Design for a Desk Lamp

Paul-Emile Brandt French, born Switzerland

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This very sleek design for a desk lamp was made by Paul-Emile Brandt. Not to be mistaken with his namesake who was heir of the Omega watch manufacturer Louis Brandt, Paul Brandt was born in Switzerland, but moved to Paris at a young age. He became a well-known jewelry designer, opening his own business in the first decade of the 20th century. Although his early pieces are in an exquisite Art Nouveau style, he seems to have made his mark with bold Art Deco designs, characterized by geometric patterns and primary colors on a metal base. This design for a bronze desk lamp appears to represent somewhat of an excursion within his known artistic oeuvre. Its simple, yet elegant shape displays his interest in the industrial designs of the 1930s and introduces a new esthetic focused on form and material.

Design for a Desk Lamp, Paul-Emile Brandt (Swiss, La Chaux-des-Fonds 1883–1952 Paris), Graphite, pen and black and red ink, gouache, heightened with white

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