Arm Chair (Primary Title)
Arm Chair from Bedroom Suite (Alternate Title)
Louis Majorelle, French, 1859 - 1926 (Artist)
This bedroom suite represents a high point in Louis Majorelle’s career. Designed and executed with remarkable skill, it shows the craftsmanship for which Marjorelle and his artisans were so famous. In 1899 he began to use gilded-bronze mounts in the shape of waterlilies as decorative motifs on his furniture. Fine woods; soft, undulating curves; gilded bronze mounts and pulls; and marquetry panels in abstract patterns all contribute to design this suite as a masterpiece. The organic lines of the design are derived from flower forms associated with Art Nouveau.
This suite, among the most important Art Nouveau furniture in the United States, was illustrated in a 1909 French magazine and originally on view at the 1909 International Exhibition of Eastern France in Nancy. As in a contemporary furniture showroom, a patron at Majorelle’s gallery would select individual objects such as a bed, cabinet, or chair from the showroom floor or an illustrated catalogue.
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
