793 - MENDINI, ALESSANDRO

MENDINI, ALESSANDRO Title: Unique Wooden Armchair 'Poltrona di Proust'. Date: Designed in 1978. Manufacture Studio Alessandro Mendini, Milan, 2000. Material: Carved wood, upholstered seats and armrests. Measurement: Ca. 105 x 102 x 82 cm. Mark: Inscribed ‘A. Mendini 2000’, ‘Y.M’ in black on the inside of the pierced apron. Description: An armchair inspired by Baroque designs, featuring a high, curved backrest, volute-shaped armrests and a richly carved frame with floral decor. The wooden frame and upholstery are entirely adorned with a detailed, pointillist pattern in various pastel shades. The backrest is predominantly light blue, whilst the seat, armrests and frame feature a multi-coloured design. Alessandro Mendini is regarded as one of the most significant Italian designers of the second half of the 20th century. As an architect, designer, artist and writer, he left his mark on Italian design in the 1970s and 1980s. His work represents a deliberate departure from classical functionalism in favour of colour, ornamentation and the fusion of art and design. An outstanding example is the Poltrona di Proust, designed in 1978. The armchair’s curved silhouette and decorative carvings remind of the 18th-century French furniture tradition. Mendini contrasts this historical form with an unusual surface design: Numerous small coloured dots cover the wood and upholstery. Inspired by Neo-Impressionist painting, particularly the works of Paul Signac, he applies a painterly principle to a three-dimensional object. The individual dots are visible up close, whilst from a distance they merge to create an overall effect of colour. The armchair thus becomes a kind of three-dimensional painting in its own right. The combination of historical forms with contemporary design is characteristic of Mendini’s so-called ‘re-design’, in which familiar objects are reinterpreted through new artistic and cultural references. The name ‘Poltrona di Proust’ also alludes to his exploration of the past and memory. The starting point was the idea of a textile pattern inspired by Marcel Proust, from which the design of the armchair eventually evolved. The first ‘Poltrona di Proust’ was created in 1978 as a one-off piece, followed by further examples and variations. The armchair on offer here was created in 2000 in Mendini’s studio as a unique piece for its owners. Its distinctive, hand-painted finish emphasises its unique character, straddling the line between furniture, a painting and an art object. Today, the Poltrona di Proust is regarded as a key work of Italian postmodern design. Other versions are held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. Provenance: - Private collection North Rhine-Westphalia. From the artist’s studio. Literature: Casciani, Stefano: Alessandro Mendini: Imagination Takes Command, New York 2025. For the ‘Proust’ armchair, see p. 65 ff. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: The lot is unsuitable for parcel shipping. Transport only by shipping company after consultation following the auction. additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: max. 41.65 Euro over a total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: 1.8 o/oo USA by individual arrangement after the auction. #Alessandro Mendini #Italy #Design Works of Art.