An Art Deco burr elm and fruitwood desk by Maurice Alet (1874 -1967)
An Art Deco burr elm and fruitwood desk by Maurice Alet (1874 -1967)
6065
The rectangular quarter veneered burr elm top above a central drawer flanked by recessed sides on four square section legs with scrolling carved detailing and joined by an H stretcher.
Manufactured and retailed by Éditions Jauvert et Alet.
Toulouse, circa 1920
With a later escutcheon and key, however the lock is missing.
Born on 7 September 1874 in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Maurice Alet enrolled at the Toulouse École des Beaux-Arts in 1890 alongside his younger brother, Edmond (1877 - 1917).
Having graduated in decorative arts, Maurice founded the workshop La Ruche at 26 rue Saint-Antoine-du-T in 1898. He designed and made the furniture, while Edmond produced the marquetry designs. In 1902, they were joined by Edmond Jauvert, and the firm traded as Jauvert et Alet until Jauvert's death in 1924. Maurice then continued the workshop under his own 'MA' monogram before retiring in 1952.
A founding member of the Société des Artistes Méridionaux (1905), Alet championed a modern decorative art rooted in the landscape of southern France. His furniture frequently featured vegetal motifs found in and around Toulouse: pine cones, wheat, corn, water lilies, reeds, and reflections on water.
During the 1910s, Alet's work evolved towards simpler, rectilinear forms before fully embracing Art Deco after 1925. He also received several important public commissions, including furnishings for Toulouse's Architecture Department in 1920 and the municipal library in 1935.
He is considered the pivotal figure in early twentieth-century Toulouse cabinetmaking: a provincial school that, like others (with the exception of Nancy), has received less recognition than its Parisian counterparts.
Dimensions:
RELATED ITEMS
. Having graduated in decorative arts, Maurice founded the workshop La Ruche at 26 rue Saint-Antoine-du-T in 1898. He designed and made the furniture, while Edmond produced the marquetry designs. In 1902, they were joined by Edmond Jauvert, and the firm traded as Jauvert et Alet until Jauvert's death in 1924. Maurice then continued the workshop under his own 'MA' monogram before retiring in 1952.A founding member of the Société des Artistes Méridionaux (1905), Alet championed a modern decorative art rooted in the landscape of southern France. His furniture frequently featured vegetal motifs found in and around Toulouse: pine cones, wheat, corn, water lilies, reeds, and reflections on water.During the 1910s, Alet's work evolved towards simpler, rectilinear forms before fully embracing Art Deco after 1925. He also received several important public commissions, including furnishings for Toulouse's Architecture Department in 1920 and the municipal library in 1935.He is considered the pivotal figure in early twentieth-century Toulouse cabinetmaking: a provincial school that, like others (with the exception of Nancy), has received less recognition than its Parisian counterparts.){kind=link}