Relevant categories: Art Deco,Seating and Chairs
( Above Photo: Art Deco Desk Bureau Plat Inlay Interiors )
The art deco movement would never have been as big as it was without the contribution of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. He created furniture pieces with sleek design, fine craftsmanship, and expensive material, exemplifying the delicate craft of art deco.
Born in Paris, France, in 1879, Ruhlmann – an art deco designer – learned a lot from his father, a decorating contractor. After taking over the family business in 1879, Ruhlmann expanded it to include interior decor and furniture design elements.
By 1910, Ruhlmann had come up with new, uniquely luxurious, and distinctively elegant furniture pieces, marking the advent of what is today called art deco. By the 1920s, the popularity of Ruhlmann's work had grown, causing tremendous growth in business to the extent of hiring at least 100 skilled artisans and assistants.
( Above Photo: Art Deco Sideboard Server Mahogany Roaring Twenties )
Ruhlmann borrowed a lot from France's furniture-making tradition of the 18th-century, creating works with classic simplicity, fine materials, and using top-notch craftsmanship. His designs had notably harmonious proportions, restrained ornamentation, architectonic structure, and graceful elegance. He sought to translate the neoclassical tradition into modernity.
Apart from embracing simplicity in his designs, Ruhlmann made use of exotic, rare woods, precious metals, lacquer, and ivory. The furniture pieces also featured scrollwork, intricate inlay, and exquisite veneers. Unfortunately, having taken time to create his works, Ruhlmann priced them at a premium, making them accessible only to the wealthy.
( Above Photo: Period Art Deco Wardrobe Closet Vintage 1930s Furniture )
Even though his furniture targeted mostly the wealthy members of society, Ruhlmann was incredibly successful, primarily because of a spike in the number of the rich. Soon after the First World War, a new class of the rich sprang, who weren't afraid to flaunt their taste, sophistication, and wealth.
They found Ruhlmann's work appealing to modern France's "new royalty." Moreover, the newly-minted millionaires liked the association between Ruhlmann's furniture with elements of ancient aristocratic style. So, they called him "the Riesener of the 20th century," even s they purchased most of what Ruhlmann created.
During the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes of 1925, one-and-a-half decades-old Ruhlmann's work came to the fore, introducing art deco to the world. During the exposition, Ruhlmann's pavilion was the most admired.
( Above Photo: Pair Art Deco Club Chairs Period 1920 Roaring Twenties )
In 1929, the stock market crashed, sparking a worldwide depression that wiped away most people's wealth, undermining the positive attitude that had sustained the art deco movement. As if that wasn't enough, Ruhlmann died in 1933 when he was only 54 years old. The same year, art deco began to decline.
Despite having a brief career, Ruhlmann was prolific in creating exquisite furniture, including cabinets, sideboards, writing desks, chairs, and tables. He would also design the rooms in which the furniture pieces fitted. In the process, he not only created what to put in a room but went on to show his clients how to decorate the room. An Art Deco Designer, Ruhlmann left behind a 323-page fully-illustrated color catalog that showcases some of his best works.
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