Provenance
Robert Chevalier, Épinal
Thence by descent
Private Collection, France, 1970s
Private Collection
Acquired from the above
Phillips, London, 26 April 2018, lot 34
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Literature
Léopold Diego Sanchez, Jean-Michel Frank, Paris, 1997, illustrated pp. 92-93
Anne Bony, Les Années 30 d'Anne Bony, Paris, 2005, armchairs illustrated p. 750
Pierre-Emmanuel Martin-Vivier, Jean-Michel Frank : l’étrange luxe du rien, Paris, Éditions Norma, 2006, armchairs illustrated pp. 120-121
Catalogue Essay
The present lot was designed by Jean-Michel Frank for the living room of industrialist and textile producer Robert Chevalier, whose residence Frank completed in 1927. Located in the town of Épinal, the residence featured many elements of a traditional Georges-Eugène Haussmann style building, such as extensive roof space and courtyard. The project constitutes one of only a few Frank worked on in collaboration with other architects and designers; notably, in this case, the young Jean Prouvé, godson of Chevalier, who was entrusted with designing doors and windows for the building.

The commission came with some explicit requests from Chevalier. His love for modern art was to be fully expressed within the interiors, so Frank’s predication for minimalism and austerity was moderately restrained in the client's favour towards bespoke furnishings more fitting to his sensibilities. The living room, the original location of the present lot, featured works of art from Chevalier’s collection by Marie Laurencin, which Frank paired with pale fabric-covered walls, carpet, and seating in a soft beige upholstery. This suite, from which only two of the armchair’s remain, was designed and exclusively produced for the Chevalier interior and is to be considered amongst ‘the most notable designs’ by Frank conceived for the commission (Pierre-Emmanuel Martin-Vivier, Jean-Michel Frank: The Strange and Subtle Luxury of the Parisian Haute-Monde in the Art Deco Period, New York, 2006, p. 122).
Artist Biography
Jean-Michel Frank
French • 1895 - 1941
Working in Paris, New York and Argentina, Jean-Michel Frank designed subtle, exquisitely proportioned furniture and lighting for sophisticated interiors. His elite roster of patrons included the vicomte Charles de Noailles, the businessman and politician Nelson A. Rockefeller, the couturier Elsa Schiaparelli and the perfumer Guerlain, among many others. Against the backdrop of the interwar period, Frank designed calm, subdued interiors that offered refuge from the chaotic world. His furniture, which was often clad in vellum, bleached leather or shagreen, featured clean lines and served to complement the art collections of his clients, which included works by Picasso, Léger and Matisse.
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Σ13

Jean-Michel Frank

Unique canapé and pair of armchairs, designed for Robert Chevalier, Épinal

Brazilian rosewood, fabric
Canapé: 95 x 149 x 86 cm (37 3/8 x 58 5/8 x 33 7/8 in.)
Each armchair: 96 x 84.2 x 80.5 cm (37 3/4 x 33 1/8 x 31 3/4 in.)
Executed circa 1927. Produced by Chanaux & Company, Paris, France. Together with a certificate of authenticity from the Comité Jean-Michel Frank.

Estimate
£50,000 - 70,000

Contact Specialist

Charlotte Gibbs

Head of Sale, London

+44 20 7901 7993

cgibbs@phillips.com

Hard-Edged: Online Auction

Online Auction 22 - 30 April 2020

1
Josef Albers
Formulation Articulation I & II
Estimate £3,000 - 5,000 ‡
Sold for £32,500
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2
Jean Prouvé
'Semi-metal' chair, model no. 305
Estimate £8,000 - 12,000
Sold for £16,250
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3
Eva Rothschild
Mastermind
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000 ♠
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4
Imi Knoebel
Drunter und Drüber Z25
Estimate £10,000 - 15,000 ♠†
Sold for £13,750
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5
Sol LeWitt
Forms Derived from a Cubic Rectangle: Plate #01
Estimate £1,000 - 1,500 ‡
Sold for £3,750
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6
Ico Parisi
‘Lerici’ modular bookcase
Estimate £18,000 - 24,000
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7
Studio PFR (1952-1976) - Gio Ponti, Antonio Fornaroli and Alberto Rosselli
Ceiling light
Estimate £7,000 - 9,000
Sold for £7,500
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8
Imi Knoebel
Lentoi
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000 ♠
Sold for £7,500
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9
Jean Prouvé
'Semi-metal' chair, model no. 306
Estimate £7,000 - 9,000
Sold for £12,500
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10
Børge Mogensen
Chest of drawers, model no. BM 59
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000
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11
Børge Mogensen
Sideboard, model no. BM 57
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000
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12
Ethan Cook
Untitled (W129)
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000
Sold for £11,875
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13
Jean-Michel Frank
Unique canapé and pair of armchairs, designed for Robert Chevalier, Épinal
Estimate £50,000 - 70,000
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14
Elio Monesi
Rare standard lamp
Estimate £8,000 - 12,000
Sold for £7,500
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15
Michael Craig-Martin
Proposal (book, globe)
Estimate £5,000 - 7,000 ♠
Sold for £6,000
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16
Stephen Prina
Étudiants de Salamanque (The Students of Salamanca), 1859-60, from the series Exquisite Corpse: The Complete Paintings of Manet
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000
Sold for £4,750
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17
Gio Ponti
Set of eight dining chairs
Estimate £8,000 - 12,000
Sold for £10,625
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18
Ico Parisi
Unique dining table
Estimate £6,000 - 8,000
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19
Ingo Maurer
Unique ceiling light
Estimate £10,000 - 15,000
Sold for £10,625
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20
Michael Craig-Martin
ART
Estimate £500 - 700 ♠
Sold for £813
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Hard-Edged: Online Auction

Online Auction 22 - 30 April 2020

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Provenance

Literature

Catalogue Essay

Artist Biography

Jean-Michel Frank

Σ13

Jean-Michel Frank

Unique canapé and pair of armchairs, designed for Robert Chevalier, Épinal

Hard-Edged: Online Auction

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