Pierre Guariche, Set of Four "4 Faces" Chairs for Les Huchers-Minvieille, 1959

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Pierre Guariche, Set of Four "4 Faces" Chairs for Les Huchers-Minvieille, 1959

About the Item

Rare set of four chairs model "Quatre faces" designed by Pierre Guariche (1926-1995) and edited by Les Huchers-Minvieille, France, circa 1959. This model called "4 Faces" takes its name from its rather atypical and original design. Indeed, the backrest and the seat are composed of 4 distinct parts in plywood. Although the "faces" are flat and not thermoformed, this does not detract from the volume offered since each face is oriented and fixed to the structure in such a way as to create a supported and comfortable seat. The metal frame in black lacquered steel serves as a structure for the seat but also as a binder for the four sides and thus reveals in their middles the tubes that make up the chair. The contact with the floor of the metal structure is made by overflowing pads thus offering more stability when sitting and better protection for your interiors. On the back of the chair, the screws are visible and embedded in cup washers. Original pieces from the 1950s newly re-upholstered in the traditional way by the best French craftsmen, we used a high quality new fabric and new foams. We can particularly appreciate the work and savoir-faire of our team of upholsterers respecting the original design, using the right proportions and lines as Pierre Guariche designed it. This set was originally upholstered in black faux leather, we can provide photos before restoration on demand. Excellent condition. Worldwide Express deliveries by air freight are available on all our items. Literature: - Revue "La Maison Française", n°150, September 1961. Model reproduced p. 82. - Editor's Catalog, Les Huchers-Minvielle, 1960 Biography - Pierre Guariche (1926 – 1995) Born in 1926, Pierre Guariche, is one of the greatest French decorator and designer. He graduated from the « École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs » in Paris, where one of his teacher was René Gabriel, another great French designer. Then, Pierre Guariche integrated Marcel Gascoin’s studio as an internship and decided to found his own company in 1951. In 1953, he created with Michel Mortier and Joseph-André Motte, « l’Atelier de Recherche Plastique (ARP) », only to cease operations in 1957. Afterwards, Guariche became in charge of the furniture department of the Belgian firm Meurop and produced his own pieces. The first one who spread and manufactured his creations was Mai Gallery, followed by Airborne, Disderot for lights, Meubles TV, Les Huchers-Minvielle, Luminalite or Steiner for seats. On his behalf, in 1954, Pierre Guariche created the first molded plywood seat manufactured in France, the famous « tonneau » chair, a confortable and elegant design icon. In 1965, Pierre Guariche received the René Gabriel award and died in 1995.

Creator:
Pierre Guariche (Designer),Les Huchers-Minvielle 1 (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 19.69 in (50 cm)Depth: 21.26 in (54 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 4
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Fabric,Metal,Steel,Upholstery
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1959
Condition:
Refinished. Reupholstered. Excellent condition. Original pieces from the 1950s newly re-upholstered in the traditional way by the best French craftsmen, we used a high quality new fabric and new foams.
Seller Location:
Paris, FR
Reference Number:
Seller: 8941stDibs: LU1532232390982

Shop All Pierre Guariche

Pierre Guariche

The architect Pierre Guariche was one of the leading modern furniture and lighting designers of postwar France. Guariche can, in some ways, be thought of as the French version of Charles Eames: with his lean and angular chairs and slender, sculptural table lamps, he helped introduce a new aesthetic to the country’s interiors — and he was an eager pioneer in the use of new industrial materials and production techniques that emerged in the 1950s.

Guariche studied at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (the national design academy) under René Gabriel — a designer known for his quality, mass-produced furnishings, who served as a director of the postwar Ministry of Reconstruction. Two years after graduating in 1949, Guariche opened his own design firm, and he was soon creating pieces for numerous companies, including the lighting manufacturer Disderot.

Wood and metal were rationed in the years following the war and Guariche learned to do more with less. His chairs of the early 1950s include several designs with narrow, softly angular wooden frames; others, like the Tonneau chair, feature a single piece of molded plywood set atop metal legs. His lamps of the period are likely his best-known works. They include delicate compositions of slender steel tubes, and more flamboyant pieces such as the Kite lamp, with its curved metal reflector panel.

Always on the lookout for new materials, Guariche spent several years in the mid-1950s operating a firm making furniture in fiberglass and other plastics, along with Joseph André Motte and others. After 1957 — when Guariche was named head of design for the Belgian company Meurop and given a brief to create stylish, up-to-date chairs and cabinets — he began to look to America for ideas.

In the mid-1960s, Guariche produced several lines of deeply upholstered, rounded lounge chairs inspired by the Space Age look, and gave them names like Jupiter, Polaris and Luna. While Guariche always kept pace with his times, throughout his career he showed a consistent talent for producing elegant, eye-catching forms using a minimum of materials.

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