PIERRE CRUÈGE (1913-2003) - COLLECTION FRANCE CRUÈGE DE FORCEVILLE Untitled, probably the only pair made Two spectacular neoclassical pendant torchères, each with a seven-light girandole. The girandoles with six light arms and a central light in wrought and beaten iron; one entirely gilded, the other with a black patina and gilded decorative elements - the cylindrical diffusers in clear glass in the center and frosted glass on the periphery. Gaine-type bases in original white painted plaster. Circa 1940. An accident to one of the bases, some missing black patina on the cups of one of the girandoles, a central clear glass diffuser damaged, the others with scattered small chips, some replaced. Height: 238cm - Diameter: 71cm Provenance: Pierre & Suzanne Cruège Collection: - Pierre and Suzanne Cruège Collection. - France Cruège de Forceville; daughter of the artist-creator, interior designer and author of numerous artist monographs. France Cruège de Forceville is the author of numerous publications and curator of exhibitions, a recognized specialist, CNE expert and collector. Bibliography: - Pierre Cruège - Louis Leygue, sculpteur - Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2000. One of our works (or an identical model) reproduced 4. - France Cruège de Forceville - Pierre Cruège, architecte d'intérieur et créateur du XXe siècle - In Fine éditions d'art, Paris, 2023. One of our works (or an identical model) reproduced on pages 34, 35, 39 and 54. Pierre Cruège (1913-2003) Interior architect, decorator and furniture designer, Pierre Cruège is an essential, if little-known, figure in the post-war decorative arts. His training at the Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux, where he was taught by René Buthaud, and his experience in René Prou's studio at the 1937 Universal Exhibition, undoubtedly determined the course of his life and artistic career. Deeply rooted in the debates of his time, and a frequent visitor to the great decorators of the 1940s, Pierre Cruège developed a personal body of work, also situated at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. His approach blends classical and modern references and materials - as evidenced by our pair of curule stools or our floor lamp with its stylized foliage, featuring horns of plenty, plant motifs and serrated capitals, for which he uses wrought iron and gilding. The 1950s marked a turning point towards greater modernity, through the design of integrated, functional spaces, continuing his quest for functionalism and the accessibility of design for the greatest number of people. His creations tended towards purity, using modern materials such as steel in light volumes. He presented his sets at the major events of the day, notably the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, and distributed his concepts through several companies. Cruège continued his activity over the following decades, although posterity has given greater recognition to the creations of his American and Scandinavian contemporaries. He also distinguished himself as a biographer, producing monographs on René Buthaud and Louis Leygue, two close friends whose work he helped to promote and disseminate.