A Celebration of Twentieth-Century Decorative Arts
Their ambitions were interrupted by the war, but in 1919 they founded the Compagnie des Arts Français, blending the French decorative tradition with a renewed, personal interpretation. Their goal: to offer comprehensive interior ensembles, carefully conceived down to the finest detail.
In 1923, with the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts on the horizon, the Compagnie intensified its efforts to assert its identity. The pair presented a wide range of creations inspired by historical styles—without resorting to pastiche—adapted to the tastes and needs of their time.
A pair of carved mahogany armchairs dated from that same year is a striking example of their work, perfectly reflecting the vision of the Compagnie des Arts Français (estimate: €15,000–20,000). Their collaboration continued until 1928, ending with their final project together and the sale of the Compagnie to Galeries Lafayette.
Art Deco master Paul Dupré-Lafon will also take centre stage in this exceptional auction, crowned by the sale of a modernist desk estimated at €100,000 to €150,000.
Having earned his diploma from the École des Beaux-Arts in Marseille in 1923, Dupré-Lafon moved to Paris and quickly launched his career, helped in part by his former classmate, the painter Georges Willameur, who introduced him to his first clients. From then on, Dupré-Lafon worked exclusively for a small, discreet circle of wealthy patrons, for whom he became something of a mirror.
In 1929, he received his first major commission and began a long-standing collaboration with Hermès, whose fine leathers became integral to his creations. His reputation was solidified in 1935 with his interior design work for a property on rue Rembrandt, which earned him glowing praise in Art et Décoration. Three years later, he took on another major project, designing a private residence on avenue Foch. The desk offered in this sale dates from this prolific period, prior to his mobilisation in 1940. As art critic Bernard Champigneulle wrote, its “undeniable sumptuousness lies in the simple yet perfect harmony of every element.”
Dupré-Lafon resumed work only after 1945. Despite limitations in available materials, he never ceased creating with brilliance—right up to his final commission: the interior design of a villa in Deauville, in 1971.
Caught somewhere between the absurd world of Ionesco’s Rhinocéros and the surrealist wordplay of Boris Vian, François-Xavier Lalanne created in 1964 the Rhinocrétaire — a fantastical writing desk in the shape of a rhinoceros that would become one of his signature pieces. A centrepiece of the Zoophites exhibition at Jeanine Restany’s Galerie J, this monumental brass sculpture was reimagined in several versions, formats and materials, each time adopting a new function.
Among these variations, Lot 218, Rhinocéros Bleu, fully embraces the baroque imagination and mischievous humour of the artist. Published in 1981 by Artcurial in an edition of 150 (this one numbered 132/150), each copy expresses the singular strangeness so typical of Lalanne’s artistic universe. Its dazzling blue hue evokes a suspended, dreamlike temporality — a moment forever in motion.
Just before this fantastical piece crosses the block, the sale will present another work by Lalanne: Œuf, a porcelain ice bucket created in 1968 for the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres. The example offered here was produced in 1978, complete with its gilt-bronze base.
