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The Enduring Influence of Art Deco Design
It’s been a century since the French introduced the Art Deco design ethos to the world – and it’s as popular as ever. Here’s how to spot the era’s iconic pieces and what to invest in now.
A century ago, in April 1925, the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris introduced a new design trend that swept through the western world. Art Deco, characterized by geometric shapes in intricate formations, quickly became the style du jour for everything from architecture and design to jewelry and fashion. Short for arts décoratifs (French for decorative arts), Art Deco was a distinctive departure from the Art Nouveau dominance of the late 19th and early 20th century and, unlike its predecessor, has proven incredibly durable – an enormously popular period that remains influential to this day.
“Art Deco is one of the few periods that does not come in and out of fashion, frankly,” says Frank Everett, Vice Chairman for Jewelry at Sothebys. “It remains popular,” helped by the fact that some of the world’s most famous buildings adopted the style – the Empire State and Chrysler buildings in New York City are wonderful examples – and that jewelry designers return, time and again, to the geometric form. When it comes to decoration, “Art Deco has never ceased to inspire the greatest interior designers,” adds Cécile Tajan, Deputy Director of Design in Paris.
The Art Deco period appeared first before the advent of the First World War – when money was flowing more freely – and continued through the roaring twenties, when money (particularly in the United States) was abundant. It coincided with shifts in women’s fashion, industrial innovations and the Cubist art movement, making it a particularly fertile ground for designers and artists to flourish.
As we celebrate the centennial, we’re taking a look at some of the significant pieces and signature design hallmarks of the time.
Art Deco at Auction
Art Deco is characterized by its use of geometric forms, sleek lines and rich color. At the time of its emergence, the Art Deco movement was synonymous with luxury, and the most famous firms produced legendary and opulent pieces to be worn by royal families and well-heeled socialites.
In the jewelry industry, attention turned to enormous gemstones. Pieces were designed around significant stones (as opposed to designs simply slotting stones in), and the influences of Africa and East Asia were visible in many of the design franchises that arose. It was also around this time that new cuts were introduced: baguette, emerald, step and marquise cuts were just four of the new popular shapes that fit the symmetry-heavy style of the day.
Art Deco jewelry also tended to be ingeniously designed – many items were constructed to have detachable segments so that a necklace, for example, could break apart and be worn as a brooch or earrings.
Furniture designers moved away from organic, floral, almost fantastical style of Art Nouveau and into sleekly curving, geometrically elegant designs. “For the first time, artists used exotic woods,” adds Cécile Tajan. Shagreen, vellum and gypsum were introduced as well, lending pieces distinctive textures not seen before. “Designers were inspired by Africanism, Cubism and the Russian Ballet which was very famous in Paris at the time,” says Tajan. “The designers chosen by couturier Jacques Doucet for its mythic appartment – such as Marcel Coard, Pierre Legrain and Eileen Gray – revolutionized the approach to furniture design both in terms of form and materials.” When iconic Art Deco objects – such a Legrain tea table for Doucet’s apartment or a Pierre Chareau lamp – they can confident of strong sale results, due to the sustained interest in Art Deco design.
Perhaps the most famous jewelry moment from the period was when Cartier introduced their Tutti Frutti collection. “The Tutti Frutti style will forever be linked to Art Deco,” says Everett. “All the houses did it, but Cartier did it first and best.”
The style is defined by multicolored gemstones (most often emeralds, rubies, diamonds and sapphires) that were carved in organic shapes. The designers at Cartier were inspired by gems and jewels they found in their trips to India, writes Francesca Cartier Brickell. The French socialite Daisy Fellowes was famously captured by Cecil Beaton wearing a custom commissioned Tutti Frutti necklace. When this same necklace was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1991, it set a new record for Art Deco jewelry, selling for $2.7 million.
Everett points to Lacloche Freres as another giant of the time, singling out their ruby roses bracelet as a highlight of the era. “They were as well respected and as high quality as any of the other houses at the time,” says Everett. “They did more than just survive the war.” Renewed interest in the maison has made the now rare pieces even more covetable.
Wristwatches gained prominence around the same time, leading to a number of gorgeous Art Deco timepieces. Cartier (especially its famous Tank and its ornate mystery clocks), Jaeger-LeCoultre (and its Reverso) and Longines are commonly associated with Art Deco. Yet even the greatest manufactures, like Vacheron Constantin with the Historiques and certain Patek Philippe Calatravas are indebted to the design movement.
When people think of the era’s interior design, it’s likely that a Bloch daybed by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann – such as this one auctioned by Sotheby’s New York in 2019 – may float to mind. Ruhlmann’s expertly crafted pieces, like a timeless pair of leather armchairs sold in 2022, are often noted as standouts of the period. “Ruhlmann is referred as the Riesner of the 20th century” says Tajan, referring to the 18th-century cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener.
One of Tajan’s favorite pieces, however, comes from another star of the period, Jean-Michel Frank. Of a cabinet sold in the Marcilhac collection, she says: “Its rigorous lines and proportions (the piece is quite small) and the use of gypsum for the first time to create the body of a piece of furniture make it a work of great singularity and obvious modernity at the time. In its form and materials, it is an abstraction, a mysterious piece of furniture that changes according to the light of the day.”
Popularity has become a double-edged sword for Art Deco: its global appeal means truly special pieces are exceptionally rare and difficult to source. On the other hand, if you want to start collecting, unsigned pieces, or those from lesser known houses of the time, can be more accessible entryways.
Everett points to Cartier temple brooches (and copies) – such as this one from 2013 – as a perfect example. The pieces, often made from a mix of baguette- and round-cut diamonds resembling temples, are a beautifully amusing addition to any lapel or gown. The Cartier originals tend to sell for around $100,000, but unsigned versions can be had for much less. Further: “A great art deco bracelet can be had at auction for $20,000,” he says.
Puiforcat and Lalique are two design houses from the era that still exist today, each of which continue to produce designs that would have been right at home in the 1920s. If you want the real thing, silverware sets like this one from 2024 are relatively easy to find, and won’t completely break the bank.
However, if you miss the centennial, you need not fear – Art Deco design isn’t going anywhere. “Whether it’s jewelry, design, fashion, architecture or graphic design, it will endure forever,” says Everett. “Those forms, that type of architecture, or even a font like Broadway, will forever be in our minds.”
