Decorative Lacquerware: The Art of Jean Dunand

 

Jean Dunand

Image courtesy of: http://willy-huybrechts-gallery.com

(1877-1942)

 

"De par le coeur et par les mains."

 

 

If one were to consider some of the luminary and influential names of  French Art Deco furniture designers and artisans - Jacques-Émile Rhulman, André Groult, Eugène Printz, Jules and André Leleu, Pierre Chareau and Jean-Michel Frank, for instance - that of Swiss-born master lacquerist Jean Dunand would undoubtedly shimmer among them.

Born in Petit-Lancy, Switzerland, on May 20th, 1877, Jean Dunand trained as a sculptor at the École des Arts Industriels de Genève from 1891-1896. Then in 1897, Dunand was awarded a travel grant to Paris where he continued his studies, including an apprenticeship at the studio of the Burgundian Art Nouveau sculptor, Jean-Auguste Dampt, who introduced him to the notion of design production for interior decoration and furnishing. After a few years with Dampt, Dunand exhibited, for the first time, a bust at the 1900 Exposition Universelle held in Paris. Dunand worked on the winged horses on the Pont Alexandre III while simultaneously exploring the use of metal in the decorative arts. (Sources: invaluable.com, undated; willy-huybechts-gallery.com, 2008)

Josephine Baker

Image courtesy of: http://fineestateliquidation.com/

At around 1904 or 1905, Dunand partially abandoned sculpture to focus on the craft of metalwork - specifically, dinanderie, a type of late medieval brass, copper and bronze work originating in Dinant, Belgium. It was also in 1904 that the Museé des Arts Décoratifs in Paris purchased an early example of his work, a copper embossed vase. (Having worked several years at the studios of Dampt, Dunand's first vases showed a distinctly Art Nouveau influence, but he quickly progressed to and appropriated the geometric lines of the more modern and streamlined style of the Art Deco movement, then just beginning to make its appearance.) Over the next several years, Dunand continued to exhibit regularly at the Salons de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts as well as at the Salon d'Automne - where such recognizable artistic talents as Renoir and Rodin also showed in some of the Salon's early exhibitions - of which he was a member. (Sources: invaluable.com, undated; willy-huybechts-gallery.com, 2008)

Vase - ca. 1915

Image courtesy of: http://www.christies.com

By 1912 and in a roundabout way, Dunand had become interested in Japanese lacquerware. The Japanese artist Seizo Sugawara - who had immigrated to Paris in 1898 to assist at the Japanese pavilion for the upcoming Exposition Universelle in 1900 - had asked Dunand's advice and assistance in solving a problem he had been having concerning dinanderie; in exchange for which, Sugawara introduced Dunand to the then closely-guarded secrets of traditional Japanese technique of urushi - lacquering. The two men had been introduced by Eileen Gray, the Irish architect and furniture designer who had met Sugawara in 1907 and who had also begun to learn the art of urushi. Dunand was so taken with the artisinal craft of lacquering that he established a workshop specializing in the production of lacquerware, importing a large number of artisans and craftsmen from Indochina, who executed Dunand's conceptions for groupings of furnishings, decorative panels and objects made entirely of lacquer, a laborious and time-consuming process requiring upwards of twenty successively applied layers and procedures to achieve the desired effect.

But Dunand never entirely abandoned metalwork; he continued to produce metal vases, trays and other decorative objects - he even created a Helmet of Honour, offered to Marshal Ferdinand Foch who served as general of the French army during World War I and made Marshal of France in 1918, by the United States government. (For his own participation in the first World War, Dunand was awarded the Legion of Honour medal in 1919.) He deftly combined the artistry of Oriental lacquer work with European decorative designs and sensibilities such as his method of audaciously lacquering metal.  (Sources: urushi-kobo.com, 2010; invaluable.com, undated; willy-huybechts-gallery.com, 2008)

Vase in embossed metal with vegetal pattern - 1908

Vase in brown patinated metal with silver spiral patterns

A pair of signed monumental lacquered and gilt metal vases - ca. 1925

A pair of armchairs in lacquered wood, signed - ca. 1925

Sideboard - ca. 1938 (Jean Dunand & Eugene Printz)

Lacquered wood table, signed - ca. 1930-31

(Jean Dunand & Jean Lambert-Rucki)

Copperware vase with lacquer, signed

(Jean Dunand & Jean Lambert-Rucki)

Six-leaf Fish screen - ca. 1927

The eight images above are courtesy of: http://www.artnet.com/

At around 1925, Jean Dunand began to experiment with the technique of incorporating minute bits of eggshell shards - both the inner and outer surface of the shell - to great effect into his lacquered designs. He used this technique - uniquely his own - in the manufacture of multi-paneled screens, society portraiture and even on metal objects such as vases using hen, duck or partridge eggs to achieve subdued ivory, brown or pale green colouration. Dunand also collaborated with some of the most notable architects, artisans, craftsmen and (furniture) designers of his time - Jacques-Émile Rhulman, Jules Leleu, Séraphin Soudbinine, Eugene Printz, Jean Lambert-Rucki, Jean Dupas and the couturiers Paul Poiret and Madeleine Vionnet - creating pieces of furniture and objects made of assorted materials, such as gold leaf and mother-of-pearl, that transcended an item's functionality, transforming it into an exquisite work of art. (Sources: invaluable.com, undated; willy-huybechts-gallery.com, 2008)

