Attributed to Jacques Adnet

Attributed to JACQUES ADNET (France, 1900-1984).
Pair of bookends, 1930s.
Chromed steel and glass.
Measurements: 16,7 x 11,5 x 6,8 cm.

The sculptural strength and geometric essentialism that characterize this pair of bookends defined the style of Jacques Adnet, to whom these splendid design pieces are attributed. The three transparent spheres are aligned by size, stacked on the vertical arm of the square support, ascribing to a personal concept of Art Deco.

Jacques Adnet trained at the Ecole Municipal de Design in Auxerre and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He favored the functional aspect of furniture combined with geometric simplicity and was inspired by pre-classical styles, and was well acquainted with traditional furniture. From 1928 to 1960, he directed the Compagnie des Arts Francais. His team of decorators included Francois Jourdain, Charlotte Perriand and Georges Jouve. Adnet chaired the Salon des Artistes Decorateurs from 1947 to 1949. During the 1950s, he created furniture and concentrated on the many commissions he received, such as the decoration of the President's private apartments at the Elysée Palace or the meeting room at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. In 1959 he was appointed director of the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris until 1970. Adnet exhibited at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925. Clearly avant-garde, Adnet was one of the first to expect metal and glass to be integrated into the structure and decoration of furniture. In 1970, Adnet was appointed director of the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs.