Robert Mallet-Stevens (24 March 1886 – 8 February 1945) was a French architect and designer.
Robert Mallet-Stevens | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 24 March 1886 Paris, France |
| Died | 8 February 1945 (aged 58) Paris, France |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Villa Cavrois Villa Noailles |
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Early life
editMallet-Stevens was born in Paris. His father and his grandfather were art collectors in Paris and Brussels. His great-uncles were the Belgian painters Joseph Stevens and Alfred Stevens. He received his formal training at the École spéciale d'Architecture in Paris, during which he wrote Guerande about relationships between the different forms of art.[1]
Career
editIn 1924, Mallet-Stevens published a magazine called La Gazette Des 7 Arts and at the same time with the help of Ricciotto Canudo founded the Club des amis du 7ème art. A Paris street in the 16th arrondissement, Rue Mallet-Stevens, was built by him in the 1920s and has on it six houses designed by him.[2]
A portfolio of 32 of Mallet-Stevens' designs was published under the title Une Cité Moderne in 1922.[3] In addition to designing shops, factories, a fire station in Paris, apartment buildings, private homes, and interiors, he was one of the first architects to show an interest in cinema. He designed film sets and his design for Marcel L'Herbier's silent film L'Inhumaine (1924) is considered a masterpiece.
In 1929, surrealist photographer and filmmaker Man Ray made a film inspired by his design for the buildings named "Villa Noailles" entitled The Mysteries of the Château de Dé.
During his career he assembled a team of artisans and craftspeople who worked with him: interior designers, sculptors, master glaziers, lighting specialists, and ironsmiths.[4] An example of his collaborative nature is provided by the Union des Artistes Moderne (UAM), formed in 1929 by a group of 25 dissidents of the Société des Artistes-Décorateurs (SAD). Mallet-Stevens was the UAM's first president.[5]
Legacy
editMallet-Stevens ordered that his archives be destroyed upon his death. His wishes were honored and his memory fell into obscurity. A French exhibit of his drawings, models, and actual works at the Centre Pompidou in 2005 sparked public interest in his contributions.
Buildings and projects
edit- Villa Paul Poiret (1921–1923), in Mézy-sur-Seine completed in 1932
- Villa Noailles (1923–1928), in Hyères
- Villa Cavrois (1929–1932), in Croix
- Rue Mallet-Stevens (1927), Paris:[6][7]
- Garage Alfa Romeo, Rue Marbeuf, Paris
- House of Louis Barillet, Square Vergennes 15, Paris[13]
- Caserne des Pompiers (firestation, 1935), rue Mesnil 8, Paris[14]
- Immeuble de rapport de la rue Méchain (1928-1929), in Paris[15] where Tamara de Lempicka used to live until World War II.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Robert Mallet-Stevens | French architect | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Celebrating a stylish Modern architect - International Herald Tribune". The New York Times.
- ^ Mallet-Stevens, Rob (1922). Une Cite Moderne. Paris: Ch. Massin.
- ^ "Architecture and sculpture - Le Corbusier and Robert Mallet-Stevens - Ministère des Affaires étrangères".
- ^ Fiell, Charlotte; Fiell, Peter (2005). Design of the 20th Century (25th anniversary ed.). Köln: Taschen. p. 444. ISBN 9783822840788. OCLC 809539744.
- ^ Base Mérimée: Immeubles formant la rue Mallet-Stevens, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ Rue Mallet-Stevens, Paris 48°51′18″N 2°15′57″E / 48.854958°N 2.265745°E
- ^ "Villa Allatini". Ministère de la culture.
- ^ "Villa de Daniel Dreyfus". Ministère de la culture.
- ^ "Villa Reifenberg". Ministère de la culture.
- ^ "Villa des Frères Martel". Ministère de la culture.
- ^ "Villa Mallet-Stevens". Ministère de la culture.
- ^ "Ministère de la culture".
- ^ Base Mérimée: Caserne des pompiers, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ Base Mérimée: Deux immeubles, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ "Tamara's Life". Tamara de Lempicka.
External links
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