Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann

A masterful example of Ruhlmann’s use of a rich amboyna veneer, the “Lorcia” table is distinguished by its unique character and flawless provenance. This unique piece was designed for and subsequently named after the French actress Gabrielle Lorcia for her Parisian home. Lorcia figured among some of Ruhlmann’s most high-profile clients, which also comprised public figures such as actress Jane Renouardt, couturier Jacques Doucet, novelist Roger Martin du Gard and the Maharajah of Indore. Ruhlmann’s commission process is well documented through the designer’s extensive archives and invoices, providing us with detailed information on the designer’s working methods. 

Little information is known about the Gabrielle Lorcia commission. Based on a period photograph of the present lot in the home of the actress, one can spot in the background what would appear to be a pair of 'Guindé' armchairs (model no. 80AR/153NR, designed circa 1920), indicating that the present table may have been part of a larger commission. This would not have been unusual for Ruhlmann who very much approached his commissions and curated interiors as Gesamtkunstwerks, total works of art. In any case, the present piece undoubtedly constitutes the most important piece created for Lorcia, as further evidenced by its placement at the very center of the room. This is the first and only version of this model known to exist, and is a modernist take on an earlier table form, the “Reuter” console designed circa 1923.

Ruhlmann himself called this design an “homage to Nicolas Ledoux,” the neoclassical French architect active in the 17th century whose œuvre is characterized by both academic rigor and utopian fantasy. Indeed, one can discern the influence of the revered architect in the treatment of the table as an architectural form in and of itself, where columns support an arched apron and elegant inlaid tabletop. The base complements its upper structure with straight and orderly lines, providing a solid foundation for this form otherwise marked by arches and curves. Modernist and sleek in form, the table elegantly combines luxurious materials and provides a superb example of Ruhlmann’s genius in creating sculptural furniture.