René Gabriel (14 September 1899 – 30 October 1950) was a French decorative artist and designer who specialized in furniture series (''meuble de série''). He had a clean, logical style that inspired many of the new designers in the years after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

(1939–45). The prestigious ''Prix René Gabriel'' continues to be awarded to French designers for modern designs that can be mass-produced.

Early career

René Gabriel was born on 14 September 1899 in Maisons-Alfort, Paris. He studied at the ''École Germain Pilon'' from 1912 to 1914, and at the ''

École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs The École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ÉnsAD, also known as Arts Decos', École des Arts Décoratifs) is a public grande école of art and design of PSL Research University. The school is located in the Rue d'Ulm in Paris. Profil ...

'' (ENSAD) from 1914 to 1917. From 1919 he exhibited furniture and painted designs at the '' Salon des Artistes Décorateurs'' and the ''

Salon d'Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The ...

''. Gabriel's sober and rational furniture style resembled that of

Francis Jourdain Francis Jourdain (2 November 1876 – 31 December 1958) was a painter, furniture maker, interior designer, maker of ceramics, and other decorative arts, and a left-wing political activist. Early years Francis Jourdain was born on 2 November 18 ...

. At the 1925 International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris he designed the ''Chambre de Jeune Fille'' at the ''Ambassade Française''. Gabriel also made block-printed wallpaper at his ''Au Sansonnet'' workshop in the 1920s. Later he made wallpaper patterns for Nobilis and Papiers Peints de France. His designs covered a wide range, and included elegant florals or landscapes and jazzy abstractions. In 1924 Gabriel became a professor at the ''

École des Arts Appliqués École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Sav ...

''. He contributed to the '' Manufacture nationale de Sèvres'' from 1927.

Last years

After

(1939–45) Gabriel had considerable influence through the courses that he gave at ENSAD, and also for his work on the reconstruction of

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

, where he was commissioned to design furniture by the architect

Auguste Perret Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954) was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the C ...

. From 1944 to 1947 he was vice-president of the ''

Société des artistes décorateurs The Societé des artistes décorateurs (SAD, Society of Decorative Artists) was a French society of designers of furniture, interiors and decorative arts that was active from 1901 until the 2000s. It sponsored an annual Salon des artistes décorat ...

''. He was chef d'atelier (unit leader) at the ''École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs'' from 1946. In 1949 he was named a knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

. René Gabriel died on 30 October 1950.

Legacy

Gabriel's aesthetic combined elegance with uncompromising rigor. He inspired the new generation of designers of the 1950s. Paul Breton, director of the ''

Salon des arts ménagers Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (Pa ...

'', created a prize in Gabriel's honor in 1951 to boost mass production of high-quality modern furniture. The ''Prix René Gabriel'' is the most prestigious French design award. It rewards a designer for innovative and democratic furniture. Winners have included

Marcel Gascoin Marcel Gascoin (24 August 1907 – 29 October 1986) was a designer who specialized in modular storage units and sets of matching furniture. He played a major role in the emergence of French design after World War II (1939–45). Several of Gascoin ...

, Henri Meyer,

René-Jean Caillette René-Jean Caillette (1919–2005) was a French decorative artist and designer, son of a cabinetmaker. His elegant and modernistic furniture designs were mass-produced after World War II (1939–45). His molded plywood Diamond chair is considered a ...

, Jacques Hauville, the brothers Robert and Jacques Perreau, Roger Landault, Alain Richard, Pierre Gautier Delaye,

Pierre Guariche Pierre Guariche (1926–1995) was a French designer, interior decorator and architect. He is perhaps best known for the residential lights that he designed for Pierre Disderot in the 1950s, but he was also an innovative furniture designer and arc ...

, Marc Berthier,

Pierre Paulin Pierre Paulin (9 July 1927 – 13 June 2009) was a French furniture designer and interior designer. His uncle Georges Paulin was a part-time automobile designer and invented the mechanical retractible hardtop, who was later executed by the Nazis i ...

, Antoine Philippon and

Jacqueline Lecoq Jacqueline Lecoq (born 1932) is a French designer who collaborated for many years with Antoine Philippon. They produced furniture designs that were modern, simple and minimalist, often using large glass plates as both surfaces and supports. Life ...

, and Pascal Mourgue.

Exhibitions

Gabriel's work was shown in exhibitions that included: *1921: Exposition of French Art in the Rhine *1925: International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris *1926: Musée Galliera *1930:

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

''Exposition internationale coloniale, maritime et d'art flamand'' (carpet) *1933, Exposition of the '' Manufacture nationale de Sèvres'' at

the Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

(porcelains) *1934: Galeries Bernheim et Charpentier, porcelains *1934: ''Salon de la Lumière'', furniture sets *1935: ''

'', furniture series *1936: Milan Triennale *1937: ''Salon des arts ménagers'' (Children's village, Decorative artists pavilion, School of applied arts *1938: ''Salon des arts ménagers'' *1938: Cairo *1939: New York, ''Pavillon de la France'' (furniture sets). File:Gabriel 04.jpg File:Gabriel 02.jpg File:Gabriel buffet.png File:René Gabriel table 1.png

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gabriel, Rene 1890 births 1950 deaths French decorative artists French furniture designers People from Maisons-Alfort