Arbus for Véronèse, Pair of wall sconces in glass and brass, 1950s

André Arbus, attributed to.
Véronèse, edited by.

Pair of wall sconces, in molded glass and brass, representing palms. Translucent glass. The palm leaf fits into the brass part.

French work made in the 1950s, from a drawing by Michel Roux-Spitz.

Dimensions : H 35 x L 9 x P 10 cm

Reference : LS486881

André Arbus (1903-1969) is a French architect, decorator and sculptor, originally from Toulouse. Coming from a family of cabinetmakers, he studied at the School of Fine Arts in Toulouse. During his prolific career, he exhibited regularly at the Salons des artistes décorateurs as well as at the Salon d’Automne.
From 1925, he participated in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, and won the silver medal with a dressing table.
In 1933, he moved to Paris. Salons, galleries, exhibitions and reviews allow him to make himself known to the elite for whom his creations are intended. At 30, he stands out as the leader of the return to tradition.
In 1936, Arbus received its first official order: furniture from the Ministry of Agriculture. It is present in many pavilions at the Universal Exhibition of 1937, where crafts and regions are in the spotlight; he presents “A house in Île-de-France”, “The house of a French family”, a restaurant at the Regional Center and several furniture sets. At that time, he was installed at 75, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré.
Apart from important participations in the salons of decorative artists and in exhibitions, in 1939 he represented the French section at the Universal Exhibition in New York, with a furniture-manifesto, monumental, architectural, in sycamore and gold lacquer, announcing of his work of the 1940s.
From 1946, he became one of the official suppliers of the Mobilier national, which undertook an ambitious furnishing program for ministries and national palaces. He participated in the “refreshment” of the Château de Rambouillet and the Elysée Palace, with his friends Louis Süe and Jean-Charles Moreux.
Between 1947 and 1951, André Arbus created a work of architecture, with the Planier lighthouse and the barracks for firefighters at Mirabeau, built off the coast of Marseilles, between 1947 and 1951.
From 1950, he exhibited his works as a sculptor at the Tuileries and Autumn fairs. It was in the 1950s that he fitted out ocean liners, participated in numerous exhibitions, multiplied prestigious, public and private achievements.
In 1952, he created his first sculptural furniture cast in bronze. From this period and until his death, he devoted himself exclusively to sculpture.
He was elected in 1965 to the Academy of Fine Arts.

Michel Roux-Spitz (1988-1957) is a French architect, winner of the Prix de Rome in 1920. Influenced by Auguste Perret, he notably created the famous “White Series”, a set of buildings with white facades located at different addresses in Paris. He was appointed editor-in-chief of the review L’Architecte between 1925 and 1932, then joined the patronage committee of the review L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui in 1930 and again became editor-in-chief of the review L’Architecture française between 1943 and 1950. He used these different forums to defend the position of modern architects but opposed the radical principles of Le Corbusier. He was also a professor of theory at the National School of Fine Arts in 1940. He also participates in a project in the 4th arrondissement of Paris with Albert Laprade. He also carried out, for the BNF, an interior redevelopment of the current Richelieu site and the construction of an annex in Versailles. In 1945, he was appointed chief architect of the reconstruction of Nantes.

Veronese Paris is a house of creation and manufacture of lights and mirrors founded in 1931, made by the master glassmakers of Murano. Its name is a tribute to the famous painter of the school of Venice. The chandeliers, sconces, table lamps and mirrors of the house were presented until the 1950s in important demonstrations of applied arts such as the Salon d’Automne or the Salon des artistes décorateurs. Designed in concert with interior designers such as André Arbus, these pieces marked the blossoming of a style, which combines modern lines with the finesse of Murano know-how. Still produced by hand in Murano, the various models produced celebrate both the heritage of the brand and the contemporary creations of its design office.

Sources : http://www.fondationandrearbus.com/; http://verone.se/maison-veronese/; https://archiwebture.citedelarchitecture.fr/fonds/FRAPN02_ROUMI