Donald Deskey

"Elegance Achieved in Modern Decoration," Arts & Decoration, February 1934, pp. 18-19
David A. Hanks and Jennifer Toher, Donald Deskey: Decorative Designs and Interiors, New York, 1987, pp. 96-98

Very good overall condition. Surfaces are clean and refinished. There is some minor rubbing and chips notably at the corners of the legs and chair backs as expected with age and light use. There are some minor scattered veneer repairs with associated grain painting, but is not overtly apparent does not detract. Some minor stray marks to the current cotton upholstery.
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.

Like many of his American contemporaries, Donald Deskey initially looked to the established modern art movements in Europe for creative inspiration. After studying fine arts in California, Deskey traveled to Paris in 1923 to study painting and was greatly influenced by the stark modernity of the De Stijl movement and experimented with abstraction. After a brief return to the United States, Deskey traveled to Paris in 1925 and attended the Éxposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes and took a keen interest in the groundbreaking decorative arts and interiors presented there.

After returning to New York, where he began his career as a designer, Deskey was one of several artists who organized an interior design exhibition at the influential but short-lived American Designers' Gallery. Presented in the fall of 1928, the purpose of this exhibition was to champion modern American decorative arts.  This was a pivotal moment in his career that would soon lead to a busy period of private client commissions and monumental public spaces to emerge as one of the preeminent American industrial designers.  His most notable clients were Adam Gimbel, Helena Rubenstein and John D. Rockefeller and is most famously known today for his lavish high Art Deco interiors for Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Around 1932, Deskey was called upon to renovate a series of rooms for John D. Rockefeller Jr.'s daughter, Abby Rockefeller Milton, within her triplex at One Beekman Place.  A significant portion of the renovation involved the execution of a light and airy modernist dining room for which the present chairs were created.  The furniture was produced for Deskey by Schmieg, Hungate & Kotzian, one of the top New York City cabinetmaking firms of the period.  The pieces were created primarily from richly grained macassar ebony that contrasted vividly with the white leather upholstery and the primarily silver and cream tones of the room.  The dining table and the white leather veneered sideboard with its asymmetrical mirror are classic Deskey and are evocative of examples seen in his other important modernist commissions.  The chairs, however, reflect the deep impact that the 1925 Éxposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes made upon Deskey and conjure the exquisitely crafted forms of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann.