Pair of Raphaël Midcentury Stainless Steel and Oakwood French Credenzas, 1973

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Pair of Raphaël Midcentury Stainless Steel and Oakwood French Credenzas, 1973

About the Item

Raphaël Raffel, (1912-2000) Rare credenza, 1973, once housed in the archive room of the French minister of Post Office, Rue du Louvre, Paris. Born in 1912, Raphaël Raffel was an inexhaustible decorator. After studying at the Beaux-Arts, Raphaël (of which Josephine Baker will be one of his first clients) settled as a decorator in 1934; If he responds to private orders in the spirit of his time (like Arbus or Quinet his work first impressed in the neo-Louis XVI style), he knows how to assert a new touch, any individual, of which emanate the features of elegance, a subtle genius of proportions and colors, a discreet refinement of the materials used that fly every time. The postwar period will only confirm the lightness that emerges from his creations but Raphael, pushing his aesthetic choices further, reaches freer forms is a purity that now worth as his mark. Note that between orders for decors of ships (made in duet with Arbus) and his first "official commands", Raphael refuses to mass production and continues to stamp his furniture, one by one. Everything changed at the end of the 1950s when the influx of administrative orders strangled his personal production: at a time when the state cares about the concept of branding linked to that of service, it will be in turn sets of post offices (rue d'Ulm, rue du Louvre), embassies, university residences (that of Anthony including with Prouvé and Mouille), the national assembly and finally the ground floor and the left wing of the Paris City Hall. The size of all these sites had yet no hold on his personality or his own style. A free and individual artist, Raphael worked closely with all the great decorators of the 20th century; it remains one of the most inimitable.

Creator:
Raphael Raffel (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 23.63 in (60 cm)Width: 98.43 in (250 cm)Depth: 19.69 in (50 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Oak,Stainless Steel
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1973
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Milan, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3372114312801

Shop All Raphael Raffel

Raphael Raffel

Best known in the world of design as simply Raphaël, Raphaël Raffel was one of the most influential French mid-century modern designers and decorators. His style inspirations ranged from 18th-century Parisian design to 1960s American and Italian Space Age chic.

Born in 1912 in Paris, Raffel studied design at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1934, he began an interior decorating business, counting legendary French-American dancer Josephine Baker among his first clients.

During the 1930s and throughout the 1940s, Raffel was regarded as one of France’s illustrious “ensembliers-décorateurs,” designers who not only created furniture but focused on every element of interior space, from wall decorations to lighting.

By the 1950s, Raffel’s decorating and design talents had gained the attention of the French public service. Several commissions were awarded to Raffel to decorate embassies, university residences, post offices, the National Assembly and the ground floor and a wing of the Hôtel de Ville de Paris. Additionally, in 1952, Raffel worked with French designer, sculptor and architect André Arbus to decorate a section of the luxury ocean liner Bretagne. That same year, Raffel’s work was shown with designs by French ceramist Georges Jouve at the Salon des Arts Ménagers. In 1958, Raffel exhibited at the Brussels World’s Fair.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Raffel was inspired by the era’s popular Space Age style, evident in his plush, croissant-shaped sofas and pod-shaped lounge chairs, club chairs and armchairs, which he designed for furniture makers such as Maison Honoré and Herman Miller. Raffel also combined lacquer, glasswork, distinct colors and gilt bronze in his elegant, French neoclassical coffee and cocktail tables, side tables and desks.

Towards the end of the 1970s, Raffel’s business began to wane, finally closing in 1983. Raffel continued to work on design and decorating commissions until he died in 2000.

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Raphaël Raffel seating and tables.