For this 20th edition of DESIGN MIAMI, GALERIE PATRICK SEGUIN is showing a selection of furniture and lighting designed by JEAN ROYÈRE from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.
Jean Royère approached his work with great freedom. He designed pieces that were daring and refined, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary innovation. Inspired by the armillary spheres of the 16th century, the “Sphere” table is a perfect example of this approach. Four spherical feet in gold metal support a rectangular marble top, giving an impression of levitation. It was designed in 1939 and exhibited that same year at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs in Paris; this model was made for a private commission around 1950.
As with the “Sphere” table, the pair of “Auxerre” chairs reflects the extraordinary sense of proportion and volume that Royère demonstrated throughout his career. This model features armrests subtly incorporated into an extension of its wrap-around backrest. Its sinusoidal lines also contrast with the rectangularity of the nest of tables, whose gold patinated metal legs support a delicate, partially mirrored glass top. The “Dents Grecques” pattern formed by the legs, skillfully worked into the table design, contributes to its air of refinement.
The names of Jean Royère’s creations often betray their organic and vegetal inspirations – for example the “Bouquet” lights, wall- or ceiling-mounted, are composed of metal ‘branches’, each of which ‘blossoms’ into a lampshade. Beneath the “Bouquet” hanging light, the console table in black-stained oak with its openwork top filters the light, projecting a subtle play of shadows.
The installation is completed by an extremely elegant semi-circular dressing table made in 1962 for a private commission, adorned with three illuminated mirrors and accompanied by a “Gazelle” stool, whose sycamore legs resemble the animal’s horns.
