20th-Century Decorative Arts

Six cataloged auctions each year
From Art Nouveau to Art Deco to modern design, the decorative arts from the late 19th century to the present day are the focus of a dedicated department at Ader. The arabesques, curves, and naturalistic motifs of Art Nouveau, which emerged in the late 18th century, stand alongside the lines and forms directly inspired by Cubism and characteristic of the Art Deco style, whose name derives from the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris in 1925. Interior designers and decorators at that time were committed to coordinating every aspect of interiors—furniture, lighting, and accessories... These pieces of furniture, sometimes preserved as part of their original sets, are enjoying growing popularity among buyers. Ader’s auctions stand out for the extensive documentation provided for each lot offered at auction and for the traceability of the provenance and major collections from which the pieces originate.

A Word from the Expert
“Auctions of 20th-century decorative arts offer an opportunity to rediscover works from this period that have been completely forgotten or overlooked, and to bring important artists back into the spotlight—such as the cabinetmaker Christian Fjerdingstad, a Danish-born artist to whom we recently paid tribute. This event helped raise awareness of Fjerdingstad’s name and his influence on the Art Deco movement, particularly through his use of noble materials, such as amber and ivory, as well as the freedom and fluidity of his lines. The holy grail in this field is also to find complete sets of furniture, which shed a little more light on the decorator’s style and spirit. For example, we sold the furniture from an apartment in Neuilly-sur-Seine that was entirely decorated by the designer Jean-René Prou and had remained completely intact since the late 1950s.”