Jan and Joel Martel (1896 – 1966) were twin brothers and French sculptors. They were born in Nantes and active in Paris.
Biography
Cement, glass, steel, mirrors, ceramics, lacquers, and synthetics were all used in their projects. Their first commission was the Vendée memorial monument, which was completed between 1920 and 1922. They had an impact on Cubists and produced both small and large-scale sculptures. They became best known for their 20m (6 ft) reinforced concrete trees in the Paris exposition’s tourism pavilion in 1925. They worked with the architect on various projects while working in the Mallet-Stevens designed studio on rue Mallet-Stevens in Auteuil.
Their work was distinguished by deformed figures and harmonious forms contained within simple volumes. They created the sculptures L’Accordéoniste, Le Joueur de polo, and L’Ile d’Avalon in plaster, stone, cement, and metal. They also worked in polished zinc and modular modules, including commissions for the Lion de l’Hotel and the Belfort Post Office and pieces such as L’Homme a la scie musicale and Gaston Wiener’s portrait. The 1929 La Trinité marked a shift towards larger-scale works, such as the Chemins de fer pavilion decoration at the 1931 Exposition Coloniale. Their 1930 La Locomotive en marche in polished zinc conveyed Futurist ideas.
Their Claude Debussy monument was built in Paris’s Bois de Boulogne in 1932. They later designed the Guy de Lubersac monument in Soissons. They created the Christen croix sculpture, the candlesticks in the chapel of the 1935 ocean liner Normandie, and other works for churches such as Paris’ Eglise de Saint-Esprit and Blois’ cathedral. Their work became more abstract around 1937, as evidenced by Le Faucheur, La Danseuse, and Meélusine, created for the dam at Mervent in Vendée. Following WWII, the brothers erected monuments to the war dead in Vendée, Haut- Rhin, Loiret, and Finistere and navigator Alain Gerbault, politician Pierre Laval, and painter Milcendeau.
Their sculpture Oiseaux de mer for the church of Saint-Jean-de-Monts was notable, as were their decorations for Metz Cathedral. The Martels and Henri Pacon restored the Lourmarin chateau inhabited by Eileen Gray during WWII.
Exhibitions
They showed their work at the 1921 Salon des Indépendants. For the 1925 Paris’ Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes,’ they designed Mallet-Stevens’s tourism pavilion, the reliefs and plinths for the Concorde gate (Pierre Patout, architect), the interior décor for the bathroom of the Sevres pavilion, and the Cubist reinforced-concrete trees for Mallet- Stevens’s garden. As members of the Union des Artistes Modernes from 1929, they showed at its exhibitions from 1930. They collaborated on several pavilions at the 1937 Paris’ Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne and (with Jean Burkhalter) designed the fountain of the commissariat of tourism there. Work subject of 1977 retrospective, Saint-Jean- de-Monts.
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Woodham, J. M. (2006). A dictionary of modern design. Oxford University Press.
More Art Deco
More French Design
-
The Journey of Alexis Mabille: Haute Couture to Interior Design
Buoyed by his thriving business as a designer of restaurants, including Le Boeuf sur le Toit in Paris and Cipriani in Saint-Tropez, Mabille has produced a mix of one-of-a-kind pieces and limited-edition items under his own Beaubow Editions imprint.Read More →
-
Baccarat: A Glorious Legacy of French Glassworks
Founded in 1764, Baccarat, the esteemed French glassworks, has sustained its global appeal through exquisite designs and superb craftsmanship in products ranging from crystal stemware to jewelry. Renowned for timeless aesthetics and meticulous detailing, Baccarat’s luxury crystal continues to symbolize elegance and quality.Read More →
-
Masséot Abaquesne: Master Potter and Purveyor of French Artistry
Masséot Abaquesne, a revered French Renaissance potter, was renowned for his grand feu faience technique and intricate designs, significantly impacting the world of applied and decorative arts. His works remain admired and globally collected symbols of French pottery craftsmanship.Read More →
-
Exploring the Influence of Pierre Chareau: Architect Designer
Pierre Chareau was a crucial figure in the French avant-garde movement, best known for his Maison de Verre design. He masterfully fused architecture with design, using modern ideas about lighting and space and incorporating industrial materials. His journey started at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, where he learned key principles that shaped his distinct unornamented, minimalist…
-
Exploration of French Furniture Over 200 Years
French furniture has evolved over 200 years, showcasing varying styles including the grandeur of the Baroque era, the whimsical Rococo, the simplicity of Neoclassical designs, the departure of Art Nouveau, and a 20th-century revival of previous styles. These iconic styles continue to inspire contemporary design.Read More →
-
Antoine Rouzeau: A Master of Clarity in Design
Antoine Rouzeau, acclaimed architect and designer, has transitioned from architecture to product design. Having worked in prestigious agencies and now the Musée d’Orsay, Rouzeau applies a design philosophy emphasizing clarity and utility. His work consistently combines aesthetics and functionality.Read More →
-
Avril de Pastre: Melding Art and Functionality in Design
Avril de Pastre, a French designer, is renowned for merging art with functionality. With a formidable academic background, she contributes to contemporary design, focusing on aesthetic and practical improvements to domestic spaces. Her work, frequently exhibited, includes her acclaimed Solveig Light collaboration. Read More →
