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The Poltrona di Proust chair epitomizes postmodern design in the way that it amalgamates seemingly disparate reference points into a single object. Mendini first began his design experiments related to this chair in 1976 by visiting locations where the French author Marcel Proust lived and worked. Originally Mendini had the idea to create a “Proust Fabric,” a textile that would conjure the world that Proust occupied and described in his novels. The project morphed into the present armchair model after Mendini bought a replica of an eighteenth-century-style armchair—a kitsch object—and had the chair hand-painted in a pointillist pattern based on a detail from a Paul Signac painting. To Mendini, this impressionist pattern created an appearance that “look[s] unreal, almost like mirages that would be appropriate for some kind of meditative and immaterial surroundings.”
Antibes, Petit Port de Bacon. Private Collection. Artwork: © Paul Signac Estate. Photo credit: Sheldon Marshall. Mendini has stated that between fifteen and thirty or so chairs were made. He occasionally signed the reverse of the chair’s apron, as is the case in the present example. In Mendini’s recollection of the chair, titled “The Story of the Proust Chair” (2001), he chronicled the numerous museum collections to which this model belongs as well as the private collections and galleries which owned examples. He mentions Grace Designs in Dallas, very likely a reference to the present chair. Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, Mendini produced the chair in a variety of other materials, including bronze, plastic laminate, and ceramic but the examples made from 1978 to 1987—such as the present lot—are the most sought after by design collectors. Today, the chair has become an icon not only for Mendini’s design practice but also, more broadly, for the ways in which it playfully embodies principles of postmodern design.
Provenance
Grace Designs, Dallas
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1986Literature
Rosa Maria Rinaldi, "Memphis e Alchimia," Domus, no. 646, January 1984, p. 55
Albrecht Bangert, Italian Furniture Design: Ideas Styles Movements, Munich, 1988, pp. 63, 65, 116
Peter Weiss, Alessandro Mendini: Objetos, proyectos, construcciones, Milan, 2001, pp. 100-01, 119
Glenn Adamson and Jane Pavitt, eds., Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970-1990, exh. cat., Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2011, p. 41
Property of a Private Miami Collector
88
"Poltrona di Proust" armchair
designed 1978, produced circa 1986
Painted wood, painted fabric upholstery.
41 3/4 x 42 x 37 in. (106 x 106.7 x 94 cm)
Hand-painted by Franco Migliaccio. Reverse of apron inscribed mendini.
Estimate
$15,000 - 20,000
DesignNewYork@phillips.com
212-940-1268
Design
New York Auction 7 December 2021
1
Gio Ponti
Pair of armchairs
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $56,700
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2
Gino Sarfatti
Rare ceiling light, model no. S 00106
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $88,200
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3
Osvaldo Borsani
Chest of drawers
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
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4
Carlo Scarpa
"Corroso" vase, model no. 4101
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $16,380
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5
Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia
Side table, from the "Domus Nova" series
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
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6
Seguso
Pair of ceiling lights
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $32,760
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7
Gio Ponti and Luigi Zortea
Pair of rare wall lights
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $21,420
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8
Gio Ponti
Pair of rare armchairs, model no. 489
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $88,200
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9
Gino Sarfatti
Floor lamp, model no. 1034
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $45,360
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10
Pietro Chiesa
Rare drinks cabinet
Estimate $16,000 - 22,000
Sold for $6,048
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11
Napoleone Martinuzzi
Two rare ceiling lights
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $21,420
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12
Paolo Buffa
Desk
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $16,380
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13
Franco Albini
Pair of daybeds, from Villa Neuffer, Ispra, Italy
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
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14
Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia
Occasional table
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $10,710
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15
Pietro Chiesa
Floor lamp
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
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16
Alberto Giacometti
"Étoile" table lamp
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $189,000
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17
Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean Dunand
"Chinoise" coiffeuse, model no. 1538 AR/1827 NR
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $75,600
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18
Ingrid Donat
Pair of "Table de Canapé Engrenages"
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $94,500
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19
Ingrid Donat
"Miroir Girafe (Petit Modèle)"
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $44,100
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20
Ingrid Donat
Pair of "Appliques Rondelles"
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $20,160
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21
Jacques Adnet
Cabinet
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $22,680
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22
Paul Dupré-Lafon
Pair of side tables
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $17,640
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23
Jean Royère
"Tour Eiffel" coffee table
Estimate $50,000 - 70,000
Sold for $163,800
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24
Alberto Giacometti
"Figure" floor lamp
Estimate $150,000 - 200,000
Sold for $403,200
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25
Jean Prouvé
Set of four "Semi-metal" chairs, model no. 305
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $81,900
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26
Jacques Adnet
Rare ceiling light
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $69,300
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27
Jean Prouvé
Important cabinet, model no. 150
Estimate $150,000 - 200,000
Sold for $277,200
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28
Charlotte Perriand
Dining table
Estimate $70,000 - 90,000
Sold for $119,700
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29
Georges Jouve
Two "Boule" vases
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $30,240
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30
Jean Prouvé
Rare stool, model no. 307
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $113,400
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31
Jean Royère
Sofa and pair of armchairs
Estimate $120,000 - 180,000
Sold for $226,800
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32
Jean Royère
Rare wall-mounted console table
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $32,760
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33
Georges Jouve
Vide poche
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $13,860
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34
Georges Jouve
Tall "Cylindre" vase
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $88,200
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35
Georges Jouve
Large footed "Cylindre" vase
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $100,800
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36
Jean Royère
"Sculpture" armchair
Estimate $150,000 - 200,000
Sold for $189,000
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37
Alexandre Noll
Large tray
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $21,420
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38
André Arbus
Dining table
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $22,680
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39
Georges Jouve
"Boule" vase
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $15,120
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40
Stilnovo
Adjustable wall light, model no. 2061
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $3,780
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41
