The present five-panel screen by Jean Prouvé, designed for the Centre National d’Enseignement Technique (CNET) in Cachan, France, exemplifies his focus in the post-war years on creating functional designs for public use. This commission aligned closely with Prouvé’s work on student housing at the Cité Universitaire in Antony, which included iconic pieces such as the “Antony” bookcase (lot 167). Designs for dormitories, cafeterias, and gymnasiums were a compelling vehicle to make the case for a union of aesthetic rigor and practical utility. These university commissions marked a pivotal period in Prouvé’s career as he aimed to address societal needs through thoughtful design on a broad scale.
The kitchens at Centre National d’Enseignement Technique (CNET) in Cachan, France, published in Techniques et Architecture, 1956. Prouvé’s design for the screen on offer is both architectural and sculptural. Initially conceived as a room divider for the CNET’s open-plan interiors, the screen served dual purposes: defining and organizing spaces, and functioning as an acoustic buffer. However, its form transcends mere utility. Bent steel supports gracefully slope upward holding wide panels of perforated metal that appear to float above the ground. The imposing form exemplifies Prouvé’s mastery of material and structural expression, showcasing his ability to merge practicality with elegance.
Provenance
Private collection, New York
Sotheby's, New York, Private sale
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2005Literature
Galerie Patrick Seguin, Jean Prouvé, Volume 2, Paris, 2007, pp. 463, 467
Galerie Patrick Seguin, Jean Prouvé, Volume 1, Paris, 2017, pp. 367, 417Artist 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.
169
Five-panel screen, designed for Le Centre National d'Enseignement Technique, Cachan, France
circa 1955
Painted steel.
72 1/4 x 149 x 15 3/4 in. (183.5 x 378.5 x 40 cm)
Produced by Les Ateliers Jean Prouvé, France.
Estimate
$40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $44,450
Benjamin Green
Associate Specialist, Head of Sale, New York
bgreen@phillips.com
+1 212 940 1267
Design
New York Auction 11 December 2024
126
This lot is no longer available.
203
This lot is no longer available.
