Art Deco
- Art, Art Deco, Art Exhibition, Coco Chanel, Culture, Galerie Dumonteil, Life and Style, Musee d'art Modern, Musee du Luxembourg, Musee Rodin, Vyna St Phard
Art Deco Splendor at Galerie Dumonteil
Axel Marteau, Franck Laverdin, Romain MarteauGalerie Dumonteil hosts cocktail party and preview, “Splendor on the Riviera” by Camille Roche
Last week Wednesday, Galerie Dumonteil held a reception in honor or Camille Roche, a french artist identified early as a prodigy and was established in his own atelier with tutors and models at age fifteen. In his late teens Roche’s work was commissioned by the Parisian elite such as Coco Chanel, as well as collected by the Director of the Musée Rodin and the Musée du Luxembourg. These works now form part of the drawings collection of the Musée d’Art Modern.
In 1919 Roche received his first commissions from the Director de la Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres. This relationship was to last for eighteen years during which Roche exhibited in the 1925 and 1937 Expositions Internationales (World’s Fairs). Following the numerous critically-acclaimed works exhibited in the 1937 Fair, commissions came from, amongst others, Baron Robert de Rothschild and the Marquess of Cholmondeley for their homes on the Riviera. Much of Roche’s work remains in the Roche family and the collections of his patrons’ heirs. However, at their request, these works are now being exhibited around the world. Camille Roche in 1920 having been the first recipient of the Prix Blumenthal, in 1932 his work was exhibited for the 18th anniversary of the Florence Blumenthal Foundation at the Wildenstein Gallery in New York City. Due to family tragedies resulting from World War II this artist’s works have only been rediscovered and appreciated. Galerie Dumonteil is located at 475 Park Avenue, New York, NY.
Pierre Dumonteil, Dorian Dumonteil, David Cholmondeley, 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley, Sarah Rose Cholmondeley, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley, Franck Laverdin
Herve Pierre
Vyna St. Phard
Karina Lepiner
Stuart Sundlun, Roric Tobin, Geoffrey Bradfield, Pierre-Michel DumonteilImages by Annie WattAll rights reserved
Galerie Du MonteilImages by High End Weekly™All rights reserved - Architecture, Art, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Books, Design, Gifts, HEW Hotels, Shopping, The Metropolitan Museum, Vyna St Phard
Shopping at The Met with Vyna
The Metropolitan Museum Gift Store“To the making of many books there is no end…” And The Metropolitan Gift Shop is an authority on supplying the world’s most outstanding reading materials. After a recent visit to the New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts, I decided to commemorate the occasion by visiting the gift shop and adding a few more books to my home library. I’m in the process of doing some research for a garden that I’m designing, and dedicating to the memory of my mother, and found the Gardening section had the right amount of variety of designs and styles which were quite helpful. In addition, I picked up a number of books ranging from architecture, fashion, and decorative arts. Would you like to find out exactly which ones were my favorites? -
Art Deco Under The Stars at Stephen Kelly Gallery
Geoffrey Bradfield, and Cynthia MurphyDr. Stephen Kelly graciously opened his gallery, as well as his beautiful rooftop to a number of his guests from the art and design industries, last Tuesday evening. Visitors were shown some of his most recent collection of French Art Deco from Jean Dunand, and Jean Goulden. Jean Dunand (1877–1942) was a Swiss lacquer artist, a master metalworker, who created furniture and decorative arts. His contemporary, Jean Goulden (1878 – 1946), was a painter, designer and enameller who “excelled in the art of champlevé enameling”. Notables from the evening included, Geoffrey Bradfield, Jared Goss, high end gallery dealers from the New York tri-state area, executive members from various auction houses in the city, and many others.
Renowned interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield and his guest
Stephen Kelly Gallery
Judith Gura, Design historian from The New York School of Interior Design
Vyna St. Phard
Christina Japp, Cynthia Murphy
Photo credit: High End Weekly™ -
Tête-à-Tête with Art Deco Collector, Dr. Stephen Kelly
Stephen Kelly, M.D.Photo credit: Josh GaddyQ & A with Dr. Stephen Kelly
For over thirty years Dr. Stephen Kelly, a successful ophthalmologist with a Manhattan practice has been quietly assembling a collection of rare and important Art Deco furniture, fine art and design and filling his ca. 1915 landmark limestone and brick townhouse with these treasures. Last month, I paid a visit to the doctor at his upper east side gallery, which housed an impressive collection of fine art deco, and modern works of art.
