The Price of Desire: How The Dragons by Eileen Gray became a $28 million chair

At a Christie’s auction in 2009, an armchair by Irish designer Eileen Gray sold for €21,905,000 (approximately $28.3 million USD). At almost seven times the pre-sale estimate for this piece, the result set a record for a single piece of decorative art, a record that will likely stand for some time. According to popular opinion, the chair in question is not exactly…attractive. So how did this happen?

There is a triad of circumstances – a perfect storm, perhaps – that led to this outcome:

1)      a rare piece by an important designer;

2)      a star-studded provenance (this relates to the ownership history); and

3)      the desire and means of the purchaser (coupled with unbridled consumerism)

The Dragons in situ at the Paris home of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé (prior to the 2009 sale)

The Piece:

Designed between 1917 and 1919, The Dragons is a small-scaled club chair in the art deco style. It features leather upholstery framed in elaborately carved and lacquered wood, in the form of two intertwined dragons. A bespoke piece created for Suzanne Talbot (one of Gray’s early patrons), it is truly one-of-a-kind...apparently a good thing based on some opinions voiced in the media (the words hideous and ugly were chosen by David K. Li from The New York Post).

The Provenance:

This chair was from the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, and it sold in the larger context of a very high-profile Christie’s sale of their entire collection (which incidentally yielded approximately US$75 million in total, almost tripling its pre-sale estimate). The Dragons had several owners prior to YSL, but was originally in the collection of the famous Parisian milliner, Suzanne Talbot. One can speculate that YSL and Bergé were attracted by this prior ownership due to Talbot’s high-profile role in the rag trade, especially since their collection also included pieces previously owned by Jacques Doucet, another famed Parisian couturier.

Suzanne Talbot's apartment in the rue de Lota, designed by Gray 1917-1919. The Dragons is shown here in its original white leather upholstery.

The Purchase:

The winning bid belonged to art dealers, Cheska and Robert Vallois, presumably on behalf of an anonymous client. When interviewed about the purchase, Cheska’s explanation was that “it’s the price of desire!” Another perspective came from New York collector and dealer Jose Mugrabi, who summed up the situation, “I think this sale is close to vulgar…people are hypnotized. They don’t know what they’re buying”.

What would Ms. Gray have made of all this? Here’s a clue…early in her career (while her work was still quite decorative, more aligned with what would become Art Deco than the Modernist aesthetic she later embraced), she created a number of bespoke pieces for Jacques Doucet (1853-1929), including a lacquered screen called Le Destin. In 1972 (when Gray was in her 90s), the screen garnered a record-breaking $36,000 at auction (purchased by YSL, incidentally…provenance played a role here, too). Gray scoffed at the news of this sale, especially as this piece was representative of a style she dismissed as ‘the sins of her youth’. No doubt, news of the bizarre alchemy leading to her more recent auction results would have her spinning in her grave.

Le Destin, a laquered screen by Gray, 1914 

A few notes:

L’Amour Fou (Pierre Thoretton, 2011) is lovely, moody film about the relationship between YSL and Bergé. Filmed in the wake of YSL’s death, it documents Bergé as he prepares to auction the vast collection amassed by the couple over their many years together. Definitely worth watching, however frustratingly low on detail about the specific lots and auction results.

Poster art for L'Amour Fou

References and additional resources:

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5171305

Judd Tully’s article for Blouin Art Info:

http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/30503/the-28m-chair-mad-hatter-or-new-harbinger/

David K. Li’s article for The New York Post: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/item_K0NTimEacqQZyvWsC5x6aO

www.patriciaoreilly.net

Eileen Gray (1878-1976)

Bruno Mathsson, a confession and the funny thing about radar screens

A confession: Ten days ago the Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson wasn’t on my radar screen. Sure, I must have read about him in Fay Sweet’s book, Vintage Furniture (if not additional sources), but his name and designs were lost in the plethora of other names, other designs. That changed on a recent tour of the ROM, where I spotted the Eva Chair. I was presenting Modernism to my students the following week, so I photographed this piece to include in my lecture.

Mathsson’s Eva chair from 1934. The chair was produced in an upholstered version as shown here, but was more commonly produced using woven cotton webbing. The frame combines solid birch and bent plywood.

Flash-forward less than a week, and I’m flipping through the pages of the latest Elle Decor and I spot the Eva chair again, this time in the Manhattan living room of designer Carol Fertig. Fertig’s piece features woven cotton webbing, a more iconic upholstery option than we see in the ROM’s version of the chair (a sidebar note - check out Fertig's web project at www.object-lesson.info).

The Manhattan living room of designer Carol Fertig, photographed by Christopher Sturman and published in this month’s Elle Decor (July/Aug 2012)

And then just yesterday, this one showed up via Pinterest (original source Elle Decor, and I apologize to the designer and photographer involved, if anyone can enlighten me I would love to give credit where due). This version features fresh upholstery and a matching foot stool. It isn't the Eva, or the Grasshopper (another Mathsson design). Is it even by Mathsson?

