Circa 1940s - Solid Oak - France - René Gabriel

This stately sideboard showcases the richness of Neo-Renaissance design, characterized by symmetrical, sculptural ornamentation and robust proportions. Crafted from solid oak, the pi...

Oak buffet with 2 Doors and 3 Drawers by René Gabriel, 1940s René Gabriel (1899 - 1950) is a precursor of French industrial design. He was one of the first to create, as early as the 1930s, economical mass-produced furniture combining aestheticism, robustness and sobriety, a source of inspiration for a whole generation of future designers. A student at the Germain Pilon School and then at the National School of Decorative Arts, René Gabriel began as a domino maker by designing and producing his own wallpapers, and then made his mark as a decorative artist in most of the salons and international exhibitions of the inter-war period. In 1927, he began his research into the creation of mass-produced furniture and proposed a piece of furniture composed of juxtaposable and superposable elements. He studied an economical version that he presented in 1934 at the Salon des arts ménagers under the name of RG elements. Another major turning point came in 1944, when the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urban Planning commissioned him to create emergency furniture. A fervent advocate of furniture for all, René Gabriel designed numerous models for disaster victims by establishing close ties with industry. He also collaborated with Auguste Perret...

René Gabriel Patinated Oak Sideboard, France, 1940s This mid-century sideboard, crafted from patinated French oak, was designed by René Gabriel in the 1940s in France. It was part o...