Happy birthday to Jean Dunand!
This master of lacquer was an Art Deco innovator
Jean Dunand Radio Cabinet, c. 1930 via Artnet
Precious objects made with integrity, especially those embellished with beautiful pattern and color, always stop me in my tracks. The works of Jean Dunand— when I have been lucky enough to see them in museums like the Met or the Musée des Arts Decoratifs— have held me captivated. The power of these small pieces makes me wonder what it would have been like to be in a room designed and made by this virtuoso, particularly a luxury-liner lounge. What an experience it must have been!
Jean Dunand via Antique Marks
Born on this day is 1877, Jean (born Jules-John) Dunand is considered the greatest lacquer artist of the Art Deco period. The son of a goldsmith, he followed his father’s decorative arts footsteps and began training as a sculptor at the School of Industrial Arts in Geneva at just 14 years old, and received his diploma five years later.
Madame Agnès (detail), lacquer, eggshell, ivory, gold and silver leaves panel c. 1926 via Artnet
Lacquered Serpent c. 1925-2930 via 1st Dibs
Art Deco black, red, gilt and eggshell lacquer book binding by Jean Dunand c. 1923 via Venice Clay Artists
La chasse (detail), lacquered stucco panel c. 1935 via Mutual Art
After graduation, he received a scholarship from the city of Geneva to study in Paris and he moved there to continue his studies at the National School of Decorative arts and later at the Société National Des Beaux Arts. In 1898 he became an apprentice to Jean Dampt, the famous sculptor.
Next in his training was a move to applied arts: dinanderie, or decorative metal work, which paved the way for his life-long obsession with lacquer. During this phase of his career, the Musée des Arts Decoratifs purchased one of his works, elevating his reputation.
Portrait of Louise Boulanger
Portrait of Florence Blumenthal oil on canvas c. 1927 via 19.bbk.ac.uk
Madame Agnès, lacquer, eggshell, ivory, gold and silver leaves panel c. 1926 via Artnet
Juliette de Saint Cyr, lacquered wood and eggshell c. 1925 via the Metropolitan Museum of Art
During his career, Dunand created portraits of many powerful and famous women. A few are included above here: famed French dressmaker & couturier Louise Boulanger (top left), American philanthropist Florence Meyer Blumenthal (top right), renowned French milliner Madam Agnès (bottom left) and New York heiress to a Turkish cigarette fortune, Juliette de Saint Cyr (bottom right) .
In 1903, Dunand married Marguerite Marie-Rose Antoinette Léonie Moutardier, and the couple eventually had six children. One of his sons, Jean-Louis Dunand (1918-1940), died in battle in World War II. Aspirant-Dunand Square pays tribute to him, and is located in the Quartier du Petit-Montrouge (14th arrondissement), where the Dunand’s lived.
English chest, polychrome lacquered wood and lacquer silver c. 1921 via Mutual Art
In 1912, he connected with Seizo Sugawara, a famed Japanese lacquer virtuoso. These two artists agreed to exchange trade secrets, and after two months of instruction and countless hours of experimentation, Dunand mastered the craft, eventually opening a lacquer workshop employing over one hundred people. Sugawara even taught Dunand the traditional craft of crushed eggshell lacquer, which Japan was famous for, but was invented in ancient Vietnam. Dunand’s eggshell work during the Art Deco period helped breathe new life into the time-worn technique and the luxurious look remains popular today.
Dunand drew much inspiration from natural forms, but with time his work became more geometric and pattern-based. Japanese influences are evident, in accordance with the rise of Art Nouveau design, and he also became inspired by African Art and Cubism, leading his forms to become more monochromatic and perfectly proportional.
Wall panels designed for the smoking room at the International Exhibition of Modern, Decorative, and Industrial Arts, Paris 1925 via Mutual Art
Laquered smoking room at the International Exhibition of Modern, Decorative, and Industrial Arts, Paris 1925 via V&A
One of his most famous works was a smoking room (above, right) designed for the French Embassy at the Paris International Decorative Exposition in 1925. The French Government purchased the work as a national treasure, and his reputation ballooned. Three years later he designed the spectacular dining room for the Atlantique ocean liner (pictured below). The smoking room, or fumoir, of the great luxury liner Normadie were also Dunand’s work.
Jean Dunand demonstrating with a blowtorch the fire resistance of a lacquered table via WAG Postprints
Jean Dunand’s son taking over the craft via ParisenImages
Aurora panels at the Carnegie Museum of arts, originally unveiled on the Normandie’s maiden voyage. Via carnegiemuseums.org
Dunand took the historic crafts of dinanderie and lacquer and pushed them to new and fantastic realms, adorning all matters of interior design and fashion items including jewelry, vases, furniture, panels, and more.
Black lacquered metal overlaid on shaded gold lacquer vase c. 1925 via Artnet
Vase c. 1925 via Mutual Art
His prolific career included output of over 2200 pieces and inclusion in over 100 national and international exhibitions. Dunand even created jewelry for Josephine Baker, and collaborated with luminary designers such as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Armand-Albert Rateau, Jules Leleu, and André Arbus.
Lacquer, eggshell and mother-of-pearl, gold metal with rose gold pocket watches. via Museum of Art and History, City of Geneva.
Articulated bracelet c. 1922 via Arthur.io
Articulated Bracelet c. 1925 curved rectangular nickel-plated sections applied with gilded metal and red and black lacquer, connected by metal links. Via Siegelson New York
A set of Giraffe necklaces and bracelets c. 1927. Via theadventurine.com
Dunand was a masteful designer of pattern and motif. Influenced by worldy events, such as the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the 1920’s, and international styles from Asia to Africa, he was as accomplished as a designer as he was craftsman. Even today, we cannot seem to get enough of the Art Deco style he helped to create.
Les Cagnas Screen c. 1921 six leaves made of mahogany, lacquer, and metal. Via MAD Paris
Panneau aux biches c. 1938 via Mutual Art
Woman and Sheep fireplace screen c. 1926 via Mutual Art
African Woman c. 1928-1930 via the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Still from PBS’ Antiques Roadshow
2024 Update
Recently I was watching an episode of Antiques Roadshow when something unexpected caught my eye. The appraiser, Kerry Shrives, was about to evaluate a stunning enameled copper vase. As soon as I saw it, I recognized the distinctive style and intricate craftsmanship—could it be a piece by Jean Dunand? When Shrives confirmed it was indeed a Dunand vase from around 1920, I felt a thrill of recognition and appreciation for his enduring artistry—and some envy at the great deal the owner got on the vase! It was a delightful reminder of Dunand’s incredible impact on the world of decorative arts.
