The Societé des artistes décorateurs (SAD, Society of Decorative Artists) was a French society of designers of furniture, interiors and decorative arts that was active from 1901 until the 2000s. It sponsored an annual Salon des artistes décorateurs in which its members could display their new work.

History

Some historians trace

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

's roots to the Universal Exposition of 1900. After this show a group of artists established an informal collective known as ''La Société des artistes décorateurs'' to promote French crafts. Among them were Hector Guimard,

Eugène Grasset Eugène Samuel Grasset (25 May 1845 – 23 October 1917) was a Swiss decorative artist who worked in Paris, France in a variety of creative design fields during the Belle Époque. He is considered a pioneer in Art Nouveau design. Biography G ...

Raoul Lachenal Raoul Lachenal (1885–1956) was a French potter. The son of Edmond Lachenal, Raoul Lachenal worked in his father's studio until 1911, when he established a new workshop at Boulogne-sur-Seine. While some of Raoul Lachenal's Art Nouveau ceramics ...

Paul Bellot Paul Louis Denis Bellot (7 June 1876 in Paris – 5 July 1944 in Montreal) was a French monk and modern architect. Biography He became an architect in 1900 having studied at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1902 he became a monk of the Benedic ...

, Maurice Dufrêne and Émile Decoeur. These artists are said to have influenced the principles of Art Deco. The ''Société des artistes décorateurs'' (SAD) was founded in 1901 in response to increasing interest in France in fine and applied arts. It was aimed to satisfy the demand of the prosperous urban elite for high-quality French craftsmanship and cabinetmaking. The society's salons were the first official means of encouraging new standards for design and production in France. Francis Jourdain, son of the architect

Frantz Jourdain Frantz Jourdain (3 October 1847 – 22 August 1935) was a Belgian architect and author. He is best known for La Samaritaine, an Art Nouveau department store built in the 1st arrondissement of Paris in three stages between 1904 and 1928. He was re ...

, was a regular exhibitor from 1913–28 at the ''

Salon d'Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...

'' and the SAD. Jourdain published many articles on modern art and aesthetics in which he attacked the ostentatious luxury that was typical of contemporary French design. His own designs were simple, with straightforward construction. In 1912 the French government decided to sponsor an international exhibition of decorative arts to highlight French design excellence, to be held in 1915. The plans were disrupted by

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

(1914–18) and the exhibition was not held until 1925. At the 1925 ''Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes'' (

International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (french: Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) was a World's fair held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. It was designed by the Fren ...

) Jourdain's "Physical Culture Room", unlike other exhibits, did not emphasize luxury living. His design used smooth wood paneling on the walls and ceilings that resembled riveted sheets of metal. By the 1950s the society's salons were one of the main places for young designers to exhibit their new work. In the period after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

(1939–45) there was increased interest in using new methods and materials for mass production of furniture. Manufacturers of materials such as formica, plywood, aluminum, and steel sponsored the salons. Designers who exhibited their experimental work in this period included Pierre Guariche, Joseph André Motte, René Jean Caillette,

Jean Prouvé Jean Prouvé (8 April 1901 – 23 March 1984) was a French metal worker, self-taught architect and designer. Le Corbusier designated Prouvé a constructeur, blending architecture and engineering. Prouvé's main achievement was transferring m ...

Charlotte Perriand Charlotte Perriand (24 October 1903 – 27 October 1999) was a French architect and designer. Her work aimed to create functional living spaces in the belief that better design helps in creating a better society. In her article "L'Art de Vivre" f ...

, Antoine Philippon and Jacqueline Lecoq. The salons also showed decorate textile and ceramic art.

Founders and presidents

Founding members were René Guilleré, Hector Guimard, Eugène Gaillard,

, Maurice Dufrêne and Paul Follot. Presidents of the SAD: *1903–04: Guillaume Dubufe *1905–10: Émile Séraphin Vernier *1911: René Guilleré *1912: Henri Marcel *1913–23: Paul Vitry *1923: Maurice Bokanowski *1933: André Tardieu *1939:

Louis Süe Louis Süe (14 July 1875 – 7 August 1968) was a French painter, architect, designer and decorator. He and André Mare co-founded the ''Compagnie des arts français'', which produced Art Deco furniture and interior decorations for wealthy custome ...

*1940–42:

Auguste Perret Auguste Perret (12 February 1874 – 25 February 1954) was a French architect and a pioneer of the architectural use of reinforced concrete. His major works include the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the first Art Deco building in Paris; the C ...

*1943–45: André Domin *1945–47: René Gabriel *1948–49:

Jacques Adnet Jacques Adnet (20 April 1900 – 29 October 1984) was a French art deco modernist designer, architect and interior designer. He was known for his furniture designs in leather. Education An icon of luxurious French Modernism, Jacques Adnet ...

*1950–53: Raymond Subes *1954–57: André Renou *1958–61: Etienne-Henri Martin *1966–68: Joseph-André Motte *1974–77: Jean Louis Berthet *1980–2008: Jean-Pierre Khalifa

References

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Artistes decorateurs, societe des 1901 establishments in France Decorative arts 1901 in art 2000s disestablishments in France