pieces highlighting his mastery over technique as well as his skills as a visionary craftsman. A young Tamara de Lempicka likewise garnered recognition at the Exposition for some of the new works that she presented there. 

The fire screen’s illustrious history is further enhanced through its inclusion in a 1926 exhibition at the Musée du Louvre in Paris on the American Cheney Brother silk company. The motif was also extended into a larger vignette for a door in 1927, attesting to its popularity. “Le Nid” now figures amongst Edgar Brandt’s most iconic forms and motifs.