For French interior and furniture designer Jean-Michel Frank (1895–1941), history always had a great allure. He once wrote, “The noble frames that came to us from the past can receive today’s creations.” His career celebrated heritage while promoting new modes of 20th-century design, and it flourished between the World Wars when Frank designed interiors that tastefully mixed extravagance with sophisticated simplicity, often featuring pieces he made with his business partner, cabinetmaker Adolphe Chanaux.
It took personal tragedy for Frank to realize his calling. Frank had been exempted from the World War I draft due to his physical frailty but his brothers both served and died on the front. When his German father applied for French naturalization, he was rejected and placed under house arrest, killing himself shortly after. His mother went into a deep depression and began undergoing psychiatric treatment and died a few years later.
With his large inheritance, Frank joined the Paris culture crowd and there got his start in the burgeoning field of interior design. His signature style, which became known as “luxe pauvre” — “impoverished luxury” — was characterized by clean lines, mixed materials and hard-to-miss details. His interiors for clients including Nelson Rockefeller and Elsa Schiaparelli featured artwork by modern creators like Diego and Alberto Giacometti, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Favoring the color white, he would consider each element of his spartan rooms as part of the whole, from bronze doors to plush antique furnishings, always tastefully rich yet never decadent. He worked on furniture with Chanaux that reinforced this austere style. Some of his most well-known furniture pieces, including the Croisillon table lamps, the Parsons table, brass tripod gueridons and the leather Comfortable chairs that used the Hermès saddle stitch, are extremely simple in their elegant appearance. This attention to refined details, simple luxury and the cohesion of design in a room made him one of the leading tastemakers of 1930s Paris.
After fleeing the Nazi occupation of France (he was part of a Jewish family that included his distant cousin, the diarist Anne Frank), Frank arrived in New York where he killed himself at the age of 46. His commitment to creating home interiors where comfort and fine art could merge and styles could mix in harmony remains influential in design.
Browse Jean-Michel Frank furniture on 1stDibs.
Original Vintage Jean-Michel Frank Rattan & Iron Guideron Tables Comte Argentina
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Uxbridge, GB
Guéridon Tables, 1938 Painted iron and rattan Diameter: 39 cm (15¼ in) Height: 71 cm (28 in) Produced by Comte, Argentina Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Com...
Iron
Original Vintage Jean-Michel Frank Rattan & Iron Console Tables Comte Argentina
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Uxbridge, GB
Jean-Michel Frank Iron & Rattan Console Tables, 1940 An exceptionally rare pair of console tables by Jean-Michel Frank, dating to 1940 and exemplifying the designer’s unmistakab...
Iron
"1928" coffee table, by A. Chanaux &J-M. Frank, Ed. Ecart Int. France circa 2000
By Jean-Michel Frank, Adolphe Chanaux & Co., Ecart International
Located in Paris, FR
Coffee table model « 1928 », designed by Jean-Michel Frank and Adolphe Chanaux. This table is an Ecart International edition circa 2000. Wood and natural sycamore veneer. Biography ...
Wood, Sycamore
Coffee Table Designed by J. M. Frank and A. Chanaux
By Ecart International, Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Paris, FR
End of 20th century coffee table by Jean-Michel Frank and Adolphe Chanaux, edited by Ecart International, in sanded and stained oak. This model was not reedited.
Oak
Mahogany Table by Jean-Michel Frank & Casa Comte Srl
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Low table in mahogany wood with leather and golden vignette. Design by Jean-Michel Frank (1895-1941), made by CASA COMTE (1932-1960). The table is numbered ...
Leather, Mahogany
$32,000Sale Price|20% Off
Jean-Michel Frank Oak Table with Leather Top, Art Deco, Circa 1940
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Table made of oak with leather top and golden vignette. Design by Jean-Michel Frank (1895-1941), made by CASA COMTE (1932-1960), numbered 6760. Argentina...
Leather, Oak
Console table designed by Jean-Michel Frank made by Casa COMTE
By Jean-Michel Frank, Comte S.A.
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Writing desk made of wood with leather covered top and golden vignette. The table has 8 drawers, 4 on each side. Design by Jean-Michel Frank(1895-1941). France, CIRCA 1930.
