Jean-Michel Frank
Encyclopedia
Jean-Michel Frank was a French
interior design
er known for minimalist
interiors decorated with plain-lined but sumptuous furniture made of luxury materials, such as shagreen, mica, and intricate straw marquetry
.
, a son of Léon Frank, a banker, and his wife and cousin, the former Nanette Frank. From 1904, he attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly
in Paris. He began law school in 1911, but in 1915, he was hit by the double blow of the death of his two elder brothers, Oscar and Georges, on the front lines of World War I
and that of his father who committed suicide. In 1928, he lost his mother who had been in a Swiss asylum for several years. From 1920 to 1925 he traveled and visited the world. In Venice he met the cosmopolitan society that gathered around Stravinsky and Diaghilev. Around 1927, Eugenia Errázuriz
revealed to him the beauty of 18th Century styles and her own modern, minimalist esthetic, and he became her disciple.
He then got in contact with a Parisian decorator called Adolphe Chanaux to do his apartment in the Rue de Verneuil. During the 1930's he worked with students at the Paris Atelier, now known as Parsons Paris School of Art and Design
, where he developed the famous Parsons Table
. In 1932, with Chanaux, he opened a shop at #140 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
. This was to be the consecration of ten years of collaboration, when he decorated for the Rockefellers and Guerlains. He designed Nelson Rockefeller
's lavish Fifth Avenue apartment in New York in 1937. During the winter of 1939-40, he left France for Argentina.
In Argentina
, Jean-Michel Frank worked with his old friend and business associate Ignacio Pirovano on several important private and commercial projects. Jean-Michel Frank kept his private apartment in Buenos Aires on the top floor of the company of which he was the Artistic Director in Argentina, COMTE
. This building was located on the corner of Florida Street and Marcelo T. De Alvear Avenue. He also visited many of his clients in Buenos Aires including the Born family whose mansion in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires remains his single most important project. The entire collection is still intact and in-place in precisely the manner that Jean-Michel Frank conceived it. Recently published books shed more light on Frank's work with Comte in Argentina.
In 1941, Frank made a trip to New York
. Sadly overcome by depression he committed suicide by throwing himself from the window of a Manhattan apartment building, leaving all his personal possessions in his apartment in Buenos Aires.
He was a first cousin of Otto Frank
and, therefore, a first cousin, once removed, of the diarist Anne Frank
.
A unique collection of home furniture designed by Frank for Hermès
in 1924 is considered a classic set of minimalist homeware. The iconic designs – including a sheepskin club chair and parchment-covered dressing table – hold an enduring popularity, and Hermès rereleased many of the items to great fanfare in early 2011.
Jean-Michel Frank today is recognized by leading designers the World over as one of the greatest sources of inspiration to many designs in the actuallity. His pieces are highly sought after by leading collectors worldwide. Many of the premier auction houses offer his pieces and prices are often in excess of 200,000 EUR. An important exhibition was mounted towards the end of 2010 at a leading gallery in New York's SoHo. This exhibition highlighted Frank's work with Comte in Argentina.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
er known for minimalist
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
interiors decorated with plain-lined but sumptuous furniture made of luxury materials, such as shagreen, mica, and intricate straw marquetry
Marquetry
Marquetry is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures. The technique may be applied to case furniture or even seat furniture, to decorative small objects with smooth, veneerable surfaces or to freestanding pictorial panels...
.
Life and career
Jean-Michel Frank was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, a son of Léon Frank, a banker, and his wife and cousin, the former Nanette Frank. From 1904, he attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly
Lycée Janson de Sailly
Lycée Janson de Sailly is a lycée located in the XVIe arrondissement of Paris, France. It is generally considered as one of the most prestigious lycées in Paris...
in Paris. He began law school in 1911, but in 1915, he was hit by the double blow of the death of his two elder brothers, Oscar and Georges, on the front lines of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and that of his father who committed suicide. In 1928, he lost his mother who had been in a Swiss asylum for several years. From 1920 to 1925 he traveled and visited the world. In Venice he met the cosmopolitan society that gathered around Stravinsky and Diaghilev. Around 1927, Eugenia Errázuriz
Eugenia Errázuriz
Eugenia Huici Arguedas de Errázuriz was a Chilean patron of modernism and a style leader of Paris from 1880 into the 20th century, who paved the way for the modernist minimalist aesthetic that would be taken up in fashion by Coco Chanel. Her circle of friends and protégés included Pablo Picasso,...
revealed to him the beauty of 18th Century styles and her own modern, minimalist esthetic, and he became her disciple.
He then got in contact with a Parisian decorator called Adolphe Chanaux to do his apartment in the Rue de Verneuil. During the 1930's he worked with students at the Paris Atelier, now known as Parsons Paris School of Art and Design
Parsons Paris School of Art and Design
Parsons Paris School of Art and Design , known formally as the Association Franco-Américaine de Design and more commonly as École Parsons à Paris, is an arts and design university with campuses in the 11th and 15th arrondissement in Paris, France.Parsons Paris in a non-profit independent...
, where he developed the famous Parsons Table
Parsons Table
The Parsons table is a modernist square or rectangular table whose four, flush, square legs are equal in thickness to the top.-Background:The Parsons table was designed by Jean-Michel Frank whilst he was working at Parsons Paris School of Art and Design, then known as the Paris Atelier...
. In 1932, with Chanaux, he opened a shop at #140 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
The rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is a street in Paris, France. Although relatively narrow and nondescript , it is cited as being one of the most fashionable streets in the world, thanks to the presence of virtually every major global fashion house...
. This was to be the consecration of ten years of collaboration, when he decorated for the Rockefellers and Guerlains. He designed Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
's lavish Fifth Avenue apartment in New York in 1937. During the winter of 1939-40, he left France for Argentina.
In Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Jean-Michel Frank worked with his old friend and business associate Ignacio Pirovano on several important private and commercial projects. Jean-Michel Frank kept his private apartment in Buenos Aires on the top floor of the company of which he was the Artistic Director in Argentina, COMTE
Comté
Comté is a French word that can refer to:* The territory ruled by a count in medieval France...
. This building was located on the corner of Florida Street and Marcelo T. De Alvear Avenue. He also visited many of his clients in Buenos Aires including the Born family whose mansion in the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires remains his single most important project. The entire collection is still intact and in-place in precisely the manner that Jean-Michel Frank conceived it. Recently published books shed more light on Frank's work with Comte in Argentina.
In 1941, Frank made a trip to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Sadly overcome by depression he committed suicide by throwing himself from the window of a Manhattan apartment building, leaving all his personal possessions in his apartment in Buenos Aires.
He was a first cousin of Otto Frank
Otto Frank
Otto Heinrich "Pim" Frank was a German-born businessman and the father of Anne Frank and Margot Frank...
and, therefore, a first cousin, once removed, of the diarist Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
.
A unique collection of home furniture designed by Frank for Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
in 1924 is considered a classic set of minimalist homeware. The iconic designs – including a sheepskin club chair and parchment-covered dressing table – hold an enduring popularity, and Hermès rereleased many of the items to great fanfare in early 2011.
Jean-Michel Frank today is recognized by leading designers the World over as one of the greatest sources of inspiration to many designs in the actuallity. His pieces are highly sought after by leading collectors worldwide. Many of the premier auction houses offer his pieces and prices are often in excess of 200,000 EUR. An important exhibition was mounted towards the end of 2010 at a leading gallery in New York's SoHo. This exhibition highlighted Frank's work with Comte in Argentina.