Charles Dudouyt Seating

French, 1885-1946

A favorite among Art Deco furniture collectors and enthusiasts, the work of Charles Dudouyt is known for its rustic and modernist sensibilities rather than the classicist design associated with the French designer and decorator's native country in the early 20th century.

Born in 1885, Dudouyt nurtured his artistic passions while studying at the Germain Pilon school. Upon graduating, he painted and earned a living as an illustrator at French publishing houses such as Calmann-Lévy and a weekly satirical magazine called L’Assiette au Beurre.

In 1918, after he returned from fighting in World War I, Dudouyt left his career as a painter and illustrator and turned to design interior furnishings instead. With his wife, he created and produced lighting fixtures and decorative objects, and in 1920, he founded a rustic furniture factory in Pontoise called L’Abeillée.

Over the next decade, Dudouyt expanded into larger-scale furniture design. In 1933, he moved to Paris and established a manufacturing company called La Gentilhommière, in which he had a store and a workshop. There, he produced a range of furniture, including chairs, cabinets, armchairs and credenzas. Dudouyt worked with a variety of woods that included oak, ash and beech, and integrated other organic materials in his seats and backrests such as leather, wicker and rope.

Dudouyt is known for his way of “embellishing chunky proportions with elegant carvings,” according to Amanda Jesse and Whitney Parris-Lamb of New York City design firm Jesse Paris-Lamb. Vintage Dudouyt sideboards, console tables and seating feature the distinct details now associated with Art Deco, such as geometric inlays, pronounced shapes and raised carved motifs. His oak dining chairs, while lauded for their substantial frames and durability, can also be seen as inviting and light in their sleek legs and armrests.

After he died in 1946, Dudouyt’s son Jacques continued operating La Gentilhommière until it closed in 1960. Today, Charles Dudouyt’s pieces continue to be highly sought by Art Deco interior designers and aficionados.

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Charles Dudouyt furniture.

Charles Dudouyt seating for sale on 1stDibs.

Charles Dudouyt seating are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Charles Dudouyt seating, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original seating by Charles Dudouyt were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider seating by Jean Prouvé, André Sornay, and Olivier Mourgue. Prices for Charles Dudouyt seating can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,000 and can go as high as $18,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,750.