Leather
Frank Lloyd Wright 'Robie 2' Coffee Table by Cassina, 1989
By Cassina, Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Frank Lloyd Wright designed wooden "Robie 2" coffee table in walnut stained cherry. The highly influential Wright created this coffee table in 1902 for his Frederick C. Robie House i...
Cherry
$3,550 / set
H 20 in W 22 in D 24 in
Jean Michel Frank Design Pair of Limed Oak and Caned Chairs Art Deco Style
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of limed oak caned and leather upholstered armchairs, originally designed by Jean Michel Frank, circa 1930s. These examples are from a 1990s production by the company Mattalia...
Leather, Cane, Oak
Elegant French Art Deco Table, Macassar, 1940s
By Jules Leleu, Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
Dining table, Macassar, France, 1940s. Majestic centre table in Macassar. This Art Deco table shows great craftsmanship. The base and legs are beautifully detailed. This table has...
Brass
Square Solid Brass Parchment Coffee Table, France, 1965
By Jean-Michel Frank, Aldo Tura
Located in Vienna, AT
Square large coffee table from solid brass and parchment, France, circa 1965. Dimensions are 35 x 35 x 17" This elegant table consist of a solid cast brass frame with a large parch...
Brass
$2,250
H 24.75 in W 20.5 in D 15 in
Jean Michel Frank Design Limed Oak Table Art Deco Style circa 2000s
By (after) Jean Michel Frank
Located in Atlanta, GA
Elegant Limed Oak End Table, after a design by Jean Michel Frank, and probably produced by Mattaliano, American, circa 2000s. This is based on a 1930s Jean Michel Frank design and th...
Oak
Square Coffee Table by Josef Frank
By Josef Frank
Located in Stamford, CT
Square coffee table by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn. Sweden.
Birch
Mid Century Iconic Console Table by Jean-Michel Wilmotte
By Jean-Michel Wilmotte
Located in San Francisco, CA
A timeless console table designed in the early 1980s by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. In his pursuit of excellence, Jean-Michel is guided by a keen sense of elegance, proportion and refineme...
Granite, Metal
$56,856 / set
H 15.75 in W 37.56 in D 16.93 in
Low Jean-Michel Frank tables interpreted by Comte. Tivoli collection, stamped
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in London, GB
In the 1930s, Jean-Michel Frank designed a pair of low rectangular table in mica for the smoking room of his own apartment in Paris. Jean-Michel Frank's designs were produced by Com...
Oak
$5,675
H 18.51 in Dm 43.31 in
Luciano Frigerio 1928-1999 Brutalist Bronze Round Coffee Table circa 1975
By Luciano Frigerio
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Luciano Frigerio 1928-1999 Brutalist Bronze Round Coffee Table circa 1975 Sculptural winged bronze round table with clear cut glass top The table base is made of three bronze butter...
Bronze, Copper
Italian Art Deco Dining Table in Maple with Decoration, 1940s
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Rare Art Deco table in a rationalist style, maple top with a central decoration, black lacquered wood base and on the sides. Extendible at the ends.
Maple
$27,000 / set
H 27 in Dm 15 in
Pair of 20th Century Jean Michel-Frank Design Iron Guéridons Tables by Comte
By Comte S.A., Jean-Michel Frank
Located in North Miami, FL
Pair of mid-20th century wrought iron guéridon tables designed by Jean Michel-Frank for the company Comte S.A. By: Jean-Michel Frank, Comte S.A. Material: metal, iron, wrought iron,...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron, Sheet Metal
French Midcentury Bronze & Travertine Console, Jean-Michel Frank
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in New York, NY
An elegant and timeless French Mid-Century Modern neoclassical bronze console / sofa table in the style of Alberto and Diego Giacometti for the French interior design Luminaire, Jean...
Travertine, Bronze
Sold
H 28 in Dm 23.25 in
20th Century French Art Deco Vintage Mahogany Side Table by Jean-Michel Frank
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A sculptural, vintage French Art Deco side table made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Mahogany designed by Jean-Michel Frank, in good condition. The detailed small, round corner table...
