Fireplace grates and screens by Edgar Brandt amaze with the elegance of the lace pattern.
Brandt’s individual style took shape in the early 1920s. Such material as iron imposes certain restrictions on the design of interior items. To make the product seem light, Brandt used a pattern called “potato peel” in the form of an irregular spiral, which he used in many of his works.
At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the influence of Japanese culture on European design was very tangible. In 1922, Siegfried Bing presented a huge collection of Japanese prints to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. This stimulated public interest in everything related to Japan. Edgar Brandt began incorporating Japanese motifs into his work that were in high demand, as in the next screen with the flying cranes.
At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the influence of Japanese culture on European design was very tangible. In 1922, Siegfried Bing presented a huge collection of Japanese prints to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. This stimulated public interest in everything related to Japan. Edgar Brandt began incorporating Japanese motifs into his work that were in high demand, as in the next screen with the flying cranes.
Fireplace screen “Dancer”
The prototype of this model, also known as “Les Plumes” or “Feathers”, Brandt exhibited at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Industry in Paris in 1925. The design depicts a female figure, probably modeled after Josephine Baker, dancing with a tambourine in the center of a dynamic swirling ornament of many feathers. Josephine Baker performed this dance at the Folies Bergère, the famous Parisian nightclub. Brandt later completed two similar pairs of decorative trellises depicting dancers surrounded by feathers for the Folies Bergère around 1926.
The lattice was designed with the participation of the sculptor Max Blond (1879–1926), who created the figures for the central medallions: the Three Graces are depicted on the central panel, and Mercury and Venus are depicted on the side panels. This grille was displayed at the entrance to the Salon d’Automne 1923 in Paris. Max Blonda studied sculpture with Thomas and Mathurin Moreau and occasionally collaborated with Edgar Brandt on the sculptural motifs adorning his doors and gates. Edgar Brandt considered this screen one of his best works.
Masters of the Art Deco era. Edgar Brandt
Fireplace grates and screens by Edgar Brandt amaze with the elegance of the lace pattern.
Brandt’s individual style took shape in the early 1920s. Such material as iron imposes certain restrictions on the design of interior items. To make the product seem light, Brandt used a pattern called “potato peel” in the form of an irregular spiral, which he used in many of his works.
In 1925, the French government decided to hold the International Exhibition of Artistic Decoration and Modern Industry in order to give new impetus to the development of France, which had suffered greatly during the First World War. The fair had strict rules that encouraged originality and new thinking; reproductions, imitations of previous styles were not allowed, the time has come for Art Deco.
The fair was held in the center of Paris, with two-thirds of the land set aside for French pavilions. The decoration of the main entrance of La Porte d’Honneur was entrusted to the architects Favier and Edgar Brandt, who presented at the exhibition not only his stand, but also many works for the decoration of other rooms: doors, gates, stair railings, tables, chandeliers, lamps, sconces and signboards.
Edgar Brandt was on the planning committee for the 1925 fair, was a judge in the metalworking department, and his work did not enter the competition. Nevertheless, the exposition brought Brandt international fame. Brandt’s work was recognized by the American Association of Architects, which made him an honorary member in 1929.
Grilles of the Central Entrance of the Porte d’Honneur
Notice the fountain motif that Brandt used to design the grille. The same motif was repeated on one of his most popular creations – a sliding screen presented in Brandt’s exposition. This image became so popular that it was widely quoted at the time on wallpaper, labels, fabrics, and even theater sets. Guerlain used fountain and leaf motifs to package their famous perfume L’Heure Bleue. The screen design was even adapted as a backdrop for the 1926 Folies Bergère show.
Brandt’s stand at the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes
All the most popular products produced by Brandt’s enterprise were presented at the stand: a central table made of marble and forged details of the underframe, a lattice against the wall, a vase in a niche, floor lamps and sconces, a chandelier, a console table against a mirrored wall that visually enlarged the space. All this together created a harmonious interior, conceived as a lobby.
Edgar Brandt was on the planning committee for the 1925 fair, was a judge in the metalworking department, and his work did not enter the competition. Nevertheless, the exposition brought Brandt international fame. Brandt’s work was recognized by the American Association of Architects, which made him an honorary member in 1929.
Decorative wood, patinated wrought iron
One such tree was made for the Cheney Brothers silk company, which offered Edgar Brandt a prestigious American commission to design the first three floors of the silk company’s new headquarters in New York at the Madison Belmont Building (Madison Avenue and 34th the street). The large commission included numerous exterior elements: wrought iron and gilded bronze entrance doors, which again developed the theme of the fountain and leaves depicted on the Oasis screen, window frames and grilles, as well as interior grilles, mirrors and display stands. In addition to the trellises to display fabrics, Brandt has created whimsical wrought iron trees. There were no two identical trees in this arboretum. All of Brandt’s metalwork for this project was made in France at his atelier on Boulevard Murat and shipped to New York.
After the success of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925, Edgard Brandt opened his gallery on Malesherbe Boulevard, where artistic metalwork, furniture, decor items, sculptures, and lamps were exhibited on several levels.
During this period, he collaborated with the manufacturers Daum and Lalique, Fonderies de Brousseval, producing cast-iron radiators for central heating. His gallery also exhibited works by other masters. The Brandt Gallery was the first gallery of decorative arts in Paris.
Edgar Brandt soon opened a second showroom in London and a Ferro Brandt branch in New York.
With the outbreak of World War II, Edgar Brandt and his family moved to Switzerland. Brandt died in 1960 in Geneva at the age of 80.
