MAURICE DUFRENE (1876–1955) Art Nouveau bronze table lamp

signed ‘Dufrène’ on the base bronze height: 33 cm Executed circa 1900 Maurice Dufrène is an artist of the Art Deco movement. He was born in Paris in 1876 and studied at the prestigious École des Arts Décoratifs. Demonstrating a definite talent in this discipline, in 1899, at the age of 23, he became the director of La Maison Moderne, whose objective was to offer decorative arts in series. In 1902 and 1903 he participated in his first exhibitions: the Salon d'Automne and the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. These first exhibitions allowed him to shine with both critics and the public. In 1902 he founded the Society of Decorative Artists, which was to be the origin of the Salons des Artistes Décorateurs. Maurice Dufrène was very involved in his art and followed closely the technical developments of his time to integrate them into his work. Strongly marked by the Art Nouveau style, his works became more sober with time: he did not hesitate to criticize the excesses of the movement during the Salon des Decorateurs of 1906. He was particularly interested in the aesthetic developments of his time. He was one of the most famous precursors of the Art Deco movement in France. This ability to adapt to all types of projects, from buildings to furniture and fittings, has allowed him to diversify his projects and to gain ever greater popularity. He was thus entrusted with prestigious missions.