John Sandon
Consultant
Lot 99AR,TP
Alessandro Mendini for Studio Alchimia Proust's armchair, designed 1978, executed in 1981
Amended
5 April 2017, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£30,000 - £40,000
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Thomas Moore
Head of Department
Ellis Finch
Head of Knightsbridge Silver Department
Michael Lake
Head of Department
Client Services (UK)
Shipping (UK)
Alessandro Mendini for Studio Alchimia
Proust's armchair, designed 1978, executed in 1981
Ready-made, rococo-style wood and upholstered frame, hand-painted by Jesus Moctezuma, 95cm wide, 90cm deep, 109cm high (37in wide, 35in deep, 42 1/2in high).
Ready-made, rococo-style wood and upholstered frame, hand-painted by Jesus Moctezuma, 95cm wide, 90cm deep, 109cm high (37in wide, 35in deep, 42 1/2in high).
Footnotes
Exhibited
Milan, MIM Design Showroom, Robot Sentimentale, 1981
Rome, MIM Design Showroom, Robot Sentimentale, 1983
"In 1981, with Alchimia, I designed the installation Robot sentimentale for MIM, which was held in the Milan showroom. On that occasion three chairs were custom made." Alessandro Mendini, The Story of the Proust Chair, 2001
The current chair is the third and final example to be offered for sale from the same commission. The two others were sold in these rooms, lot 235, Contemporary 2, 19th October 2011 and lot 102, Contemporary 2, 29th March 2012.
Robot Sentimentale, was a performance based exhibition designed by Mendini and Studio Alchymia and held at the showrooms of Italian furniture company, MIM. The exhibition examined the challenges presented by the changing nature of the office environment and MIM's response through the launch of the Eulero System, a range of transparent furniture suited to open plan landscapes and advanced technological needs.
The earliest chairs (perhaps four or five) were painted by Prospero Rasulo and Pier Antonio Volpini. Jesus Moctezuma painted the subsequent editions, including the present lot, and the later models were decorated by Claudia Mendini, the designer's daughter.
Saleroom notices
Please note this item is a TP lot and, therefore, will be removed to offsite storage after the completion of the sale.
