Louis Midavaine (1888 – 1978) French Furniture Designer

Louis Midavaine (1888 – 1978) was a French accessories and furniture designer. He was born in Roubaix.

Education

He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Roubaix.

Biography

Before World War I, he worked for the family painting and decoration firm in the village of Grièvement. Injured and taken prisoner in Germany, his nurse’s brother introduced him to lacquer techniques.

After the war, he moved to Issy-les-Moulineaux, where he decorated objects in lacquer that were sold to benefit the Red Cross, whose director, the Duchesse de La Rochefoucauld, established Midavaine in a studio in Paris in 1917.

He designed numerous modern lacquer pieces, principally made of animals. He participated in the decoration of ocean liners, including the Pasteur and the 1935 Normandie, and, in 1950, decorated the residence in the Cote d’Azur of Bao-Daï, emperor of Annam (Vietnam).

After World War II, he decorated private residences and state interiors, including the dining room of the French President of the Senate.

Recognition

He showed his work at all the Salons of the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

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