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Lot Essay
cf. B. Foucart et al., Normandie: Queen of the Sea, New York, 1985, pp. 70-71;
J. Maxtone-Grahm, Normandie: France's Legendary Art Deco Ocean Liner, New York, 2007, p. 92.
The largest and most elaborately-decorated ocean liner of its day, Normandie was described in marketing material produced for the ship's launch in 1935 as a 'homage from France to America'. Able to cross the Atlantic at record speeds and duly awarded the prestigious Blue Riband several times, Normandie was not only a powerful representation of French industrial prestige, but also a symbol of national arts, design and technology, and, importantly, of French culture and tradition.
The grandest of the ship's salons were decorated with an attention to materials that consciously recalled the regal sumptuousness of the interiors created for the Sun King, Louis XIV. The Grand Salon, paneled with verre églomisé murals by Jean Dupas, ornamented with a symbolic gilded blazing mid-day sun stationary over calm waters, provided the showcase for the elegant furnishings designed by Jean Rothschild. With gently carved gilt-wood frames, the low, wide seats upholstered in hand-woven Aubusson tapestry designed by Emile Gaudissart, these were lounge chairs in the noble 18th century tradition, designed to complement an interior that celebrated the long tradition of the greatness of France.
J. Maxtone-Grahm, Normandie: France's Legendary Art Deco Ocean Liner, New York, 2007, p. 92.
The largest and most elaborately-decorated ocean liner of its day, Normandie was described in marketing material produced for the ship's launch in 1935 as a 'homage from France to America'. Able to cross the Atlantic at record speeds and duly awarded the prestigious Blue Riband several times, Normandie was not only a powerful representation of French industrial prestige, but also a symbol of national arts, design and technology, and, importantly, of French culture and tradition.
The grandest of the ship's salons were decorated with an attention to materials that consciously recalled the regal sumptuousness of the interiors created for the Sun King, Louis XIV. The Grand Salon, paneled with verre églomisé murals by Jean Dupas, ornamented with a symbolic gilded blazing mid-day sun stationary over calm waters, provided the showcase for the elegant furnishings designed by Jean Rothschild. With gently carved gilt-wood frames, the low, wide seats upholstered in hand-woven Aubusson tapestry designed by Emile Gaudissart, these were lounge chairs in the noble 18th century tradition, designed to complement an interior that celebrated the long tradition of the greatness of France.