Some of the finest examples of Dunand's technical virtuosity in lacquerware were produced for the great French ocean liners - the most luxurious and magnificent floating palaces ever to grace the oceans - Ile de France (1927), L'Atlantique (1931), and the legendary Normandie (1935), where he created great panels such as The Chariot of Aurora. The Normandie's gold-lacquered, Egyptian-style panels in the smoking room and Grand Salon titled 'Jeux et les Joies de l'Humanité' (see panels below), for example, were fabricated using gesso, clay and plaster and Dunand coated both sides of the panels with the same number of lacquer coats - a Sugarawa formula - so as to subvert the wood's tendency to warp. (Sources: greatships.net, 2010; ocean-liners.com, undated; worldlingo.com, 2010; Maxtone-Graham, 2007)

Les Sports - from the 'Jeux et les Joies de l'Humanité' theme

Image courtesy of: http://www.france5.fr/

Les Vendanges - Normandie, 1935

Image courtesy of: http://estuaire.loire.free.fr/

La Chasse - Normandie, 1935

Image courtesy of: http://www.jean-dunand.org

During his own lifetime, the artistic integrity of Jean Dunand's work was recognized, appreciated, exhibited and acquired by museums and collectors alike. Having spent most of his adult life in France, Dunand became a French citizen in 1922; he died on June 7th, 1942. (Sources: metmuseum.org, 2010; willy-huybechts-gallery.com, 2008) 

Cabinets - 1921
(Jean Dunand & Jules Leleu)

Image courtesy of: http://www.artdecomasters.info/

Pianissimo screen: lacquer, gold, eggshell & mother-of-pearl  - 1925-26

(Jean Dunand & Séraphin Soudbinine)

Fortissimo screen: lacquer, eggshell, gold & mother-of-pearl - 1925-26

(Jean Dunand & Séraphin Soudbinine)

The images above are courtesy of: http://www.metmuseum.org/

Vase

Danseuse et Musicienne - 1924

The two images above are courtesy of: http://www.artcurial.com/

Lacquered pewter ware vase - ca. 1929

Image courtesy of: http://www.christies.com

Lacquered screen - ca. 1925

Image courtesy of: http://www.kohn.auction.fr/

Six-leaf lacquered screen, Les Cagnas - ca. 1921

Image courtesy of: http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/

Lacquered metal vase - ca. 1925

Image courtesy of: http://www.metmuseum.org/

The Annunciation wall panel - ca. 1933

Image courtesy of: http://thebluelantern.blogspot.com/

High table - ca. 1925

Image courtesy of: http://www.artnet.com/

Lacquer & eggshell portrait of Madame Agnés, signed

Image courtesy of: http://thebluerememberedhills.blogspot.com/

Bleu Agnés desk (designed for Madame Agnés) and armchair in midnight-blue lacquer - 1926
Image courtesy of: http://www.artcurial.com/

Sideboard - ca. 1930

(Jean Dunand, Eugene Printz & Jean Lambert-Rucki)

Image courtesy of: http://www.christies.com/

Lacquered vanity table - 1930
Image courtesy of: http://www.orgone-design.com/

Twelve-panel screen

Image courtesy of: http://www.artcurial.com/

Detail of the lacquered twelve-panel screen above

Image courtesy of: http://www.artcurial.com/

Eggshell & lacquer vase - ca. 1930

Image courtesy of: http://www.themagazineantiques.com/

Lacquered & eggshell metal vase - ca. 1924

Image courtesy of: http://www.christies.com/

Lacquer & eggshell bowl - 1920
Image courtesy of: http://thebluelantern.blogspot.com/

Silver cigarette case, signed

Image courtesy of: http://www.lagalerieparisienne.fr/

Panel detail

Image courtesy of: http://lemoine.blog.artcurial.com/

Monkeys lacquered screen - ca. 1926

Image courtesy of: http://www.christies.com/

Detail of a lacquered panel - Three Panthers

Image courtesy of: http://www.interencheres.com/

Fantastic Animals Screen - ca. 1926

(Jean Dunand & Jean Lambert-Rucki)

Image courtesy of: http://thebluelantern.blogspot.com/

Clair de Lune lacquered five-panel screen - ca. 1928

Image courtesy of: http://searchcollections.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/

Lacquered neck rings in geometric motifs - ca. 1927

Grape Harvesting, detail - after the Normandie panel

The Nightingale - inside board of Two Tales by Oscar Wilde, ca. 1926

Group of vases - ca. 1925-27

The above four images are courtesy of: http://www.wilsonart.com/

Vase with a rearing cobra - ca. 1920

Image courtesy of: http://www.christies.com

Chariot of Aurora panel from the Grand Salon of the Normandie - ca. 1935

(Jean Dunand & Jean Dupas)

Image courtesy of: http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/

Suggested reading:

The Spirit and Splendour of Art Deco (1971), by Alain Lesieutre: Paddington Press

Jean Dunand: His Life and Works (1991), by Félix Marcilhac: Thames & Hudson

Essential Art Deco (2002), by Iain Zaczek: Paragon Publishing

Designing Liners: A History of Interior Design Afloat (2006), by Anne Welleans: Taylor & Francis

Normandie: France's Legendary Art Deco Ocean Liner (2007), by John Maxtone-Graham: W. W. Norton & Company