Provenance
Recreational watersports centre, Messein, France
Galerie Patrick Seguin, Paris
Literature
Peter Sulzer, Jean Prouvé: Œuvre complète / Complete Works, Volume 3: 1944-1954, Basel, 2005, pp. 46-53, for examples of demountable houses in other sizes
Galerie Patrick Seguin, Jean Prouvé, 6 x 6 Demoutable House, Paris, 2013, passim for the 6 x 6 example
Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli and Galerie Patrick Seguin, A Passion for Jean Prouvé: From Furniture to Architecture: The Laurence and Patrick Seguin Collection, exh. cat., Paris, 2013, pp. 270-75 for the two axial portal structural support frames
Galerie Patrick Seguin, Jean Prouvé, Volume 2, Paris, 2017, illustrated pp. 144-47
Forthcoming: Jean Prouvé Architecture, Volume 13, Galerie Patrick Seguin
Catalogue Essay
"The house of my dreams is made in a factory"
Jean Prouvé

Jean Prouvé was a twentieth century pioneer and an innovative designer of furniture and architecture. Prouvé was the godson of Emile Gallé and his father was a founding member of the Ecole de Nancy. From the beginning Prouvé was imbued with a creative and industrious philosophy from a group whose principal aim was the democratic alliance between art and industry.

Determined to be a man of his time, Prouvé explored all the current technical resources in metalworking, abandoning wrought iron for bent sheet steel. In the 1930s he produced metal joinery, furniture, architectural components and demountable buildings, all of which were from a limited production. Prouvé stated that ‘in their construction there is no difference between a piece of furniture and a house’, and he developed his philosophy on construction further based upon functionality and rational fabrication. Free of all artifice, the result was aesthetically concurrent with the doctrine of the Union des Artistes Modernes of which Prouvé was a founding member. Members of U.A.M. also included the French pioneers Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand.

Post-war furniture and architecture, which was produced and often intended for public use applied Prouvé’s aforementioned ideas. Furthermore these works included astute assembly systems for durable structures, buildings and furniture all of which were germane to the principles of adaptation, modification and deconstruction. The significance of Jean Prouvé’s humanist concerns and avant-garde spirit has lost none of its relevance. There has been renewed discovery of the originality from his prolific career, spanning many decades. These achievements include the University dormitory, Nancy, in 1932; a similar facility for the university in Antony, 1954; demountable post-war schools and the ‘little architecture machines’ from the 1960s; furniture and buildings for Brazzaville, Congo, and Cansado, Mauritania.

Collaborating with esteemed architects, Jean Prouvé has left a prestigious lineage of twentieth century building, many of which are now considered historic monuments to modernism.

In response to an order from the state at the end of the war, Jean Prouvé began designing temporary houses for the homeless in Lorraine and Franche-Comté. He fine-tuned his already patented axial portal frame, which was a quick, economical and adaptable solution to an urgent priority. The area of 6 x 6 meters (388 sq ft) was mandated by the Ministry of Reconstruction and Town Planning, and then later increased in size to 6 x 9 meters (581 sq ft). The construction was partitioned into three rooms that were immediately habitable on the day of assembly. This meant that families did not need to move while construction took place.

Designed to be rapidly constructed on the sites of destroyed homes, these architectural structures were produced with wood and metal prefabricated components. At the time of fabrication steel was subjected to strict quotas, which was reserved for the bent steel skeleton, for the insertion of simple standardised wood panels. The roof was made of bitumen-coated building paper, conducive to Prouvé’s constructional rebuilding principles.

Galerie Patrick Seguin will release a five volume set of monographs dedicated to the demountable architecture of Jean Prouvé, which will include the present lot ‘6 x 9' demountable house.
Artist Biography
Jean Prouvé
French • 1901 - 1984
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.
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225

Jean Prouvé

'6 x 9' demountable house, together with 'Pyrobal' fireplace

1944-1945
Painted steel, corrugated aluminium, painted wood, glass.
300 x 900 x 680 cm (118 1/8 x 354 3/8 x 267 3/4 in.)
Manufactured by Les Ateliers Jean Prouvé, Nancy, France.

