Next 28 May will be the day of the XNUMXth century design auction at the famous Sotheby's in Paris. Important design is the title of the auction which will offer a wide selection of European and French works organized in three sessions: Art Nouveau, Art Deco and the 40s – 70s and Contemporary Design.
Among the lots up for auction will be some of the major works by artists such as Charlotte Perriand, Alphonse Mucha, Jean Prouvé, Jean Royère, Diego Giacometti and Jean-Michel Frank. The spring auction will close with a free session to Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne.
HOMAGE TO 80'S AND 90'S DESIGN
The first session will start with pieces from the 80s and 90s and works by important designers of those decades. The catalog opens with thirteen lots from a French private collection: the first is a couple of chairs Crown by Tom Dixon steel with gold leaf, designed in 1988 and estimated at between 8.000 and 12.000 euros.
A series of lots illustrates the fruitful collaboration of Elizabeth Garouste and Mattia Bonetti, among which two nightstands only estimated between 15.000 and 20.000 euros and headboard with two shelves for a value estimated between 4.000 and 6.000 euros, relating to the years 1994-1996.
FROM ART NOUVEAU TO MARC NEWSON
The second session will start from Art Nouveau. One of the flagship lots will be an unreleased masterpiece by Alphonse Mucha, Nature, 1889-1900, which has an estimated value between i 450.000 and 550.000 euros. The recent discovery of this work brings the number of known copies of this piece to seven. While the subject – the allegory of nature – is common to all versions, each of them has slight variations, particularly in the tiara and jewels, but also in the treatment of the patina.
Another group of lots is dedicated to Jean-Michel Frank and his circle: Christian Bérard, Emilio Terry, Salvador Dalí and Alberto Giacometti (Masque aux Serpents wall light, 1934, estimated between 100.000 and 150.000 euros. Within this group there is a rare one pair of shagreen armchairs dating from around 1928 di Jean Michel Frank, one of only two known pairs for an estimated value in euros between 400.000 and 600.000. It is followed by one Paul Dupré-Lafon desk from the artist's personal collection, circa 1948 and estimated between 80.000 and 120.000 euros, accompanied by one desk circa 1940 in leather, parchment, mahogany and brass with an estimated value between 200.000 and 250.000.
DIEGO GIACOMETTI 
MARC NEWSON 
PAUL DUPRÉ LAFON 
CLAUDE LALANNE 
CLAUDE LALANNE 
ALPHONSE MUCHA
The sale will also feature a number of iconic pieces of French art relating to the works of artists who are members of the UAM (French Union of Modern Artists) movement. Jean Royère, with a singular reinterpretation of its legendary sofa Polar bear commissioned directly from the artist by Mrs. Carvalho, dating from around 1960 and estimated at between 150.000 and 200.000. The works of Charlotte Perriand, in particular with a library Cloud made on commission from about 1957 and for an estimated value between 300.000 and 350.000 it's a table in shape of Louis Lataillade collection we're between 250.000 and 350.000. Jean Prouvé will be up for auction with a armchair City whose dynamic lines were designed to decorate the university campus of Nancy in 1930 and is estimated among 120.000 and 180.000.
Finally, one bench of Diego Giacometti of 1984 approximately will open the contemporary section of the auction and estimated at between 300.000 and 400.000. The highlight of the section will be the iconic chair orgone di Marc Newson of the 1993 estimated at between 250.000 and 350.000.
THE LALANNES
The auction will close with a tribute to François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, who recently passed away, with a series of 33 lots. This section will feature a number of notable pieces by the famous artist duo and duo, including a superb one Crocodile armchair of the 2016 in patinated bronze with a crocodile skin cushion of Claude Lalanne estimated between 300.000 and 500.000 euro. Also up for auction is a single mirror for an estimated value between 200.000 and 300.000. Francois-Xavier Lalanne will also be represented by one of its iconic TroupeauxSeries Nouveaux Moutonsbetween 250.000 and 350.000 euros, from 2008, in patinated bronze and epoxy resin, and a lamp Monkey Alight estimated between 100.000 and 150.000 euros.