High End Weekly™: What is your greatest art deco extravagance?
Stephen Kelly, MD: Certainly the greatest one would be the Eileen Gray six panel screen. I think it’s really a wonderful piece. It’s a fine example of a great decorative art but it’s also a very important fine art. This piece came at a point in her career when she was changing from figurative to a more abstract, linear, geometric sort of work. This also was a very important point in the history of art. Paris was the center of decorative arts and fine art during that period. Eileen did all of her work in France. She was Irish, but was sort of adopted by the French. Her pieces are relatively rare and unique. Unlike Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, she didn’t create a lot of models.
Eileen Gray, six-panel screen, circa 1922-25 HEW: The decorative arts that you have in your gallery, I imagine, have a story behind them. Is there one in particular that carries a story you’d like to share?SK: One of the most interesting stories is about a pair of ceramic pieces that were made by Sèvres in 1925. They were from outside of a Paris exhibit that was adjacent to Ruhlmann’s. These were purchased by Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. They brought them back to their New York City home. These pieces were their first experience with modernism, when John D. Rockefeller, Jr. built 740 Park Avenue, which is right here on 71st Street & Park. The building became a very prestigious address. The couple lived there in a triplet for many years. I brought the ceramic pieces at an auction at Christie’s, and to my delight, they had the original card which stated their address, and on the back, there was Mrs. Rockefeller’s handwritten note with the description on it. Of course, this piece was their original interest in the modernist movement because he went on to built Rockefeller Center in the art deco style, his wife co-founded the Museum of Modern Art. Their son Nelson Rockefeller did the famous Jean Michel Frank apartment on 5th avenue in the modernist style. This story is fascinating, especially because they lived only a block away from where I reside.HEW: When did you begin collecting Art Deco and why did you choose this particular style?
SK: I started in 1982, and collected primarily because of the interior design concept that Geoffrey Bradfield and Jay Spectre came up with for my apartment. They had a modernistic art deco style of design for my home, and I liked the renovation. It was a kind of design that appealed to me and it grew as I started an art deco collection that compliment the interiors.
Photo credit: Josh Gaddy for the Wall Street Journal HEW: As a seasoned collector, what advice do you have for young collectors? Why should they start with art deco?
SK: The best advice is to collect something that you really love. It’s a mistake to collect things that you think you’re going to make money on. Whether that’s art deco or some other form of art. For me, I happen to think that art deco is a good area because it works well with contemporary art. There is such a big trend to contemporary art these days, and art deco furnishing works well with contemporary art, whereas a lot of the 19th century period English or French furniture doesn’t work so well with contemporary art. For young collectors who are interested in contemporary art, I think choosing art deco is a good way to start furnishing your apartment.HEW: Tribal art also looks good with art deco.
SK: Yes, it does. I’m not a tribal art collector, but I really like to mix it with my art deco. Asian art is a good compliment to these pieces as well. Especially the Asian ceramic pieces.HEW: What do you make of all the various art deco fairs that followed the 1925 art deco exhibition in Paris?
SK: After the great depression, most of these pieces became too difficult to sell, and the more modernist sort of design surfaced in the late 1930s. The war came and put a hold in the whole thing. So art deco went out of favor for a while. In the 1950s, it was completely out of favor. Then the interest started again in the 1970s. I recall that the Eileen Gray auction brought great interest in the market. That was one revival, and it revived even more in the 1980s which is when I started collecting. Since then, the interest hasn’t waned, and it’s been pretty consistently strong. And of course the Yves St. Laurent auction in Paris in 2009, gave the art deco movement a tremendous boost. The highlight of that auction was the Eileen Gray dragon chair which sold for $28 Million – the highest paid for a 20th-century piece of furniture. By the way, I visited the Eileen Gray exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in February. It’s a wonderful show where they go through the phases of her life: the furniture, the lacquer work, architecture, textiles and carpets. Even the photography. I loaned my Eileen Gray screen to the exhibition. The one that I purchased through the Steven Greenberg sale last year in December.
Stephen Kelly
Photo credit: Josh Gaddy for the Wall Street JournalHEW: How do you think your collection changed since you started buying?SK: Your taste changes, so you sort of learn and tend to sometimes change the direction that you’re going. For example, when I first started collecting, I chose Lalique vases. They were mass produced at the time, but I only collected the period ones from 1945. After a while, I stopped since they were so many of them on the market. I ended up selling all of my Lalique pieces, which were featured recently in Quest Magazine. Since then, I’ve collected a number of ceramic pieces from the auction block. That’s a good example how things have chance.The Kelly Gallery is located at 154 East 71st Street (Between 3rd and Lexington Avenues), New York City. Hours of operation are: Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Tel: 212.744.0004.
- Art Deco, Decorative and Fine Arts Sourcing, Decorative Arts, Delorenzo, Demisch Danant, Design, Friedman Benda, Galleries, Maison Gerard, R 20th Century, Shopping
Top 5 Design Galleries in New York City
DESIGN POWERIn celebration of our 2nd year anniversary, I’ve chosen Design as the main theme for the week. After all, what will a great interior be without great designs? By design, I mean strictly the decorative arts. The design world has long held much interest for me. I find it alluring, and when a client express a keen interest in acquiring an outstanding piece from the applied arts, I work hard on researching and pursuing the very best for their collection. New York City is a haven for this type of art. While I was compiling the list of dealers for this post, I thought of all the outstanding galleries in this town, some of them have been in business for more than 40 years, others just arrived on the scene. It’s impossible to name them all, so I’ve chosen a few favorites. Some I’ve worked with, and others who remain constantly on my radar.
Above image from Anthony DeLorenzoDeLorenzo has been coined undoubtedly “one of The best Art Deco dealers in the world”. His inventory includes designs masters such as: Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Andre Groult, Eileen Gray, Eugene Printz.“In America, design has never really been an important subject.In Europe, it is part of everyday life.”Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman, R 20th Century Design
The design duo, Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman have made R20th Century one of the most distinguished galleries in the city, if not the entire world. They are best known for curating shows of Poul Kjaerholm, Joaquim Tenreiro and vintage Wendell Castel.
Barry Friedman is the proud owner of Friedman Benda. Located in Chelsea, the gallery specializes in some amazing cutting-edge art. He’s also the co-founder of Friedman & Vallois, and sole proprietor of Barry Friedman Ltd, which specializes in painting, works on paper and photography as well as design.
Maison Gerard offers an outstandingly beautiful mixture of fine French art deco, and contemporary design. The gallery has “helped form the collection of Walter Chrysler Jr., now in the Chrysler Museum of Norfolk, VA., assembled the Design Collection of the Utsonomia Museum in Japan; and built numerous private collections.” Founders Gerard Widdershoven and co-owner Benoist F. Drut specialize in Jules Leleu, Jacques Adnet, Jean Girel, Marc Bankowsky, Thomas Boog, Nicholas Howey, Claude Lalanne, Matthew Solomon, Hervé Van der Straeten, and others.
In the heart of the gallery district in Chelsea, Suzanne Demisch is celebrated as a leading specialist in European designs of the 1970s, Maria Pergay, Pierre Paulin, Stefan Zwicky, Joseph-Andre Motte. - Art Deco, At The Auction with Vyna, Auction Houses, Decorative Arts, Drouot, Fine Arts, Furniture, Interior Design
15 Must Have Art Deco Pieces For Your Collection
TRAVAIL MODERNISTE. Paire de fauteuils à structure en métal tubulaire. Dossiers incurvés à côtés ajourés, assises écusson sur base trapézoïdale In my view, there’s just too few art deco sales on the auction block this year. The big auction houses in NY will hold theirs presumably at the end of 2013. So I’m always on the hunt for some great pieces that will hold a sufficient amount of appeal, and add some real value to my clients’ collections. Over the pond, one of my favorite auction houses, Drouot, is holding a Sunday afternoon sale in Brussels. These 2 pieces that you’re seeing at the top, are among 15 of my TOP PICKS from their impressive collection.
