Pierre Chareau. I. Biography, exhibitions, furniture.

This richly illustrated first volume covers four decades of creations in Europe and the United States. Thanks to the authors' numerous discoveries, it allows us to delve deeper into little-known aspects of his biography: his training at Waring & Gillow, his participation in 39 Salons and exhibitions from 1919 to 1940, at the Groupe des 5 as well as at the UAM, his collaborations on the film sets of Marcel L'Herbier, his decisive encounters with artistic movements such as Cubism, the Boutique he founded with his wife Dollie, the edition of objects, his proximity to the art world and personalities such as Jeanne Bucher, Jean Lurçat, Jacques Lipchitz, Rose Adler, Max Jacob, Rob Mallet-Stevens, Nicolas de Staël and Robert Motherwell, as well as his activity as a collector, as well as his exodus to the United States in 1940 to flee the Nazi regime; so many facts that shed light on his professional orientations and paint for the first time a comprehensive portrait of this exceptional artist. This work finally offers a developed presentation of his furniture, essentially designed for more than 75 private or public installations, thanks in particular to an important repertoire of all his creations. Richly illustrated with nearly 500 visuals, this first volume finally offers, drawing in particular on several iconographic collections (Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris, Moma, New York), a complete synthesis of his production of furniture and lighting.