Mahogany
Pair of Mid-20th Century Iron Guéridons Tables by Jean Michel-Frank for Comte
By Jean-Michel Frank, Comte S.A.
Located in North Miami, FL
Pair of mid-20th century wrought iron guéridon tables designed by Jean Michel-Frank for the company Comte S.A. By: Jean-Michel Frank, Comte S.A. Material: metal, iron, wrought iron,...
Metal, Iron, Wrought Iron, Sheet Metal
Sold
H 29.14 in W 59.06 in D 59.06 in
High table 1935 by A. Chanaux and J.M. Frank, Ed. Ecart Intl., France circa 2000
By Ecart International, Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Paris, FR
Dining room table designed by Jean-Michel Frank and Adolphe Chanaux in 1935. Stained oak and “sun” wenge veneer. Reedited by Ecart International. Width: 150 cm (59 inches) Depth: 15...
Wood, Oak, Wenge
Pair of Mid-20th Century Iron Guéridons Tables by Jean Michel-Frank for Comte
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in North Miami, FL
Pair of mid-20th century painted wrought iron guéridon tables by french decorator Jean Michel-Frank for argentine design house Comte, circa 1940. One of the legendary designer’s mos...
Iron, Wrought Iron, Sheet Metal
Sold
H 28 in W 51.25 in D 19.75 in
20th Century French Oakwood Freestanding Console Table by Jean-Michel Frank
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-brow, vintage French Art Deco freestanding console table made of hand crafted polished Oakwood, designed most likely by Jean-Michel Frank in good condition. The rectangular s...
Oak
ORIGINAL 1938 Iron and Leather Games Table by Jean-Michel Frank
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in London, GB
A games table of exceptional quality, demonstrating exactly the designer's mastery of perfectly balanced Minimalist lines. A perfect example of why Jean-Michel Frank is international...
Iron
1938 Iron and Leather Bridge/Games Table by Jean-Michel Frank
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in London, GB
A games table of exceptional quality, demonstrating exactly the designer's mastery of perfectly balanced Minimalist lines. A perfect example of why Jean-Michel Frank is international...
Iron
Sold
H 27.56 in Dm 14.97 in L 27.56 in
Pair of Guéridons Tables by Jean Michel Frank for Casa Comte, Argentina, 1939
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Pair of brass guéridons tables by Jean Michel Frank for Casa Comte, Argentina, 1939.
Brass
Important Pair of 1930s Jean-Michel Frank Brass Tripod Gueridons
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in London, GB
Measures: 73cm high x 39cm diameter, each. Together with a Certificate of Authenticity from the committee of Jean-Michel Frank. Designed in the 1930s by Jean-Michel Frank for the...
Bronze
Sold
H 29.53 in W 86.62 in D 46.46 in
French Dining Table by Jean-Michel Frank produced by Ecart International, 1980
By Adolphe Chanaux & Co., Ecart International, Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Berlin, DE
Big dining table designed by Jean-Michel Frank & Adolphe Chanaux, initially manufactured by Jean-Pierre Guerlain, Reedition from 1980 by Ecart International. This dining table is ma...
Oak
Pair of 'Esquisse' Wrought Iron and Parchment Consoles by Design Frères
By Design Frères, Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 'Esquisse' wrought iron and parchment top consoles by Design Frères. In the style of Jean-Michel Frank.
Wrought Iron
Sold
H 27.96 in W 34.65 in D 15.16 in
Rare Mirrored Dressing Table by Jean Michel Frank for Comté, 1935–1936
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in London, GB
1930s mirrored dressing table, one of only two examples known, designed by Jean Michel Frank for Comté. The triptych configuration of two drawers and a central compartment accessed by lift-up vanity mirror, is all supported on exquisitely slender, tapered, metal legs. The metal looped handles are both original. The structure is identical to the dressing tables commissioned by Schiaparelli for her Paris showrooms, though these would have been lacquered in black and not mirrored. The only other known mirrored piece was most probably commissioned for the Sans Souci Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina and is presently in a private collection. In the early 1930s, Jean Michel Frank had a chance meeting with Eugenia Errazuriz...
Metal