Jean Prouvé
Rare "C.P.D.E." armchair
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $50,400
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42
Alexandre Noll
Dish
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $11,340
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43
Rick Owens
"Curial (Black Plywood)" chair
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $27,720
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44
Serge Mouille
"Grand Totem" floor lamp
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $113,400
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45
Jean Prouvé
"Direction" armchair, model no. 352
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $69,300
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46
Jean Prouvé
"Cité" desk, model no. 500
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000
Sold for $10,710
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47
Jean Prouvé
"Antony" chair, model no. 356
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $52,920
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48
Serge Mouille
Pair of "Antony" desk lamps
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $32,760
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49
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
Pair of "Crate" chairs
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $17,640
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50
Charlotte Perriand
"Tokyo" bench
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $50,400
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51
Edmund de Waal
"Plate 1, Part 1, Page 1"
Estimate $50,000 - 70,000
Sold for $52,920
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52
Lucie Rie
Footed bowl
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $138,600
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53
Lucie Rie
Conical bowl
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $138,600
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54
Lucie Rie
Footed bowl
Estimate $35,000 - 40,000
Sold for $44,100
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55
Hans Coper
Pot on cylindrical foot with vertical impression
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $327,600
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56
Hans Coper
Ovoid form
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $138,600
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57
Hans Coper
Large bowl
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $100,800
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58
Hans Coper
Pair of candle holders
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $40,320
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59
Josef Frank
Miniature cabinet, model no. 2225
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $9,450
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60
Axel Johann Salto
"Aktæonmaske"
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $20,160
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61
Doyle Lane
Weed pot
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $8,190
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62
Doyle Lane
Weed pot
Estimate $4,000 - 6,000
Sold for $12,600
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63
Doyle Lane
Weed pot
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $16,380
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64
Finn Juhl
Rare sofa, designed for a "Bachelor's Apartment" for the "Tidens Møbler 1947" exhibition, Copenhagen
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $37,800
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65
Harry Bertoia
"Sonambient" sounding sculpture
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $37,800
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66
Claude Conover
"Pillow" vessel
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $3,780
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67
George Nakashima
Pair of "Conoid Cushion" lounge chairs
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $47,880
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68
Peter Voulkos
Vase form
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
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69
Peter Voulkos
Vase form
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $8,820
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70
Paavo Tynell
Pair of large ceiling lights
Estimate $18,000 - 24,000
Sold for $22,680
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71
John Nyquist
Unique illuminated floor globe
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000
Sold for $8,190
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72
John Mason
"Grey Figure"
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $37,800
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73
Vladimir Kagan
"Contour" rocking chair, model no. 175F
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $37,800
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74
Vladimir Kagan
"Stalagmite" floor lamp
Estimate $3,000 - 5,000
Sold for $10,710
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75
Vladimir Kagan
Rare L-shaped sofa with "Tri-Symmetric" legs
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $26,460
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76
Vladimir Kagan
Swivel boudoir chair
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000
Sold for $7,560
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77
Vladimir Kagan
Early "Serpentine" sofa
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
Sold for $30,240
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78
Judy Kensley McKie
"Dragon" coffee table
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $107,100
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79
Studio Job
Four-panel screen, from the "Perished" collection
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $44,100
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80
Franco Albini and Franca Helg
Rare daybed
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $13,860
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81
Franco Albini
Set of six "Luisella" chairs, model no. SD9
Estimate $6,000 - 8,000
Sold for $9,450
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82
Lella Vignelli and Massimo Vignelli
Rare "Kono" table
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $11,340
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83
Gino Sarfatti
Pair of wall lights, model. no. 232
Estimate $3,000 - 4,000
Sold for $8,190
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84
Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana
Unique "Bolotas Sofa (Black)"
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $88,200
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85
Lella Vignelli and Massimo Vignelli
"Kono" coffee table
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $2,394
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86
Maria Pergay
"Ring" chair
Estimate $18,000 - 24,000
Sold for $30,240
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87
Alessandro Mendini
"Arado" vase
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000
Sold for $1,638
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88
Alessandro Mendini
"Poltrona di Proust" armchair
Estimate $15,000 - 20,000
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89
Franco Albini and Franca Helg
Pair of ceiling lights, model no. 2043
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $18,900
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90
Fernando Campana and Humberto Campana
"Panda Sofa" and "Panda Puff"
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
Sold for $47,880
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91
Tito Agnoli
Ceiling light
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $11,340
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92
Corrado Corradi Dell'Acqua
Pair of "Montecarlo" side tables, from Casa Coggi, Arenzano
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000
Sold for $8,820
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93
Gianfranco Frattini
Sofa, model no. 872
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $11,970
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94
Gio Ponti
Pair of armchairs, model no. 811
Estimate $28,000 - 32,000
Sold for $52,920
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95
Max Ingrand
Floor lamp, model no. 1819
Estimate $5,000 - 7,000
Sold for $13,860
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96
Gio Ponti
Coffee table, model no. 2155, from the "Modern by Singer" series
Estimate $12,000 - 18,000
Sold for $32,760
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97
Gino Sarfatti
Ceiling light, model no. 3026/40
Estimate $10,000 - 15,000
Sold for $12,600
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98
Giovanni Ferrabini
Pair of coffee tables
Estimate $7,000 - 9,000
Sold for $11,970
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