Small wall unit

THIS WALL UNIT AND THE MATCHING DESK IN THE FOLLOWING LOT ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF MALLET-STEVENS' FURNITURE DESIGNS, CONSTRUCTED, NOT UNLIKE HIS ARCHITECTURE, ON THE BASIS OF SIMPLE, GEOMETRIC FORMS AND LARGELY REJECTING ORNAMENT. MALLET-STEVENS WAS AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN THE EMERGENCE OF MODERN MOVEMENT IDEAS IN FRANCE. HE WAS GREATLY INFLUENCED BY THE CLEAN-LINED ARCHITECTURE OF JOSEF HOFFMANN AND THE VIENNESE AVANT-GARDE. MALLET-STEVENS WAS HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE AS AN ARCHITECT AND DESIGNER AND FOUND SYMPATHETIC FRIENDS AND PATRONS - HE DESIGNED THE GRAND VILLA AT HYÈRES FOR THE COMTE AND VICOMTESSE DE NOAILLES, WAS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAN RAY, AND CREATED FILM SETS FOR MARCEL L'HERBIER. HE BECAME A LEADING LIGHT OF THE UNION DES ARTISTES MODERNES.
PARIS-BASED COLLECTOR-DEALER MICHEL SOUILLAC WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO REDISCOVER MALLET-STEVENS' ŒUVRE IN THE 1970S, TRACKING SURVIVING WORKS FROM VARIOUS COMMISSIONS AND ACQUIRING NUMEROUS PIECES FROM THE ARTIST'S ESTATE.

WHITE PAINTED WOOD,
CHROME-PLATED METAL
233/4 X 37 X 121/4 IN.
(60.4 X 31.1 X 94 CM)

PROVENANCE:
MICHEL SOUILLAC, PARIS
PURCHASED BY THE PRESENT OWNER IN THE 1970S
LITERATURE:
HUBERT JANNEAU AND DOMINIQUE DESHOULIÈRES, ROB MALLET-STEVENS ARCHITECTE, BRUSSELS, 1980