Nuage Bibliothèque designed in 1956 by Charlotte Perriand for Ateliers Prouvé
View Similar Items
Nuage Bibliothèque designed in 1956 by Charlotte Perriand for Ateliers Prouvé
About the Item
- Creator:Charlotte Perriand (Designer),Jean Prouvé (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 7.49 in (19 cm)Width: 49.22 in (125 cm)Depth: 13 in (33 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1956
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:Dronten, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9314963642
Charlotte Perriand
A pioneer of modernism in France, Charlotte Perriand was one of the most influential figures in 20th-century design and architecture. In her long career, Perriand’s aesthetic grammar constantly evolved, moving from the tubular steel furniture of the Machine Age to a lyrical naturalism.
Perriand’s studies at the Ecole de L'Union Centrale de Arts Decoratifs left her enthralled by Le Corbusier and his vision of a new, rational architecture. In 1924, she joined his studio to design furniture along with Pierre Jeanneret, Corbu’s partner and cousin. Together, they devised some of the finest examples of early modernist furniture, including two icons of the era: the B306 chaise with its swooping frame and hide upholstery; and the chunky, steel-framed Grand Confort club chair. Collaborative design produced another Perriand triumph: in the early 1950s, she and Jean Prouvé were engaged to produce desks, worktables and bookcases for the University of Paris. The bookcases — slim pine shelves with brightly painted aluminum dividers — are minimalist masterpieces.
By the end of that decade, Perriand’s aesthetic had changed completely from the earliest days of her career. She produced a series of furniture in ebonized wood: chairs with gentle S-curve legs, front and back; tables with elliptical tops. In the mid-1960s, she adopted an almost rustic look, designing simple chairs with dowel-cut frames and rush seats. Yet everything in Perriand’s oeuvre is beautiful, whether it’s the centerpiece of a décor or an accent. Charlotte Perriand’s work is in every great design collection, public and private. Works on these pages will show you why.
Jean Prouvé
Engineer and metalsmith, self-taught designer and architect, manufacturer and teacher, Jean Prouvé was a key force in the evolution of 20th-century French design, introducing a style that combined economy of means and stylistic chic. Along with his frequent client and collaborator Le Corbusier and others, Prouvé, using his practical skills and his understanding of industrial materials, steered French modernism onto a path that fostered principled, democratic approaches to architecture and design.
Prouvé was born in Nancy, a city with a deep association with the decorative arts. (It is home, for example, to the famed Daum crystal manufactory.) His father, Victor Prouvé, was a ceramist and a friend and co-worker of such stars of the Art Nouveau era as glass artist Émile Gallé and furniture maker Louis Majorelle. Jean Prouvé apprenticed to a blacksmith, studied engineering, and produced ironwork for such greats of French modernism as the architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. In 1931, he opened the firm Atelier Prouvé. There, he perfected techniques in folded metal that resulted in his Standard chair (1934) and other designs aimed at institutions such as schools and hospitals.
During World War II, Prouvé was a member of the French Resistance, and his first postwar efforts were devoted to designing metal pre-fab housing for those left homeless by the conflict. In the 1950s, Prouvé would unite with Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret (Le Corbusier’s cousin) on numerous design projects. In 1952, he and Perriand and artist Sonia Delaunay created pieces for the Cité Internationale Universitaire foundation in Paris, which included the colorful, segmented bookshelves that are likely Prouvé’s and Perriand’s best-known designs. The pair also collaborated on 1954’s Antony line of furniture, which again, like the works on 1stDibs, demonstrated a facility for combining material strength with lightness of form.
Prouvé spent his latter decades mostly as a teacher. His work has recently won new appreciation: in 2008 the hotelier Andre Balazs purchased at auction (hammer price: just under $5 million) the Maison Tropicale, a 1951 architectural prototype house that could be shipped flat-packed, and was meant for use by Air France employees in the Congo. Other current Prouvé collectors include Brad Pitt, Larry Gagosian, Martha Stewart and the fashion designer Marc Jacobs. The rediscovery of Jean Prouvé — given not only the aesthetic and practical power of his designs, but also the social conscience his work represents — marks one of the signal “good” aspects of collecting vintage 20th century design. An appreciation of Jean Prouvé is an appreciation of human decency.
- Charlotte Perriand Mexique StoolBy Charlotte Perriand, CassinaLocated in Dronten, NLStool designed by Charlotte Perriand circa 1952. Manufactured in 2019 by Cassina, Italy. Lovingly cared for by an avid collector of Jean Prouvé, Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand ...Category
2010s French Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsSteel
- Charlotte Perriand Mahogany Berger StoolBy Charlotte PerriandLocated in Dronten, NLOriginal low stool or tabouret, known as the Berger Stool, designed by Charlotte Perriand. Inspired by pastoral mountain life, the design makes use of t...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsMahogany
- Jean Prouvé Standard ChairBy Jean ProuvéLocated in Dronten, NLThe classic standard chair was originally designed by Jean Prouvé in 1934. This beautiful example is made in walnut with a black enameled steel frame. Marked with label. Jean Prouvé...Category
Vintage 1930s French Industrial Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$1,050 - Jean Prouvé Fauteuil Direction RAW Limited EditionBy Jean ProuvéLocated in Dronten, NLLimited edition Fauteuil Direction designed by Jean Prouvé and made in 2011 by Vitra in collaboration with G-Star. This wonderful chair is from the rare limited first edition, with ...Category
2010s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Jean Prouvé Standard Chair Limited RAW Steel and Natural Oak by VitraBy Jean ProuvéLocated in Dronten, NLThe classic standard chair was originally designed by Jean Prouvé in 1934. This is the desirable Vitra limited RAW edition, in natural oak with a clear lacquered steel (metal brut) f...Category
Vintage 1930s French Industrial Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Jean Prouvé Compass Direction Desk Limited RAW Steel and Natural Oak by VitraBy Jean Prouvé, VitraLocated in Dronten, NLJean Prouvé Compass direction desk in natural oak and clear lacquered steel for Vitra. Originally designed in 1953, Prouvé's iconic desk is based the de...Category
Vintage 1930s French Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Charlotte Perriand Nuage À Plots for Cassina, Italy, newBy Cassina, Charlotte PerriandLocated in Berlin, DEAvailable on order (production lead time: 13-14 weeks). Shelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Price given applies to the piece as seen in the first picture. Nuage à Plots...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsAluminum
- Charlotte Perriand Nuage À Plots for Cassina, Italy, newBy Cassina, Charlotte PerriandLocated in Berlin, DEShelving unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsAluminum
$17,354 / item - Charlotte Perriand Nuage Unit in Wood and Aluminum for CassinaBy Cassina, Charlotte PerriandLocated in Berlin, DECharlotte Perriand Nuage unit in wood and aluminum for Cassina The modules with doors on this iconic piece of furniture give wings to creative inspirat...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsAluminum
- Charlotte Perriand Nuage À Plots, Wood and Aluminium by CassinaBy Cassina, Charlotte PerriandLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaShelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Nuage à Plots by Charlotte ...Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsAluminum
$7,820 Sale Price / item20% Off - Charlotte Perriand Nuage À Plots, Wood and Aluminium by CassinaBy Cassina, Charlotte PerriandLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaShelving Unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Nuage à Plots by Charlotte ...Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsAluminum
- Charlotte Perriand Nuage Shelving Unit, Wood and AluminiumBy Cassina, Charlotte PerriandLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaShelving unit designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1952-56. Relaunched by Cassina in 2012. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Authenticity and avant-garde characterise Charlotte Perriand’s Nuage...Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsAluminum