Demètre Chiparus, The Supreme Art Deco Sculptor

Although little is known of the early life of Demetre H. Chiparus, we do know that he was born in Romania in 1886, educated in Italy and took up residence in Paris when he was just under 30 years old. He attended school at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and afterwards studied under two accomplished sculptors, Anonin Mercier and Jean Boucher, where his art flourished.

Art deco, the popularity of which peaked in the 1920s, was considered to be an elegant, functional, non-political design movement. Demetre Chiparus is considered by many to be one of the best sculptors of this era.

As an Art Deco sculptor, Demetre received some recognition at Salon de Paris. Many young sculptors devoted months of work in preparing large pieces for the Salons, however, Chiparus's career did not follow this pattern. Due to the huge commercial success of his work, he exhibited only sporadically at the Salon des Artistes Français.

Demetre perfected the technique of combining bronze and ivory, known as chryselephantine and was able to mold his pieces to perfection. Originally influenced by an interest in Egypt after the excavation of Pharaoh Tutankhamen’s tomb, Chiparus thrilled the art scene with sculptures such as “Egyptian Dancer and Dog’s Best Friend”.

His most notable work resulted in his keen interest in Russian Ballet dancers and the exotic female actresses of early motion pictures. Demetre was able to capture the elusive beauty of various art forms. His subjects, created as elongated, willowy, stylized entities of beauty and grace, typified his most notable works. Chiparus sculptures typically have long, slim fingers so exquisitely detailed that each individual fingernail can be clearly defined.

As a proponent of the vibrancy and avant-garde lifestyle of the post-World War I era, Chiparus embraced the flair and style of Art Deco, producing many sought-after works such as “Girl with a Parrot” and “Lady with Two Greyhounds”.

Chiparus popularity reached its peak in 1928; his works were produced in small editions where foundry owners avidly snapped up his work. An ardent public assured a thriving business and while his style remained in demand, Chiparus was a very wealthy man.

He and his long-time companion, Julienne, lived a lavish, exclusive lifestyle of elegance, tranquility and affluence at 56 boulevard d'Argenson, near the Ile de la Grande Jatte, a favorite park for Parisians. However, this extravagant lifestyle was short-lived. The onset of World War II changed everything.

Most of the founders in Paris were Jewish. They fell prey to the Nazis and the feelings of anti-Semitism that swept devastatingly through Europe and were forced out of business. With no one left to produce his pieces, and few clients able to buy them, Demetre found himself in a grave financial position.

Undaunted by this role reversal, Chiparus continued to work on his sculptures, often gleaning his subjects from the local zoo. The resulting sculptures of bears, a bison and other animals, resulted in some eloquent and extraordinary pieces and are a testament to the man’s great talent and versatility. However, these works were to be his last. On January 22, 1947, at age 61, Demetre Chiparus died as a result of a stroke.

For the next 20 years, Chiparus’s masterpieces were looked on with distain by the post-war generation. Connoisseurs in the early 1970’s revived them to their rightful place as outstanding examples of decorative style and superb craftsmanship.

Chiparus’s talent once again found its rightful place as an incarnation of the character, wit and poise of art deco - perfect examples of the spirit of the 1920s and 30s that capture the essence of Parisian wit and elegance

Copyright allartdeco.com. Information may be used but must acknowledge allartdeco.com. Please request details. Thank you.

Bernard Penny

The Bauhaus – Walter Gropius

Where Art Deco originated and developed mainly in France, the Bauhaus movement was created in Germany.

Architect Walter Gropius founded the art school, originally named “Staatliches Bauhaus Weimar,”. Later the school was changed to the name “Bauhaus” and lasted from 1919-1933. For some, Bauhaus is considered more innovative than Art Deco.

The driving force behind the Bauhaus school was to help rebuild Germany after WWI. The Bourgeois details of cornices and decorative details were rejected. Instead, Walter Gropius led his students to develop architecture that was classic and pure in form. No ornamentation will be seen in Bauhaus design.

The following list is a few of the characteristics of Bauhaus:

• The use of industrial materials
• Machine production
• Functional furniture
• Concern with material and design
• Bold and streamlined
• Slim lines
• Colours such as black, grey and beige

In furniture design, Bauhaus is concerned just as much with the material as it is design. Mass production capabilities were considered and this lent itself to the use of steel, plastic, chrome and glass. Function and form harmony was paramount.

Due to WWII, Hitler closed the art school and a few of the Bauhaus designers immigrated to America. Bauhaus become wildly popular in America and this is when the design also became termed “The International Design.”

Much of the interior Art Deco design in America is actually Bauhas or The International Design. To simplify matters, the term of “Modern” often lends itself to that of Bauhas. Many Modern designs are popular in today’s interior design. If Art Deco, Bauhas or Modern design interests you, pieces such as coffee tables, sofas, arm chairs and dining room tables are widely available to help furnish your home with fashionable flair.

Copyright allartdeco.com. Information may be used but must acknowledge allartdeco.com. Please request details. Thank you. Bernard Penny

The Greatest Art Deco Sculptor of Them All?

Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss – regarded as one of the leading ivory carvers in the Art Déco era of the 1920s and 1930s – was born in Erbach (Oderwald), Germany, on February 13, 1882. His mother hailed from a family of traditional ivory carvers, while his father owned and managed a local hotel, the Preiss Hotel.

At the young age of 15, Ferdinand lost both his parents, one after the other, within a short span of time. Ferdinand and his five siblings were put under the care of various friends and relatives. Fortunately, Ferdinand went to live with the family of the then famous ivory carver Philipp Willmann (1846–1910), from whom he learned the art of ivory carving.

It was during his apprenticeship under Willmann that Ferdinand picked up the finer nuances of ivory carving and emerged as one of the finest ivory carvers of those times. In 1901, at the age of 19, Ferdinand left Willmann’s workshop and traveled to Milan, Rome and Paris, while earning his living as a modeller.

In 1905, while working for Carl Haebler in Baden-Baden, he got acquainted with a fellow ivory carver, Arthur Kassler from Berlin, who later became his business partner. Together, they founded a company named Preiss & Kassler, dealing in ivory-carving business. They then moved to Berlin and launched a small workshop there, themselves working as ivory carvers/turners in the workshop.

In 1907, cupid struck in the life of Ferdinand as Margartehe Emma Clara Hilme, a Berliner herself, walked into his life. After a short courtship, they got married. They were blessed with a son, Harry, and a daughter, Lucie.

To start with, the sculpture collection at Preiss & Kassler consisted of small ivory carvings with motifs based on classical themes. In 1910, the company added two new carvers, Louis Kuchler and Ludwig Walther and shortened the company’s name to PK. The first ivory–bronze combination carvings were produced around this time, with the bronze casting done by a Berlin company by the name of Gladenbeck. Robert Kionsek from the Gladdenbeck foundry later joined PK and the company expanded gradually.

By 1914, when the First World War broke out, PK had added four more employees, all outstanding ivory carvers from Erbach. Though during the war their business had slowed down, it picked up in 1920 in full bloom once the War ended. Ferdinand Preiss headed the artistic department, whereas Arthur Kassler took care of the commercial aspects of their company.

The PK specialties included ivory–bronze (chryselphantine) cabinet sculptures mounted on onyx or marble base and sometimes also on mantelpiece clocks or lamp stands. Almost all these pieces of art were designed by Ferdinand himself and were produced in limited numbers. Many of these sculptures were exported to England and USA.

Some of the early works of Ferdinand Preiss, inspired by the classical Grecian figures and antiques, included the statuettes of Phryne, Carmen, Salome, Aphrodite and Pomona. The post-War sculptures included exquisitely elegant ivory nudes, bronze–ivory dancers, bathers, couples, Olympians (for example, men and women playing tennis and golf, throwing a javelin or just holding an oar), historical figures and children (who can resist the charm of the delightful Sonny Boy in short trousers and sandals holding a book under his arm and standing on a brown onyx base!). Many of the subjects often included famous theatrical and sporting personalities of the day. During the peak of the Art Déco era, PK produced collectibles like Iphigenie, Cabaret Girl, Flame Dancer, Youth, Two Nudes Sitting With Clock and Schlittschuhlaeuferin.

All the works of Ferdinand Preiss are epitomes of exquisite beauty and elegance and are considered as prized possessions even today. Unfortunately, the Berlin workshop stocking samples of his works was completely destroyed in 1945 due to a bomb attack in World War II.

