Furniture designer 20th century
Emile Gallé was a French artist and designer who worked in glass, and is considered to be one of the major innovators in the French Art Nouveau movement. He was noted for his designs of Art Nouveau glass art and Art Nouveau furniture, and was a founder of the École de Nancy or Nancy School, a movement of design in the city of Nancy, France.
Gaetano Pesce is an Italian architect and a design pioneer of the 20th century. Pesce was born in La Spezia in 1939, and he grew up in Padua and Florence. During his 50-year career, Pesce has worked as an architect, urban planner, and industrial designer. His outlook is considered broad and humanistic, and his work is characterized by an inventive use of color and materials, asserting connections between the individual and society, through art, architecture, and design to reappraise mid-twentieth-century modern life.
André Sornay was a French designer and decorator, lauded for his innovative contributions to the Art Deco movement. Born on January 28, 1902, in Lyon, he was a visionary who transformed his family's traditional furniture business into a bastion of modern design. Sornay's commitment to geometric stylization and the rationalization of furniture production made his pieces timeless yet revolutionary.
Educated at Lyon's esteemed School of Fine Arts, Sornay's furniture designs are characterized by clean, modern lines and detailed with his signature brass cloutage. His works, including the distinguished bookcases from the 1930s, exemplify the seamless blend of functionality and aesthetic appeal. Rather than following the trend to move to Paris, Sornay chose to remain in Lyon, fostering a unique identity in the design world.
Collectors and experts in art and antiques revere Sornay's furniture for its elegance and historical value. His pieces are not only functional but also serve as a testament to the Art Deco era's stylistic innovation. To discover more about André Sornay's legacy and to receive updates on available pieces, sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