Estimate
£700,000 - 900,000

Sold for £665,000

Contact Specialist
Madalena Horta e Costa
Head of Sale
+44 20 7318 4019

Modern Masters

London Auction 26 April 2017

201
Thomas Stearns
Rare 'Cappello del Doge' vase
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
Sold for £23,750
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202
Gio Ponti
'Distex' armchair, model no. 807, and rare footstool
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000
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203
Carlo Scarpa
Rare eight-armed chandelier, model no. 5334 A8
Estimate £10,000 - 15,000
Sold for £56,250
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204
Fulvio Bianconi
Rare vase, model no. 4426
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000 ♠
Sold for £25,000
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205
Carlo Mollino
Pair of chairs, designed for the conference room, Lattes Publishing House, Turin
Estimate £160,000 - 220,000
Sold for £239,000
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206
This lot is no longer available.
207
Jean Royère
Important 'Trèfle' sideboard
Estimate £70,000 - 90,000
Sold for £149,000
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208
Kaare Klint
Three-seater box-shaped sofa, model no. 4118
Estimate £35,000 - 50,000
Sold for £43,750
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209
Jørgen Berg
Rare cabinet-on-stand, model no. 24190
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000
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210
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Rare and important ceiling light, model no. 3543NR
Estimate £120,000 - 150,000
Sold for £137,000
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211
Jean-Michel Frank
'Colonne' table lamp
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000
Sold for £43,750
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212
Salvador Dalí for Jean-Michel Frank
'Dalí' floor lamp
Estimate £150,000 - 200,000
Sold for £143,000
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213
Alberto Giacometti
‘Tête de femme’ table lamp
Estimate £100,000 - 150,000 Ω
Sold for £437,000
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214
Paul Rodocanachi for Jean-Michel Frank
Set of four dining chairs
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
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215
Alberto Giacometti
Unique and large conic chandelier with four small cones, from the Tériade apartment, Paris
Estimate £1,500,000 - 2,500,000 Ω
Sold for £2,045,000
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216
Josef Hoffmann
Tea service, model no. S se 8, comprising model nos. S 5369 - S se 8-1, S 5370 - S se 8-2, S 5371 - S se 8-3, S 5372 - S se 8-4, S 5373 - S se 8-5
Estimate £40,000 - 50,000
Sold for £90,000
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217
Young Sook Park
'Moon Jar', no. 16
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000 ‡
Sold for £137,000
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218
Armand-Albert Rateau
Unique and important dining table and set of ten chairs from the hôtel particulier Thalheimer, Paris
Estimate £1,000,000 - 1,500,000
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219
Ron Arad
'Little Heavy' chair
Estimate £25,000 - 35,000
Sold for £31,250
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220
Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret
Unique bookcase, designed for Henri Ingber
Estimate £120,000 - 180,000
Sold for £215,000
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221
Joris Laarman
Important 'Bridge' table
Estimate £200,000 - 300,000 Ω
Sold for £341,000
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222
Jean Prouvé
Rare chair, model no. 4
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000
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223
Jean Prouvé
'Flavigny' double bed, from the Air France Unité d’Habitation, Brazzaville
Estimate £38,000 - 42,000
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224
Jean Prouvé
Important 'Cité' armchair, from Jean Prouvé's private collection
Estimate £180,000 - 280,000
Sold for £317,000
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225
Jean Prouvé
'6 x 9' demountable house, together with 'Pyrobal' fireplace
Estimate £700,000 - 900,000
Sold for £665,000
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226
Jean Prouvé
Rare 'Visiteur' armchair, type FV. 12
Estimate £70,000 - 100,000
Sold for £203,000
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227
Gio Ponti
Unique executive desk, designed for the Dulciora offices, Milan
Estimate £35,000 - 45,000
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228
Gio Ponti
Unique swivel armchair, from the Dulciora offices, Milan
Estimate £10,000 - 15,000
Sold for £12,500
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229
Gio Ponti
Unique folding table, designed for the Dulciora offices, Milan
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000
Sold for £65,000
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230
Gio Ponti
Unique set of three chairs, designed for the Dulciora offices, Milan
Estimate £25,000 - 35,000
Sold for £31,250
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231
Gio Ponti
Unique 'Parete organizzata', designed for the Dulciora offices, Milan
Estimate £40,000 - 60,000
Sold for £47,500
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232
Gio Ponti
Set of twelve armchairs, from the Dulciora offices, Milan
Estimate £25,000 - 35,000
Sold for £28,750
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233
Gino Sarfatti
Rare large chandelier, model no. 2109/27, executed for a private commission, France
Estimate £50,000 - 70,000
Sold for £106,250
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234
Gio Ponti
Rare coffee table
Estimate £35,000 - 45,000
Sold for £68,750
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235
Jean Royère
Rare illuminated desk
Estimate £60,000 - 80,000
Sold for £75,000
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236
Giacomo Balla
Unique vanity
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000
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237
Studio B.B.P.R.
Unique sofa, designed for the Belsana offices, Milan
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
Sold for £31,250
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238
Pierre Jeanneret
Set of six 'Showroom' armchairs, model no. PJ-SI-49-A, possibly designed for the Tagore Theater, Chandigarh
Estimate £50,000 - 70,000
Sold for £50,000
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239
Flemming Lassen
'Third' armchair
Estimate £30,000 - 50,000
Sold for £65,000
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240
Marc Newson
Prototype 'Micarta' desk
Estimate £80,000 - 120,000
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Modern Masters

London Auction 26 April 2017

Create your first list.

Provenance

Literature

Catalogue Essay

Artist Biography

Jean Prouvé

225

Jean Prouvé

'6 x 9' demountable house, together with 'Pyrobal' fireplace

Modern Masters

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