Edward Colonna

comprising two settees, two tables, two armchairs, and four side chairs

Gustave Soulier, "L'Art dans l'Habitation," Art et Décoration, no. 7, 1900, pp. 114 and 116 (for period images of the armchair, side chair, rectangular table and open-armed settee models presented at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris)
Gustave Soulier, "L'Amueblement à l'Exposition," Art et Décoration, no. 8, 1900, p. 44
Alastair Duncan, Art Nouveau Furniture, New York, 1982, figs. 102-103
Alastair Duncan, The Paris Salons: 1895-1914, vol. III:  Furniture, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 1996, pp. 108-109 (for examples of related models and for a period image of a Colonna suite of this design presented within the drawing room of the Maison Art Nouveau Bing at the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris)
Renate Ulmer, Art Nouveau:  Symbolismus und Jugendstil in Frankreich, Stuttgart, 1999, p. 132 (for related examples in the collection of the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, Krefeld, Germany)
Paul Greenhalgh, ed., Art Nouveau 1890-1900, London, 2000, p. 270

Generally very good overall condition. There is some rubbing, light scratches and surface dents to the wood as expected with age and use. One side chair with a spliced repair to the left proper rear leg. The round table has a slightly darker and more matte finish than the other pieces. The rectangular table has six narrow burn marks to the top the largest approximately one inch in length, four have an indentation to the mark. The larger settee has two small dots of white paint to the seatrail of the central decorative element as seen in the catalogue illustration. The items have obviously been refinished and re-upholstered. Large Settee: 36 x 64 x 27 in. Small Settee: 39 1/2 x 44 x 25 in. Rectangular table: 39 1/4 x 37 x 24 in. Armchairs: 39 1/2 x 25 x 23 in. Side Chairs: 36 1/4 x 18 x 20 in.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1898 Edward Colonna began designing small decorative items and jewelry for Siegfried Bing's Paris gallery L'Art Nouveau.  In 1900 Colonna, along with Eugène Gaillard and Georges de Feure, were invited to execute rooms for Bing's pavilion at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris.  Colonna was charged with designing a salon and for this space he created a suite of furniture from whose pattern the present example is derived.   Colonna's work was hailed for its subtle and elegant lines, which showed less stuctural massing than the designs of his contemporaries like Guimard.  The forms themselves were accessible to the public as they were based on Ancien Regime models, which were reinterpreted and imbued with the sleekness and movement of the early modern era.