Roger Martin du Gard, Paris Private collection, Paris
Literature
Ernest Tisserand, "L'Art Décoratif," L'Art Vivant, vol. 4, January 1928, illustrated p. 20
Catalogue Essay
In 1926, the year Pierre Legrain founded the “Groupe des Cinq” with Pierre Chareau, Dominique, Jean Puiforcat and Raymond Templier, he designed four rooms in the apartment of the writer and 1937 Nobel prize winner in literature Roger Martin du Gard. The present and following wall lights were made for the study, where they were mounted above the shelves containing his client’s enormous collection of books. Their adjustable reflector shade panels and industrial materials reflect Legrain’s adoption of the functionalist modern aesthetic that redefined French design in the late 1920s and are also in keeping with his preference for unobtrusive lighting. Legrain would become a leader in the shift towards modernism, as an early member of the Union des Artistes Modernes, but would tragically pass away the same year of its founding in 1929.
Pair of wall lights, from the study of Roger Martin du Gard, Paris
circa 1926 Nickel-plated metal, frosted glass. Each: 10 3/8 x 50 7/8 x 18 1/8 in. (26.4 x 129.2 x 46 cm) Together with a certificate of authenticity from C. Anthoine Legrain.
Estimate $70,000 - 90,000
Sold for $74,500
Contact Specialist Meaghan Roddy
Head of Sale
New York
+ 1 212 940 1266