Pierre Paulin introduced a fresh breeze into French furniture design in the 1960s and ’70s, fostering a sleek new Space-Age aesthetic. Along with Olivier Mourgue, Paulin developed chairs, sofas, dining tables and other furnishings with flowing lines and almost surreal naturalistic forms. And his work became such a byword for chic, forward-looking design and emerging technologies that two French presidents commissioned him to create environments in the Élysée Palace in Paris.
Paulin was born in Paris to a family of artists and designers. He initially sought to become a ceramist and sculptor and was studying in the town of Vallauris near the Côte d'Azur — a center for pottery making, where Pablo Picasso spent his postwar summers crafting ceramics — but broke his hand in a fight. He enrolled at the École Camondo, the Paris interior design school. There, Paulin was strongly influenced by the work of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Arne Jacobsen, as was reflected in his early creations for the manufacturer Thonet-France.
It was at the Dutch firm Artifort, which he joined in 1958, where Paulin blossomed. In a few years, he produced several of his signature designs based on abstract organic shapes. These include the Butterfly chair (1963), which features a tubular steel frame and slung leather, and a group of striking seating pieces made with steel frames covered in polyurethane foam and tight jersey fabric: the Mushroom (1960), Ribbon (1966) and Tongue (1967) chairs. The revered designer not only introduced new construction techniques to Artifort furniture but contributed fresh materials, Pop art colors and dazzling shapes to the mid-century modern era as a whole.
In 1971, the Mobilier National — a department of France’s Ministry of Culture in charge of furnishing top-tier government offices and embassies — commissioned Paulin to redesign President Georges Pompidou’s private apartment in the Élysée Palace. In three years, Paulin transformed the staid rooms into futuristic environments with curved, fabric-clad walls and furnishings such as bookcases made from an arrangement of smoked-glass U shapes, flower-like pedestal chairs and pumpkin-esque loungers.
Ten years later, the Mobilier National called on Paulin again, this time to furnish the private office of President François Mitterand. Paulin responded with an angular, postmodern take on neoclassical furniture, pieces that looked surprisingly at home in the paneled, Savonnerie-carpeted Louis XVI rooms. As those two Élysée Palace projects show, Paulin furniture works well both in a total decor or when used as a counterpoint to traditional pieces. His creations have a unique personality: bright and playful yet sophisticated and suave.
Find vintage Pierre Paulin lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
"Heron in Jeweled Landscape, " Rare, Glowing Lacquer Painting with Gold Leaf
By Pierre Paulin
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Influenced by the classic lacquer paintings of Jean Dunand and other great artists of France's Art Deco era, as well as the stylized landscapes of China and Japan, this glowing depic...
Lacquer
$4,200
H 34.65 in W 27.56 in D 1.97 in
Italian Baroque Oil on Canvas Painting with Putti, Cherubs in Gold Leaf Frame
Located in Firenze, IT
This antique Baroque period oil on canvas painting, is an authentic 1600s Italian School Allegory of Winter featuring putti and cherubs in a rich still life, and housed in its original golden frame, is a rare masterpiece preserved in prima tela (original first canvas). Sourced directly from an exclusive, historic private villa in Tuscany, this exceptional piece has been meticulously preserved by the same noble family for generations. Emerging on the art market for the very first time, this late 17th-century canvas represents a premier acquisition from The Tuscan Villa Collection, offering absolute authenticity and prestigious provenance. Design, Details & Attribution The composition is a sophisticated allegorical study executed with the dramatic chiaroscuro and emotional depth characteristic of the late Italian 1600s. Four masterfully proportioned putti (cherubs) gather around a small fire, their flesh tones illuminated by a theatrical play of light against a deep, crepuscular Italianate landscape. To the right, a monumental Baroque urn overflowing with a finely detailed floral still life anchors the scene, symbolizing the cycles of nature. The dense brushwork, rich earthy palette, and expressive anatomical rendering point directly to a highly skilled hand active in the Italian Baroque School circa 1680-1710. Stylistically, the artwork shares strong affinities with the classicizing Baroque circle of Carlo Cignani and central Italian genre painters of the era. The canvas remains housed in its spectacular coeval original frame, which retains its genuine gold leaf gilding and a magnificent, deep, age-earned patina. Styling & Placement With its grand visual presence and historical importance, this authentic 17th-century canvas serves as an elite statement piece for high-end interiors. The Classical Anchor: Perfectly suited above an early 18th-century walnut console table or credenza in a formal dining room, entryway, or library, where the golden frame and warm tones create an immediate focal point. The Curated Contrast: Highly effective when placed in a minimalist, contemporary space. The juxtaposition of a genuine Baroque masterpiece against clean, modern architecture offers profound historical depth. Collection Harmony: This painting communicates beautifully with fine period furniture, particularly Biedermeier walnut pieces or Italian marquetry chests...