Call it providence or good luck, Ferdinand Preiss escaped watching the pathetic sight of the destruction of his workshop. He had died in 1943, at the age of 61, due to a brain tumor. And along with him died his company Preiss & Kassler.

Copyright allartdeco.com. Information may be used but must acknowledge allartdeco.com. Please request details. Thank you.

Bernard Penny

Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Furniture Master Craftsman

“It is the rich that make fashion fashionable…”

Emile-Jacques Ruhlman was born in Paris on August 28, 1879. His father owned a painting and contracting company. Ruhlman learned his father’s profession, which was common practice at the time. Not only did he learn about architecture, but he also made invaluable contacts with fellow designers.

Ruhlman joined his father’s firm at the age of 21 and eventually took control of the company after his father’s death in 1907. In an era of simple lines and function over form in Germany, it’s interesting that Rulman resisted this trend. He believed that by catering to the rich a designer would be able to receive funding for the necessary research, testing and experimentation that is needed in order to develop new design. He also stated that it is the rich that make fashion, fashionable. He did not believe that fashion came from “humble” backgrounds.

Even though Rulman learned his father’s business before taking control, he had no formal training in cabinet or furniture making. Ironically, his furniture designs are the most famous.

His first furniture designs stemmed from the need to furnish his home! Who can’t relate to that? After that point he teamed with a man by the name of Pierre Laurent and founded an interior design company in 1919.

The Rulman Design Company.

The interior design company did not limit itself to decorative design. They designed wallpaper, rugs, light fixtures and furniture. Rulman designed a few pieces that he deemed his “precious pieces.” The precious pieces were designed in the Art Deco hey-day of 1918-1925. These pieces were made of the rarest woods and in simple forms.

Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann’s design made him famous, his work considered the epitome of French Art Deco. He had absolute command over his design and developed complete mastery of material. Generally his furniture pieces are considered incomparable. At a time where his contemporaries designed pieces with absolute simplicity and of the most common of materials, Ruhlmann’s formal elegance made his furniture regal even with the simplicity of line.

If the form of Art Deco appeals to you, but not the complete starkness, you may find what you’re looking for in the French designer Emile-Jacques Ruhmlann. His simple lines and rich uses of material are the perfect marriage of functional elegance.

Copyright allartdeco.com. Information may be used but must acknowledge allartdeco.com. Please request details. Thank you, Bernard Penny.

Architect William Van Alen William Van Alen was born in 1883 and died in 1954 in Brooklyn, New York. He went to the Pratt Institute while working in Clarence True’s office. In addition, he worked in a variety of corporations in New York until he was awarded the 1908 Lloyd Warren Fellowship that gave him the opportunity to study and learn in Europe. Alen studied at the atelier of Victor Laloux in Paris at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.

A couple of years later in 1911, Alen came back to his hometown of New York and a partnership was created with H. Craig Severance. This partnership is where it all began when Alen and Severance strayed away from the traditional forms of commercial structures with the traditional shaft, base and capital. The partnership between William Van Alen and H. Craig Severance deteriorated in 1925 and in true melodramatic fashion turned into one of intense rivalry.

Alen is most famous for the Chrysler Building in New York, which he built as an architect in 1928 - 1930. The Chrysler Building is one of the world’s most renowned Art Deco buildings and was briefly the tallest building in the world before being overtaken by that other great New York monolith of the time, the Empire State building. The Chrysler Building is a wonderful example of Art Deco style in skyscrapers and one of the best monuments of the new American capitalism.

Visions of the Bright Young Things, America’s emerging starlets and new glamour, hurtling skyward in the magnificently decorated elevators, up to the sumptuous Cloud Club, is as iconic an Art Deco era image as any I can think of.

Alen’s career suffered from creating the Chrysler building, mainly because of the burgeoning acrimony between William P. Chrysler and Alen, resulting in Chrysler refusing to pay Alen’s final fees.

The Chrysler building was not always given such a high regard in the architect and design world. Like many artists, designers and architects, Alen’s work received greater acclaim after his death than when he was alive.

William Van Alen was born in New York on August 10, 1883 and died in May 24, 1954.