All this begs the question, how many times have I seen this chair before and simply not registered? Familiarity definitely breeds…familiarity. As for my radar screen, the Eva Chair is now firmly implanted.

Here's a little background.

With a nod to his Finish forefather Alvar Aalto, Mathsson was interested in ergonomics and organic form. Aalto, Mathsson and the other Scandinavian designers of the era approached Modernism in a softer, warmer and less austere manner than their French and German counterparts. Less obsessed with the machine aesthetic, the Scandinavians favoured wood over tubular steel. This resulted in a more ‘palatable’ strand of Modernism that enjoyed global popularity.

Alvar Aalto, Paimio Chair (1932)

Jens Risom (1941). Danish-born Risom partnered with Knoll in the U.S. to create the Side Chair. It references Mathsson’s use of woven webbing from the previous decade.

Swedish designer Bruno Mathsson (1907-1988)

Chair No.14: the Victorian era’s most enduring design

"Never was a better and more elegant design and a more precisely crafted and practical item created.”

Le Corbusier

Photo by Roberto Basile (Milan), a winning entry in Thonet's 2009 Photo competition 214x214: A Chair the World Over, which marked the 150th birthday of this chair.

History has not been kind to Victorian Style and the decorative elements that defined it – not the doilies, the over-stuffed upholstery nor the abundance of pattern and ornamentation...and definitely not the skirted lampshades! The ‘more is more’ Victorian decorative style was criticized right out of the gate by designers and academics of the day, as being derivative and mixing references from past eras in a seemingly random fashion. Perhaps most famously, William Morris was a harsh critique who founded the Arts and Crafts movement, a reform movement that stemmed from an opposition to Victorian excess (and industrialization…but I digress).

In his book At Home: A Short History of Private Life, Bill Bryson writes entertainingly about Morris’ experience as a 17 year old, attending the 1851 World’s Fair at Crystal Palace…where he was so disgusted by what he saw that he ran outside and vomited in the bushes.

One bright spot in the haze of all this is Michael Thonet, the creator of Chair No.14 (now known as No. 214). Thonet (1796-1871) was a German cabinet maker who developed the process of using steam to bend wood. The resulting bentwood designs had a simple aesthetic (refreshing in the sea of heavy, ornately carved furniture of the day) that were lightweight, practical and inexpensive to produce. Designed in 1859, Chair No. 14 has been in continuous production ever since.

Picasso had a Thonet rocking chair in his studio. Le Corbusier, the Modernist architect, designer and urban planner, was also a fan. Despite the iconic pieces that are attributed to Le Corbusier, he wasn't very interested in designing his own furniture (perhaps the subject of a future post), preferring to furnish his interiors with simple pieces by other designers, such as Thonet's No. 14.

With more than 50 million of these versatile chairs having been made to date, it is considered to be the most successful industrial product in the world.  

Six easy pieces: the first industrial product to ship pre-assembled.

Thonet's bentwood chair continues to be a popular part of the decorating mix.

A variation of No.14 with a contemporary colour treatment.
(photo by Jason Loucas)

Today, Chair No. 214 continues to be manufactured by Thonet’s eponymous company, and is available in Toronto through Design Within Reach (www.dwr.com). I highly recommend Bryson’s book (for a taste, download his podcasts at http://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-bill-bryson-podcast/id403477844).

References:

http://www.thonet.de/en/photo-contest-information.html

http://www.remodelista.com/posts/paints-palette-yellow

Jim Thompson: An American in Bangkok

"You have not only beautiful things, but what is rare

you have arranged them with faultless taste."

SOMERSET MAUGHAM (written in Jim Thompson’s guest book, 1959)

Jim's Dream in charcoal, from the new House on the Klong wallpaper collection

 

Jim Thompson was an American architect who first traveled to Thailand as an officer of the U.S. Army during WWII. Enchanted with the place, he relocated to Bangkok after the war, where he practiced architecture briefly before becoming deeply involved in the Thai silk trade. He played a major role in reinvigorating the industry (indeed, he is known in Thailand as the “Silk King”). Thompson established The Thai Silk Company in 1951, a company which has grown into an international empire today, encompassing a designer fabric line and a chain of retail stores and restaurants.

Jim Thompson, 1906-1967

Thompson built an elaborate, traditional Thai house on the bank of the Klong Maha Nag (a canal off the Chao Phraya River), where over time he amassed an outstanding collection of Buddhist statuary, traditional Thai paintings and Chinese export porcelain. In 1967, Jim Thompson disappeared on a hiking trip in the Malaysian jungle, and what became of him remains a mystery to this day. Leaving everything to the people of Thailand, his incredible property is now a museum housing his vast art collection, a must-see for style tourists in Bangkok.

The Jim Thompson House, Bangkok

Recent developments at Jim Thompson include forays into wallpaper (see image from House on the Klong collection, above) and last year's launch of the Tony Duquette Collection (Duquette was a Hollywood design icon...and the subject of a future post). And restaurants! This one is definitely on my hit list for the next time I’m in Singapore. Housed in a “Black & White”(traditional colonial house, also known as a conservation house), it features authentic thai cuisine and décor (perhaps some JT fabrics??)