Pierre CHAREAU (Attribué à) Lampadaire en chêne patiné acajou, à hauteurs variables. Fût à double jambage dont un à crémaillère permettant les différentes évolutions. A partie haute trois lames plates coudées enserrant des plaques (postérieures) en albâtre formant un éventail lumineux. Base quadrangulaire à doucine. Right: Miroir Infinitly Grand miroir en verre fumé sans teint, cadre en laiton à l’intérieur duquel se reflètent des diodes pour donner une impression de profondeur infinieArt Deco Sale in Brussels on Sunday, March 3rd, 2013Drouot Grand Sablon Forum in Brussels
Left: TRAVAIL DES ANNÉES 1960. Lampe en métal nickelé à abat-jour circulaire légèrement bombé, cache ampoule cornet traversé par un tube fixé sur la base. Right: ÉCOLE FRANÇAISE début XXe Portrait de Femme Huile sur toile Signé”Martin” et daté
Aimé HENRY DE FIGANIERES (1909-?). “Cache cache”, 1973 Huile sur toile 65 x 50 cm
Signé et daté en bas à droite
Claude CUNDA (Ne en 1915)“Composition abstraite”, 1974 Huile sur toile 116 x 89 cm Signé en bas à droite et daté “1974”
Left: Travail des années 1940. Chaise de boudoir recouverte de tissu moiré passepoilé à dossier coquille animé de cordelettes dorées et orné en partie arrière basse d’une coquille laquée. JACQUES ADNET (1900-1984). Guéridon en placage de palissandre à deux plateaux soutenus et joints par deux montants pleins galbés.
JACQUES ADNET (1900-1984)Important guéridon à base en bois verni noir. Fût cylindrique recouvert de plaques de miroirs juxtaposés. Plateau circulaire débordant à fond miroir orné au centre d’une
ronde de lunules et cerclé d’une lame en médal chromé
Paul KISS (1885-1962)Spectaculaire paravent à quatre vantaux en fer forgé. Structure à lames plates de section carrée à parties hautes galbées. Décor ajouré de gerbes de fleurs stylisées à enroulements ouverts et coudés.
Du réceptacle à la base les lames parallèles ondulent
Travail Art Déco Deux tables gigognes en bois laqué de forme U inversé à décor de coquille d’oeuf sur la table supérieure, d’une bande asymétrique sur la table supérieure et d’une
fleur stylisée sur chaque montant plein.
Corradini Argenteria (Bologne)Vase en cuivre martelé de style art déco figurant l’allégorie des beaux-arts. Cachet de la manufacture
Nikki de St Phalle (1930-2002) “Nana”, 1968 Plastique polychrome, édition Alvimar
Signé et marques de l’éditeur.
Xavier PUIGMARTI (né en 1952)“Milo II”, 1990 Technique mixte sur toile 162 x 130 cm Signé et daté au dosDrouot Auction House, FranceYou May Also Like
Art Deco Town
- Art Deco, Decorative Arts, Fine Arts, Life and Style, Maison Gerard, Park Avenue Armory, Parties, The Metro Show, Winter Antiques Show
January’s Key Events on Review
Rose Hartman, celebrity photographer of Incomparable Women of Style and Pamela Hill of Hill Gallery (Birmingham, Michigan) at the Metro Show opening night accompanied by a life-size sculpture of a amiable man dressed in 18th-century fashion carved from Southern pine, Early 19th Century,From 18th century textiles from Asia, folk art from the Americas, Jule Leleu’s arm chairs from France, to art deco tea service by Brüder Frank from Maison Gerard, the major antique art shows opened with a brilliant and optimistic note last month starting with the opening night at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, home to the 2nd Annual Metro Show.
A SOIRÉE AT THE METRO SHOW
Editor’s Top Picks
Lillian Nassau LLC (New York): Tiffany Studio art glass, early 20th CenturyPhotos courtesy High End Weekly™THE 59TH ANNUAL WINTER ANTIQUES SHOW
Set of four Armchairs by Jules Leleu, Carolle Thibault-Pomerantz* Mahogany and gilt bronze sabots, numbered on right back leg, France c. 1935* Pair of Fine Ceramic vases by Primavera. Signed on base: Primavera France, impressed with hatchet mark for Sainte-Radegonde. Atelier of Les Grands Magasins du Printemps (founded in 1912)* Fine rare extension and adjustable center table/coffee table “guéridon elevator” by Jules Leleu. France, c. 1955. *Wallpaper, Incas. Wood-block printed by Dufour in 1818, after Jean-Francois Marmontel. One scene from the panoramique “Incas”: pizaro disembarking with his companions in Peru. Rare panel: in pristine condition and colors, never hung. Wood-block printed by Dufour in 1818, after Jean-Francois Marmontel. * Wallpaper, “Les Chasses de Compiègne” (Stag Hunt at the Chateau de Compiègne): Quarry Scene ( La Curée). This is the only scenic panoramique designed by the painter Carle Vernet who specialized in hunt and horse scenes. The panels were wood-block printed by Jacquemard & Bénard, successor of Reveillon. Provenance:Jean Zuber private collection.
Black Wings is a hand knotted carpet, made at the Wilton Royal workshops, England,circa 1935 by Marion Dorn., Keshishian
Salvador Dali, Spain, Ménagère , 1962Silver-gilt cutlery comprising: “Cuillère artichaut”, artichoke spoon with snail shell, painted and lacquered artichoke bowl. “Fourchette- é l é phant 3 dents”, fork with three teeth and elephant head, the eyes set with rubies. “Couteau escargot aux larmes”, snail knife with tear-shaped pendants., Didier Ltd
Italian Glass PastBarovier Intarsio Vase designed by Orcole Barovier 1961Venini Mosaico Zanfirico Vase, designed by Paolo Venini, c. 1954, Acid signed “Venini Murano Italia” to base, *Three Venini Incamiciato Vases designed by Paolo Venini, 1950, Acid signed “Venini Murano Italia” to base * Salviati Fascia Murrine Vase designed by Luciano Gaspari, 1964, Inscribed signature “Salviati Murano” to base * Venini Fasce Verticale Vase designed by Fulvio Bianconi, c. 1952, Acid signed “Venini Murano Italia” to base * Venini Tessuto Vase designed by Barlo Scarpa, 1940 Acid signed “Venini Murano Italia” to bas * Venini Battulo Vase designed by Carlo Scarpa, c. 1940 Acid signed “Venini Murano Ars” to base * Venini Occhi Vase designed by Tobia Scarpa, 1962, Acid signed “Venini Italy Murano” (Circular) to base * Venini Mezz-Filligrana Decanter, c. 1956, Acid signed “Venini Murano Italia” to base * Venini Mezza-Filigrana Bird designed by Tomaso Buzzi, 1932, Acid signed “Venini Murano Ars” to base * Venini Incamiciato Vase designed by Tomaso Buzzi, c. 1933, Acid signed “Venini Murano” to base * Venini Mezza-Filigrana Bird designed by Tomaso Buzzi, 1932,
Acid signed “Venini Murano Ars” to base
Fine & Rare Art Deco Silver six-piece Tea Service by Brüder Frank, Vienna, Austria, circa 1920 from Maison Gerard.jpg?w=960)
Serge Manzon, White lacquered bibliothèque with three stained oak shelves, c.1970, Magen H Gallery
Wingback Lounge Chair, Unknown, Denmark, c. 1951, Wool and Teak, Lost City Arts
The decisive leadership that made Lincoln greatHe overrules his military commander to protect Washington Autograph Letter Signed. May 21, 1862, The Kenneth Rendell Gallery
Photo credit and story by Laurence Fayard
William Helburn Washington Square Arch, 1950 Gelatin Silver Print
William Helburn Red Canoe, 1959 Archival Pigment PrintBoth photographs from Peter Fetterman GalleryVARIOUS VENUES
A reproduced Campbell’s Soup Can by Andy Warhol from the MOMA Store
Unknown artist oil on canvas at the offices of Drs. Chapas and MacGregor of Union Square Laser DermatologyPhotos courtesy High End Weekly™ - Art Deco, Elle Decor, Good Housekeeping, Interior Design, Interior Design Tips, Leslie Blau, Rug Art, Rugs, Stark Carpet
How to Anchor a Room with a great looking Rug
On my way to dinner last night, I was thinking which post should I start the new year with? Afterall, this is the time when most folks are feeling highly optimistic, and making countless of resolutions… So as I cast my eyes across the restaurant’s corridor, I noticed this extravagantly decorated rug, then I thought: why not start with a post which will hopefully encourage most to do some decorating around their homes? A good looking rug fits the bill, and can change the look of any space. Depending on its color and texture, a rug can make a bold statement or blend quietly. As the foundation of which your decor is based, the color and style of the rug should echo the mood as well as the furnishings of your space.
There are two major things you should seriously consider when choosing a rug. Its color and its uses. Speaking of color:Dark, rich colors create a cozy feeling and help define a more intimate space. On the other hand, lighter colors open up small spaces and, when coordinated with the wall colors, make a room look appear larger. Rugs with yellow, orange or red add warmth to rooms with indirect light, while cool blues and greens help create a calm atmosphere in sunny rooms.
Diamond Sisal Natural Sisal Rugvia luxtica.com, image copyright: hemphillsrugs.comHigh-traffic areas, like family rooms and hallways, call for easy care, durable or reversible rugs. Homes or establishments with small children require easy-care rugs with a softer surface. So remember to choose well. Households with animal pets, such as dogs or cats that like to chew should avoid rugs with a looped pile. No matter how fabulous they look.
A rare and exquisite art deco Leleu rug from Doris Leslie Blau
Lunar Stripe Rug
Stark Carpet
A traditional carpet by Laura Ashley, via AllAboutYou.com
Chatham runner in azure and New Hadley runner in mandarin, www.rogeroates.comCourtesy of Good Housekeeping, via Allaboutyou.com
When you need to make a graphic statement, look no further than a dramatic black and white rugvia therugboutique.com
The ‘layered carpet look”: A Darryl Carter and was published in Elle Decor - Art Deco, Art Deco Society of New York, Christie's, Contributors, Decorative Arts, Furniture, Gail Green, Kathryn Hausman, Steven Greenberg
Greenberg’s Art Deco: The Splendor Of The Sublime
Art DecoMASTERFUL CRAFTSMANSHIP
The Steven Greenberg collection of Art Deco art, furniture, and accessories represents the magnificence of a time relived through the eyes of this special collector. Capturing the Art Deco zeitgeist through selective acquisition, with an acute eye towards exquisite beauty, Greenberg amassed works by Dupas, Dunand, and Ruhlmann.
As Kathryn Hausman, president of the Art Deco Society of New York, who was both a close personal and professional friend of Steven Greenberg notes, “When it came to his collection, Steven had both an eye for attention to detail and an appreciation for the masterful craftsmanship and beauty that epitomized the Art Deco period. He lived and worked amongst these works of beauty as though each piece spoke to him of a time and artist still alive. Stevenʼs ability to create such a collection illustrates his profound knowledge and love of the period.” With the majority of his exemplary collection centered on the works of these three titans of the times, Greenberg sets the Christieʼs stage with a feast for the splendor of the sublime.A COLLECTOR’S PASSION FOR BEAUTY
Paul Bonetʼs hand-tooled leather binding with George Barbierʼs lively illustrationsTalking sublime, Paul Bonetʼs hand-tooled leather binding with George Barbierʼs lively illustrations is artistic virtuosity. Influenced by Pierre Legrain, Bonetʼs work exhibits a three dimensionality that is highly innovative. This black Morocco gild leather binding, whose cover is encrusted with a “sunk-in lacquer panel in black, red, gold, silver, and eggshell, and whose lower cover is gilt and decorated with red morocco inlay and golden iridescent silk end leaves” exhibits the whimsy and fanciful decoration of the illustrations within. Encapsulating the beauty and materials of the Art deco period, Bonet was both highly imaginative and daring.Unlike any Eileen Gray I have ever seen, this rare six panel 1923 dark brown colored lacquer screen is a wonderful example of the designerʼs art moderne style. Incised and painted wood panels display linear and arced shapes reminiscent of the De Stijl movement, Grayʼs work shows a sympathetic alliance to the international artists of her time, both in innovation and technique. The work is about as much as the spaces she defined within the lines as it is about the process and genius that these lines distinguished.
Jean Dupasʻ pair of wall panels, dated 1934/5, define Greenbergʼs taste for the period as well as epitomize the Art Deco period itself. The allegorical themes which it portrays in full splendor are as bold and magnificent as the work itself. Sea monsters, sirens, waves – a drama played out verre eglomise display a boldness of line and spirit that raise this work to magnificent artistic heights. Originally designed for the Grand Salon of the Normandie, the gold, silver and palladium leafing palette must have made a grand gesture matched only by the ship itself.Steven Greenbergʼs masterpiece collection of French Art Deco artistry highlights the unfaltering eye of a collectorʼs passion for beauty and genius. Best Wishes! Gail.
Six panel 1923 dark brown colored lacquer screen
NOTE: Please notify us directly, if you believe that certain images on this post are alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others, according to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Thank you. - Art Deco, Decorative Arts, Dr Stephen Kelly, Fireplaces, Galleries, Geoffrey Bradfield, Interior Design, Shagreen, Silver, Townhouses, Upper East Side of Manhattan
A Doctor’s Best Kept Secret Unleashed!
