Style Art Nouveau / Ref.5452

Louis Majorelle (design attributed to), Green Art Nouveau mantelpiece with sunflowers

This Art Nouveau style mantelpiece in green glazed earthenware with shades of brown was probably designed by Louis Majorelle for the Vitry-le-François faience factory around 1910.

Louis Majorelle (1859-1926) studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, before taking over the family earthenware and furniture factory on the death of his father. He designed this mantelpiece for the Vitry-le-François faience factory. Initially a depot of the Sarreguemines factory, from 1899 onwards this earthenware factory produced tiles, stoves and fireplaces, some of which, like this one, feature an Art Nouveau vocabulary. The hallmark of the faience factory is inscribed under the mantel shelf.

The curved jambs of the mantelpiece are adorned with plant stems, culminating at the top in a sunflower with tortuous petals. Leaves grow inwards. At the centre of the lintel is another leafy plant. The structural lines of the mantelpiece rise above the plant patterns, adopting their harmonious curves.

The mantelpiece completes the Art Nouveau décor of the entire building in which it was housed. It comes from an Art Nouveau building at number 77 rue Labat, in the 18^th arrondissement of Paris. The building was designed by Paul Delaruemenil, according to the inscription engraved above the entrance door, which features beautiful ironwork evocative of Art Nouveau plants. The building's entrance corridor is decorated with beautifully painted iris and wisteria tiles. The door to the caretaker's flat is also enhanced by beautiful geometric and plant-like curves. A stained glass window with serpentine curves featuring plant-like developments resembling datura leaves and flowers.

The Marc Maison gallery has another mantelpiece of the same model from the same building, but in yellow tones. Other mantels have a more varied polychromy, highlighting the decorative elements with colours that distinguish them from a brown background.

The model of this mantelpiece is in the Musée de la Faïence in Sarreguemines.

This fireplace is sold without any fireplace insert nor floor but could be made to order (please ask for availability).