Jim Thompson Restaurant, Singapore

Golden Sunburst, from Jim Thompson's Tony Duquette line

Malachite-inspired Gemstones, a signature design by Tony Duquette

In Toronto, Jim Thompson Fabric is available to the trade through Telio & Cie.

References:

Jim Thompson: The House on the Klong, Warren, Beurdeley & Tettoni, 1999

http://www.navastudios.com/2010/jim-thompson-house.php

http://jimthompsonfabricsblog.com

Wanted: The Gondola Sofa

To wish, desire, crave, obsess or even covet. When we set our sights on a new piece for our home, our desire can be more or less intense. Sometimes we want to fill a specific void, such as a new rug for the family room or sconces for the master bath. At other times, we might fall for a specific piece without having a clear idea of where it would go, what void it would fill. Whether practical or whimsical, functional or strictly decorative…we always tend to want something.

My current craving is for a gondola sofa. It’s new to my wish list, new in fact to my consciousness. But now I can’t get its curvaceous lines out of my head. Gondola sofas stem from the American mid-century. Here are a few key examples:

La Gondola by Edward Wormley for Dunbar, 1957

Inescapably a period piece, Wormley’s version says "mid-century", loud and proud. I love the spandrel detail on the legs, which is reminiscent of traditional Chinese cabinetry (I’ll have to elaborate on this in a future post). http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?ItemId=45062

Harvey Probber, c. 1960

Harvey Probber’s version (pictured above in oxblood leather) is masculine and incredibly handsome. The more I look at it, the more I like what I see. http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=389448

Adrian Pearsall, c. 1960

Finally, here is one by Adrian Pearsall, who designed a number of versions during the 50's and 60's. While I wouldn't turn away any of these pieces, this one is my top pick. I love the simplicity of its lines, and it has a timeless quality (it could just as easily be Art Deco as Mid-Century). This piece would be easy to contemporize with fabric and context.

The Palm Springs livingroom of designer Emily Summers

The living room pictured above features Pearsall’s gondola sofa. In this case, the seat cushion is fixed and tufted (and what a difference these upholstery details make to this piece). http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/2012-04/emily-summers-palm-springs-home-slideshow#slide=5

Why Jean Desert?

What is in a name, you ask? Galerie Jean Desert was the name of Eileen Gray's Paris shop, located at 217 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré (1922-1930). I'm referencing this name as an homage to Gray, arguably the object of the most profound and enduring design crush I've ever had. I'm also sentimental about beautiful (yet financially flawed) retail endeavours, having been there once myself.

Gray will undoubtedly figure in many of my future posts. The name of this blog is subject to change, however, if I hear anything litigious from her estate...

Eileen Gray, 1878-1976

John Dickinson's nod to the ancient Egyptians

The Piece:

The Etruscan Table by John Dickinson, in his signature matte white plaster.

Dickinson was an American interior and furniture designer (1920-1982). Created during the 1970s, animal-legged chairs and tables such as this are amongst his is most iconic work.

 

 

 

 

The historical reference

Specifically Egyptian. We see animal-leg or paw motifs incorporated into furniture design throughout the eras, so this alone is not unique to the ancient Egyptians. What distinguishes Egyptian pieces is that the animal paws are typically all facing in the same forwards direction, which we view as naturalistic. By the classical periods of Greece and Rome, we see a greater emphasis on symmetry, with animal legs facing outwards, in opposite directions. And so it continued from then on.

In addition to Egyptian design, Dickinson referenced other styles, eras and global currents in his work.

 

Present day 

David Sutherland represented Dickinson’s original line prior to Dickinson’s death in 1982. Flash forward to 2012, and Sutherland has launched an authorized and reissued collection of Dickinson’s furniture designs. The fabrication is new and improved, using glass fiber reinforced concrete to make the pieces more moisture-resistant (and therefore appropriate for outdoor use).

During the three decade break in production, Dickinson’s whimsical pieces remained popular with decorators and collectors alike, commanding premium prices in the secondary market. At a recent auction at Christie’s in New York (Important 20^th Century Decorative Art & Design on December 17, 2011), a vintage Dickinson side table fetched USD $24,000 (net), nearly three times its pre-auction high estimate of $9,000. This is in line with pricing through dealers (check out the current offering at www.1stdibs.com). 

It will be interesting to see what happens to the prices these vintage pieces can command in light of the availability of the new production (the Sutherland collection is priced from USD $970 to $3,500 and available to the trade only). I’ll be watching!

References & Credits:

Egyptian Chair pictured above: New Kingdom (1550-1186 BCE), wood with ivory inlay. Collection of the Louvre, Paris

www.sutherlandfurniture.com

http://nyc.robbreport.com/node/189

www.christies.com

www.thestylesaloniste.com

www.archdigest.com