Louis Majorelle (1859-1926) Large Sculptor Bolster

Louis Majorelle (1859-1926) important sculptor's harness from the Art Nouveau period around 1900 Beautiful work from the Nancy School presenting an elegant pear-shaped structure with naturalist decoration in carved, molded exotic wood, strongly ribbed on all sides and decorated with a motif with vine branches on the facade. The upper part is decorated with a large turntable (four bronze casters around a central axis) the top is covered with amboyna burl marquetry, it should be noted that the lower tray is also inlaid with this essence of drink. Furniture offered in satisfactory homemade condition, note some jumps and lifting of veneer on the tops. Dimensions: 1.30 m high x 52 cm wide at the base / Top: 55 cm x 55 cm. Rare model offered here in its largest version, listed on page 134 of the book: "Louis Majorelle master of Art Nouveau" by Alastair Duncan. Note that a variant of the model was notably presented on the Majorelle stand during the 1910 Universal Exhibition in Brussels. Louis-Jean-Sylvestre Majorelle, known as Louis Majorelle (1859-1926), is a French cabinetmaker and decorator of the Art Nouveau movement of the School of Nancy, of which he was also vice-president. In 1861, his father, Auguste Majorelle (1825-1879), himself a furniture designer and manufacturer, moved with his family from Toul to Nancy. It is there that Louis finished his initial studies before going in 1877, and for two years, to the School of Fine Arts in Paris, in the studio of the painter Aimé Millet. When his father died, he stopped his studies and returned to Nancy to supervise the family earthenware and furniture factory. Introduced to Art Nouveau by Émile Gallé in 1894, Louis Majorelle became in February 1901 one of the founding members of the Nancy School, previously known as the "Provincial Alliance of Art Industries", bringing together a group of artists, architects , art critics and industrialists from Lorraine, who decided to work collaboratively with a predominance for Art Nouveau. Led by Émile Gallé (until his death in 1904), then by Victor Prouvé, its members came together to ensure a high level of quality in decorative arts. Louis Majorelle has been one of the group's vice-presidents since its founding, remaining so throughout the duration of the Nancy School, of which he is considered one of the dominant figures. His work is characterized by the use of naturalistic elements. Around 1900, Louis Majorelle added a blacksmith shop for artisans to produce handles and hinges in the spirit of the fluid lines of his carpentry work. At the turn of the century, his workshop produced balconies, stair rails and exterior details for many buildings in Nancy. Louis Majorelle evolved towards simpler and more stripped-down forms shortly after his great success at the Universal Exhibition of 1900 and at the same time launched into mass production, which allowed him to quickly enrich his catalog. He often collaborates with the Daum brothers, glassmakers from Nancy.