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Jean Prouvé

French • 1901-1984

Biography

Jean Prouvé believed in design as a vehicle for improvement. His manufactory Les Ateliers Jean Prouvé, located in Nancy, France, produced furniture for schools, factories and municipal projects, both within France and in locations as far flung as the Congo. Though he designed for the masses, pieces such as his "Potence" lamps and "Standard" chairs are among the most iconic fixtures in sophisticated, high-design interiors today. Collectors connect with his utilitarian, austere designs that strip materials down to the bare minimum without compromising on proportion or style.

Prouvé grew up in Nancy, France, the son of Victor Prouvé, an artist and co-founder of the École de Nancy, and Marie Duhamel, a pianist. He apprenticed to master blacksmiths in Paris and opened a small wrought iron forge in Nancy. However it was sheet steel that ultimately captured Prouvé's imagination, and he ingeniously adapted it to furniture, lighting and even pre-fabricated houses, often collaborating with other design luminaries of the period, such as Robert Mallet-Stevens, Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand.

Insights

Major exhibitions on Jean Prouvé have been held at Paris' Centre Pompidou, Weil am Rhein's Vitra Design Museum and New York's Museum of Modern Art, among many others.
Phillips achieved $185,000 in December 2015 for a "Potence" pivoting wall light, a world auction record for the form, one of Prouvé's most famous designs.
During World War II, Jean Prouvé was a member of the French Resistance and used the code name "locksmith."

"It was sheet steel that inspired me — folded, pressed, ribbed, then soldered."

Past Lots

2
Jean Prouvé
Pair of "Semi-metal" chairs, model no. 305
Estimate $18,000 - 24,000
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7
Jean Prouvé
"Cafétéria" guéridon, model no. 511
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $44,450
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33
Jean Prouvé
'Semi-metal' chair, model no. 306
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000
Sold for £9,525
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35
Jean Prouvé
Panel with portholes, from the École Maternelle de Bouqueval
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000
Sold for £50,800
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43
Jean Prouvé
Pair of 'Semi-metal' chairs, model no. 305
Estimate £10,000 - 15,000
Sold for £25,400
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18
Jean Prouvé
Two-seat amphitheater banquette, designed for the Faculté des Lettres, Université de Besançon, France
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $19,050
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19
Jean Prouvé
"Semi-metal" chair, model no. 306
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $10,160
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29
Jean Prouvé
Set of four “Semi-Metal” chairs, model no. 305
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $63,500
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30
Jean Prouvé
Pair of “Semi-Metal” chairs, model no. 305
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $30,480
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340
Jean Prouvé
Sun shutter, designed for schools in Cameroon
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$101,600
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341
Jean Prouvé
Sun shutter, designed for schools in Cameroon
Estimate HK$80,000 - 120,000
Sold for HK$101,600
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29
Jean Prouvé
Low table, model no. 402
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000
Sold for £57,150
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32
Jean Prouvé
Pivoting 'Potence' wall light
Estimate £12,000 - 18,000
Sold for £38,100
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7
Jean Prouvé
'Cité' table, model no. 500
Estimate £3,000 - 5,000
Sold for £13,860
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31
Jean Prouvé
Rare adjustable swivel stool
Estimate £12,000 - 18,000
Sold for £25,200
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32
Jean Prouvé
Panel
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
Sold for £81,900
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33
Jean Prouvé
Panel
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
Sold for £81,900
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38
Jean Prouvé
Five-panel screen
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
Sold for £57,960
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11
Jean Prouvé
"Antony" chair, model no. 356
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $44,100
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16
Jean Prouvé
Set of four "Tout bois” chairs
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $32,760
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17
Jean Prouvé
Sun shutter, designed for schools in Cameroon
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $13,860
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19
Jean Prouvé
Sun shutter, designed for schools in Cameroon
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $17,640
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20
Jean Prouvé
Set of six "Semi-metal" chairs, model no. 305
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $52,920
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21
Jean Prouvé
Cabinet, model no. 152
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $94,500
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