Kelly Gallery Study with Jourbet et Petit cerused oakand marble table and Andre Frechet CabinetI’ve long been fascinated with art deco particularly because of its preoccupation with lavish ornamentation, its superb craftsmanship and fine materials. And I feel fortunate to live in a town that is home to some of the most trustworthy art deco dealers in the world, namely Delorenzo, Maison Gerard, Friedman & Vallois, to name a few. Exactly one week to this day, I attended the opening of a gallery that can easily take its place among the rank of the illustrious establishments named above.
For over thirty years Dr. Stephen Kelly, a successful ophthalmologist with a Manhattan practice has been quietly assembling a collection of rare and important Art Deco furniture, fine art and design and filling his ca. 1915 landmark limestone and brick townhouse with these treasures. Now in his 60s, Dr. Kelly has embarked on a second career as a gallery owner.His treasured art deco gallery is nestled between the three floors of his dramatic six-story Upper East Side home. The gallery has now been opened since Wednesday, December 12th. The doctor’s entire collection is an impressive one to be sure. And art deco enthusiasts and collectors now have the opportunity to possess some of the most rarest pieces on the market – a variety of objects by such famed French Art Deco craftsmen as Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Jean-Michel Frank, Jean Dunand, Sue et Mare, A.A. Rateau, Eugene Printz, Edgar Brandt and Albert Cheuret, and others.
Salon Kelly Gallery with Ruhlman Lorcia Table Center and LeftMost of the fine art deco on view are between 1918 and 1939. Dr. Kelly puts particular emphasis on this period in France between the two world wars as one of the greatest and most productive times for fine and decorative arts. Pieces from this period lend a certain elegance and patina of age to a modern interior, without an 18th or 19th century antique look, and work well with all forms of 20th century fine art.
Kelly Gallery Assorted English Shagreen and Ivory Boxes ca 1925
KG Cardeillhac Sterling, Tortoise and Ivory Wine Caddies ca 1930Particular gems from the gallery include a monumental Sèvres urn by Ruhlmann that was one of four from the ocean liner Ile de France – only one other survives and is in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
Also on view is a spectacular straw marquetry cabinet by Jean-Michel Frank; a Rateau giltwood daybed from the home of Jeanne Lanvin; a one-of-a-kind silver and champlevé enamel clock by Jean Goulden, which was exhibited in the Art Deco Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in 2003; a coquille d’oeuf lacquer vase by Dunand from the 1925 Art Deco Exhibition in Paris and exhibited in the 1926 Art Deco Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; and a unique amboyna wood table by Ruhlmann originally designed for the French actress Gabrielle Lorcia ca.1930, as well as modernist paintings and works on paper by Christian Bérard, Fernand Leger, Max Ernst and Sonia Delaunay juxtaposed against contemporary masters like Richard Diebenkorn, Jasper Johns and Jean Dubuffet.
Important Jean Luce Glass VasesThe gallery features a vast array of vintage silver or alligator photograph frames, crystal and silver perfume bottles and dressing sets, period ceramics and glass, period sterling silver serving pieces, bookends, lamps, classic American guilloche enamel sterling silver doubles cufflinks, 18kt gold doubles cufflinks, shagreen and ivory boxes, cubistic pewter dinanderie vases and other vintage Art Deco gift items that start at around $150, with median prices of $1000 to $10,000.
“I particularly like the rare and beautiful woods used in furniture during this period, frequently decorated with shagreen, ivory, parchment, tortoiseshell or lacquer,” says Dr. Kelly. “I am drawn to the handcrafted artistic quality of the wrought-iron work and lacquered dinanderie vases. It was also one of the greatest periods in fine art with the advent centered in Paris of cubism, surrealism and orphism.”Dr. Stephen KellyThe space features a spectacular interior that was originally designed by Geoffrey Bradfield and the late Jay Spectre. It includes a large two story solarium and more recently updated by Mr. Bradfield with a parchment-paneled drawing room, Venetian plaster foyer and macassar ebony-paneled library.
The Kelly Gallery is located at 154 East 71st Street (Between 3rd and Lexington Avenues), New York City. Hours of operation are: Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Tel: 212.744.0004Photo courtesy Josh GaddyAll rights reserved
