Jean Prouvé from Furniture to Architecture

The definitive catalog of the largest private collection of Jean Prouvé’s works, encompassing all aspects of his practical, utilitarian design ethos

Published with Litho Art New.

The esteemed collectors Laurence and Patrick Seguin first discovered the work of Jean Prouvé in the late 1980s, and were quick to embrace his entire aesthetic vision, from architectural design to furniture. ＂Every object to be created demands a basic, absolutely achievable ’constructional idea’,＂ Prouvé once famously said, and the Seguins have modeled their collection around his stance, becoming major advocates and disseminators of his work around the world through a litany of large-scale exhibitions. Following a series of acclaimed showcases in France, Japan and Italy, this refined catalog presents the Seguins’ complete collection of Prouvé’s furniture designs, architectural elements and his signature demountable houses.
From Furniture to Architecture builds upon the hit 2013 volume A Passion for Jean Prouvé. With a silkscreen cover printed on canvas, the book is divided into several chapters. The first shows Prouvé’s works in the residential context of the Seguins’ homes. The second chapter generously illustrates the exhibitions in Japan, France and Italy. Following this is an abundantly illustrated index of each piece in the collection, documented with archival and contemporary plans, drawings and images. The final chapter offers an illustrated biography and bibliography.
Jean Prouvé was born in Paris in 1901. He opened his design workshop in Nancy in 1923 and began producing furniture the following year, to immediate success. Prouvé is best known for his innovative applications of new materials, with which he created extremely influential buildings and furniture--including several gas stations for Shell and Mobile. He died in Nancy in 1984.