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Oil Painting of a Landscape in a Venetian Style Frame
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-century oil painting of an abstracted landscape in a Venetian style gilt frame with linen mat. Signed by artist, 1964.
$810
H 36.25 in W 15 in D 1 in
Italian Capriccio Landscape Painting with Classical Ruins in Shaped Gilt Frame
Located in Elkhart, IN
A distinctive Italian capriccio landscape, painted in oil on a shaped panel and presented in a softly worn giltwood frame. The composition draws from the Grand Tour tradition—romanti...
Wood, Paint
$1,983
H 26.78 in W 22.84 in D 1.97 in
Empire Frame Gold Leaf France with Russian Constructivism Painting
Located in Prato, Tuscany
We kindly suggest you read the whole description, because with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical information to guarantee the authenticity of our objects. Our owner Beatrice Tronci, passionate art collector and established interior design, wanted to propose an article with a daring but engaging temporal contrast; a French gold leaf frame of 1855 and inside a painting of Russian Constructivism...
Wood, Paper
Vintage Landscape Painting
Located in Duxbury, MA
Landscape oil painting. Framed.
Paint
$690
H 27.25 in W 10.25 in D 1 in
Italian Capriccio Landscape Painting with Classical Ruins in Shaped Gilt Frame
Located in Elkhart, IN
A distinctive Italian capriccio landscape, painted in oil on a shaped panel and presented in a softly worn giltwood frame. The composition draws from the Grand Tour tradition—romanti...
Wood, Paint
$1,050
H 11.03 in W 13 in D 3.15 in
Early 20th Century French Oil on Canvas Landscape in Gold Leaf Frame
Located in LEGNY, FR
This early 20th century painting captivates with its soft and poetic atmosphere, deep tones, and beautiful end-of-day light. The delicate rendering of the trees and architecture give...
Canvas, Wood
$2,450
H 2 in W 11.5 in D 14.25 in
Marc Mongin Gold Leaf Framed Oil on Linen French Landscape Painting, Dated 1919
By Marc Mongin
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Found in France, an oil on linen landscape painting, mounted in a wide, gold-leafed wood frame, signed and dated 1919. Painted by the French artist Marc Mongin, the scene is typic...
Linen, Giltwood
$495
H 11.75 in W 13.75 in D 1.5 in
Mid-Century Modern Framed Original Oil Painting The River Styx With Glowing Sun
Located in Studio City, CA
A quite beautiful and mesmerizing Mid-Century Modern original oil painting titled "The River Styx" featuring a fiery burning orange/yellow sun rising through a blood red sky above th...
Wood, Paint
Shell Beach Impressionist Landscape Painting, Gold Framed, 27x31 in
Located in Queens, NY
Gold framed copy of an impressionist landscape painting titled "Shell Beach" showing children collecting sea shells
Paint
French Vintage Landscape Painting with Cathedral
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This French early 20th century oil on linen painting illustrates a rustic landscape with a dirt road in the foreground leading the eye through the treeline to a cathedral just beyond...
Linen, Paint
Painting of Two Westie Terriers in a Landscape
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Portrait of two West Highland Terriers or Westies in a Scottish landscape. Signed Weston in the lower right and presented in an impressive pine frame.
Canvas, Paint
Large Spectacular French Lacquer Painting by Pierre Paulin
By Pierre Paulin
Located in Miami, FL
Imaginary landscape and a girl, lacquer by Pierre Paulin (1907-2007) Lacquer painting with gold leaf, by Pierre Paulin representing an imaginary landscape inspired by Asian The imp...
Paint