Design for a Large Armoire in the Art Nouveau Style

Edward Colonna|Georges de Feure

ca. 1895–1900 · Graphite and Watercolor · Drawings and Prints

Elevation of a large armoire in the Art Nouveau style. The armoire is made of wood and decorated with simple carved details. It is characterized by an arched pediment, with two large doors and two drawers below it. This drawing is part of a group of designs for furniture in the French Art Nouveau style by two prominent designers of the late 19th and early 20th century: Edward Colonna and Georges de Feure. The designs are executed in graphite and finished with watercolor. The furniture designs are represented in an interior setting or drawn against a blank background. All furniture pieces are meant to be made out of wood and range from small tables, cabinets and display cases, to buffets and servers, a wardrobe, a vanity table, a bench and a chair. The high degree of finish of the drawings suggest that they were used for presentation to clients, or possibly served as the model for lithographic illustrations. The Museum has several furniture pieces by both artists that closely relate to the present group of drawings, the design for a small side table by Colonna, in particular, show great similarities.

Artist

Edward Colonna|Georges de Feure

Date

ca. 1895–1900

Medium

Graphite and Watercolor

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Ian Woodner Family Collection Fund, 2019