Raymond Subes (1893 – 1970), French Metalsmith

Raymond Subes (1893–1970) was a French metalsmith.

Education

He studied at the École Boulle and the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and apprenticed to the wrought iron designer Émile Robert.

Biography

From 1916, he worked in Enghien-les-Bains at a small shop run by Emile Robert. In 1919, he started working for Robert’s metal contracting company, Borderel et Robert, at 131 rue Damrémont in Paris. He became head of the design department and the wrought iron workshop.

Raymond Subes Reputation in Metalwork Design

He worked with several architects and quickly became one of the best metalwork designers and makers. In the 1920s, he worked extensively with wrought iron, creating notable pieces like the cathedral’s pulpit in Rouen, the grilles of the choir entry at the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and the telescoping lights on the Carousel Bridge in Paris.

Collaboration with Artists and Architects

He also collaborated with sculptor R. Martin on the monument to General Leclerc at Porte d’Orléans and with architect Laprade on the tomb of Marshal Lyautey. In the 1930s, he designed chrome-plated tubular metal furniture for Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann’s nephew, architect Alfred Porteneuve. In 1931, he made a grille for the Permanent Colonial Museum.

Contributions to Iconic Projects and Institutions

He created ironwork for famous ocean liners, including the 1931 Atlantique, 1926 Ile-de-France, Pasteur, and 1935 Normandie. His ironwork also adorned prominent buildings such as the Banque de France, National City Bank on the Champs-Élysées, Institut Pasteur, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, and the Musée de la France d’Outre-Mer.

Raymond Subes Distinctive Materials and Artistic Style

His work predominantly featured patinated, chromed, or gilded wrought iron, polished steel, bronze, and repoussé copper. He incorporated alabaster, Levantine marble, frosted glass, and embroidered silk shades—the latter made by Mme. Luhuché-Meéry for him in the early 1920s.

Post-War Career and Leadership

After World War II, he continued his career as a master metalworker and eventually became the head of Borderel et Robert, leading the company into a new era.

Raymond Subes Style

Subes’s work was more austere than that of his contemporaries. He used welding but preferred to leave the impression of the hammer on his metal. He was frequently employed to materialize the conceptions of others, but generally, the architects who patronized him did so because they liked his solidity of expression. Subes represented straight lines and geometrical simplicity.

Recognition

In 1919, he had his first show. With Ruhlmann, he made a lacquered metal bookcase and console for the “Hotel du collectionneur” at the “Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes” in Paris in 1925. At the 1937 Paris “Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne,” he made the fountains for the Radio pavilion and a Madonna and Child for the Papal pavilion, as well as many screens, consoles, and grilles for other sections. In 1958, he became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

Paris, F. (1929). The Rejuvenesence of Wrought iron. The Architectural Forum, 50(2), 241–248.

More French Designers

More design articles

• The Enduring Legacy of Wrought Iron in Design and Architecture
• The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Ironwork Collection: A Legacy of Craftsmanship
• Raymond Loewy: Influential American Industrial Designer
• Alessandro Mazzucotelli (1865–1938), Italian Metalsmith
• Werkstätten Hagenauer: Masters of Austrian Metalsmithing