Marc du Plantier, brilliant French decorator from the 20th century, furnished the most prestigious interiors; one of the most remarkable demonstrations of his talent is his mansion in Boulogne, where his high society entourage came together in luxurious and elegant surroundings. PIASA will present several works representative of his work in its June 20th sale, ‘European Spirit, Selected Design’.
Rediscovered in the 1980s, Marc du Plantier’s unique and previously relatively unrecognized style have made him a very popular designer amongst collectors. His upbringing as a mathematician, then as a painter and architect led him naturally to become a decorator. His forced exile, due to the outbreak of World War Two, made him export what will later be called his ‘sage modernism’ to Spain, Mexico, Lebanon and America. Back in France in 1966, his propinquity with the most prestigious families and artists of his time allow him to decorate sumptuous apartments, the French embassy’s main room in Ottawa, stages for the Comédie Française, tapestries for the Elysée palace. He creates interiors for many apartments and houses in Paris, on the French Riviera, in Northern Africa, for a yacht, for a wealthy and cultured clientele. His first apartment in Paris was entirely decorated by him, with, for example, etched mirrors by his friend Max Ingrand.
Marc du Plantier (1901-1975)
Paire de tables basses
Marc du Plantier’s second French residence, a mansion in Boulogne, was the stage for many sumptuous events while serving as a studio. Exemplary showcase of its inhabitant’s refinement, the mansion shows the evolution of his style towards a luxurious neoclassicism, based on rare and superb materials. There, the main room gravitates around a massive white-marble table, and is decorated with antique-inspired paintings by the painter-designer.
Lot 125 - Marc du Plantier (1901-1975) , attribué à
Table basse
Sold 7 800 €
In this house, the artist plays with different influences, from an antique-style bed to a Napoleon III inspired dressing table, along with a sculpture by Ossip Zadkine. “Man must live within a certain sense of wonder”, said Marc du Plantier, a word he learnt to live by.
