Albert Cheuret

Sotheby's Monaco, June 20, 1994, lot 122

Pruskin Gallery, London

Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1994

Alastair Duncan, Art Deco Furniture, London, 1997, p. 58 (for a related model)

Alastair Duncan, Art Deco Complete: The Definitive Guide to the Decorative Arts of the 1920s and 1930s, New York, 2009, p. 235 (for a related model)

Albert Cheuret (1884-1966) initially trained as a sculptor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, but transitioned to decorative arts following World War I. Cheuret established his workshop in Paris around 1920, where he created luxury furnishings and decorative objects for wealthy clientele. His work was featured in prestigious venues including the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. Working primarily in wrought-iron and bronze, often incorporating silvering and patination techniques, Cheuret became renowned for his sophisticated lighting fixtures, mirrors, and furniture that combined functionality with sculptural beauty.

The `Cigogne’ (Stork) mirror exemplifies his masterful integration of avian motifs into functional design. The mirror features an elaborately crafted stork, rendered in silvered bronze, serving both as frame and sculptural element, demonstrating Cheuret's particular fascination with bird imagery.

Bird motifs held special significance in Cheuret's work, representing his ability to transform nature's forms into sophisticated decorative elements. His stylized interpretations of cranes, herons, and storks became signature elements, combining the organic curves of natural forms with the geometric precision while allowing Cheuret to explore themes of movement and elegance.

The current pair of mirrors, held in the same private collection for over thirty years, is especially uncommon, being both a pair and of opposing forms.