The present model along with lot 30 on display in an Albert Cheuret stand. Bronze and alabaster lighting designs by Albert Cheuret are among the most instantly recognizable and admired creations of the Art Deco era. Born in 1884, Cheuret began his artistic career as a sculptor under the tutelage of Jacques Perrin and Georges Lemaire. By 1907 he was exhibiting his sculptures at the Salon des Artistes Francais alongside such luminaries as Auguste Rodin, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux and Antoine Bourdelle. Within a few years, though, Cheuret decided to enter the field of furniture and lighting design – a radical and risky move. He established his own business near the Eiffel Tower in Paris at 11 avenue Franco-Russe, and owing to his striking works, which incorporated naturalistic themes, refined materials and superb craftmanship, he swiftly made his mark.
Cheuret’s participation in the historic 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes served as a defining moment in the evolution of his artistic development and global popularity. Located on the Pont Alexandre III, Cheuret filled his booth with a wide range of elegant chandeliers, sconces, clocks, mirrors, and consoles, many of which were endowed with stylized bronze renderings of exotic birds, cobras and plants. It is not surprising that the public took notice. The present Cigogne ceiling light and pair of Cigogne illuminated mirrors (lots 30 and 29) are emblematic of Cheuret’s best known works. They capture the essence of Cheuret’s quest for beauty, his love of the majestic stork, the integration of bronze and alabaster, and his aptitude as a sculptor. Both designs combine overt symmetry with the freedom of fantasy. While the dynamic bronze birds are depicted in flight and cast with stunningly intricate details, the soft alabaster shades provide structure and gently diffuse and modulate light. The works aptly demonstrate his aesthetic artistry and epitomize all of the characteristics that have brought Albert Cheuret international acclaim.
29
Pair of "Cigognes" illuminated mirrors
circa 1925
Silvered bronze, alabaster, mirrored glass.
Each: 21 1/8 x 35 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. (53.7 x 90.8 x 19.7 cm)
Frame of each incised Albert Cheuret.
Estimate
$20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $82,550
Benjamin Green
Associate Specialist
Associate Head of Sale
bgreen@phillips.com
+1 917 207 9090
Design
New York Auction 5 June 2024