-
The Life and Legacy of Isabelle Hebey: A French Design Icon
Explore the life and legacy of Isabelle Hebey, the groundbreaking French designer known for her eclectic style and high-profile clients. Learn how she revolutionized interior design by seamlessly blending the old with the new.Read More →
-
Andrée Putnam (1925 – 2013), French Interior Designer
Andrée Putman was a French interior designer, furniture designer, and entrepreneur. She was born in Paris. Putman was probably best known internationally for her black and white palette, illustrated by the 1985 interior of Morgans Hotel in New York. It was commissioned by the entrepreneurs Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell.Read More →
-
Boris-Jean Lacroix (1902-1984) 🇫🇷 French Lighting Designer
Boris-Jean Lacroix (1902-1984) was a French Lighting Designer born in Paris. Biography Lacroix was a prolific designer of lighting, wallpaper,Read More →
-
Peter Raacke (b.1928) German metalworker and designer
Hessische Metallwerke commissioned Raacke to produce metal cutlery, kitchen equipment, and cookware, most notably his “Mono-a” line (v-33), with silverware available in stainless steel and sterling silver.Read More →
-
Paul Poiret (1879 – 1944) – King of Fashion
In the early decades of the 20th century, Paul Poiret was a crucial figure in the French fashion industry, notably by adding a deep oriental flavour and rich colours to contemporary clothing. Read More →
-
Sonia Delaunay (1885 – 1979) An Explorer of Colour
Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979), an interior and textile designer, revolutionized the use of color in the arts. Her collaboration with Robert Delaunay led to the development of Simultaneous Color, emphasizing vibrant hues. She commercialized her talent and designed geometric costumes, opened La Casa Sonia, and created popular textile patterns. During the 1930s Depression, she returned to…
-
Albert Paley (b.1944) American modernist metal sculptor
Albert Paley (born 1944) is an American modernist metal sculptor. Starting as a jeweller, he has evolved into one of the world’s most renowned and famous metalsmiths. Furniture, gates, railings, and staircases are among his creations. He consults with architects and space planners, and he leads a team of craftspeople in his Rochester, New York,…
-
Armand Point (1861-1932), French Algerian painter, and designer
Armand Point (1861-1932) was a Symbolist painter, engraver, and designer from France, one of the Salon de la Rose + Croix founding members. Point’s first paintings were orientalist scenes of markets and musicians and scenes from his childhood in Algeria’s streets. In 1888, he moved to Paris to study under Auguste Herst and Fernand Cormon…
-
André Hunebelle (1896-1985) Designer French Decorative Arts
André Hunebelle, a French creative artist, studied mathematics at École Polytechnique and worked in glassware, lighting, and metalwork. He transitioned to media and film, producing and directing successful films like “Feu Sacré” and winning the Prix du Meill.Read More →
-
Frechet Brothers French decorators and furniture designers
Andre Frechet (1875-1973) and Paul Frechet were French decorators and furniture designers. They were born in Chalons-sur-Mame; and active in Paris. Working together and individually from 1906, the Frechet brothers’ furniture designs were produced by various firms including Jacquemin freres in Strasbourg, E. Verot, and Charles Jean-selme; 1909-11.Read More →
-
Charles Plumet (1861 – 1928) French Architect Designer
In the year 1861, Charles Plumet was born. As an architect, he built structures in the mediaeval and early French Renaissance styles. He worked on interiors and furniture designs in Art Nouveau styles with Tony Selmersheim (1871–1971). Between 1896 and 1901, Charles Plumet joined l’Art dans Tout (Art in Everything), an association of architects, painters,…
-
Paul Chemetov (b.1928) French Furniture Designer
Paul Chemetov, a French architect and furniture designer, studied at Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts and founded AUA in 1961. He designed low-cost housing and chair designs, earning the 1980 National Grand Prize for Architecture.Read More →
-
Georges Champion (1889 – 1940) French Furniture Designer
Georges Champion, a French decorator and furniture designer, was known for his sleek lines and modern aesthetic. Influenced by the Art Deco movement, Champion’s furniture featured geometric shapes and bold colors. He worked on high-profile projects, including Parisian hotels and restaurants. Champion’s designs are highly sought after by collectors and design enthusiasts worldwide.Read More →
You may also be interested in
Émile Bernaux ( 1883 – 1970 ) French sculptor and furniture designer – Encyclopedia of Design
Émile Bernaux was a French sculptor and furniture designer. He was born in Paris in 1883. GRANDFATHER CLOCK, CIRCA 1910 Carved wood with bronze handles Bearing the artist’s monogram on the upper door and signed in full on the side 222 cm. high 53 cm. wide 32 cm.
Henri Navarre (1885 – 1970) French sculptor architect and silversmith – Encyclopedia of Design
Henri Navarre (1885 – 1970) was a French sculptor, architect, silversmith, and glassmaker. He was born in Paris. He served apprenticeships in architecture, goldsmithing, and silver-smithing. He studied wood carving at the École Bernard Palissy and stained glass and mosaics, Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, both in Paris.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.