Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann: Genius of Art Deco

      

Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann

 "The work of Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879–1933) epitomizes the glamour of the French Art Deco style of the 1920s. Aesthetic refinement, sumptuous materials, and impeccable craftsmanship place his work on a par with the finest furniture and decorative arts of any era. The most renowned designer of his day, Ruhlmann could provide any element needed for an interior, from the furniture to the lighting, ceramics, carpets, and textiles. This retrospective examines all aspects of the legendary designer's career, augmenting the Metropolitan Museum’s own significant holdings of Ruhlmann’s works with major loans from public and private U.S. and international collections. The exhibition also provides a unique opportunity to see the best of Art Deco."

[Text from the introduction to the 2004 Ruhlmann: Genius of Art Deco exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC]

There are many wonderful resources for getting to know more about Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann and the Art Deco movement. You can find links to several of them below: 

1.  Art Deco Complete by Alastair Duncan
2.  Art Deco Furniture: The French Designers by Alastair Duncan
3.  The Ruhlmann website created by Frank Pollaro as a tribute to his mentor
4.  Ruhlmann: Genius of Art Deco  exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004
5. A Marquetry Odyssey by Silas Kopf ('Art Deco' on Page 144  and 'Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann' on page 145 )

Ruhlmann Pavilion at 1925 Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes

"The man who has had the greatest influence on designer-craftsmen of furniture in the last 100 years is undoubtedly Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann" writes Silas Kopf. "He stood in a long line of great French decorative artists and led the way with innovative ideas, energetic designs, and uncompromising quality. He was a compete decorateur, providing clients with a total look for the interior."

Silas Kopf - page 144 of A Marquetry Odyssey

Sideboard: Meuble De Char (1922) Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann

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The Queen Mary, Spindler Studio and Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms

Bettys Café Tea Rooms, York 

Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms, York

My recent post about the David Linley marquetry art panel for the Queen Elizabeth reminded me of Paul Spindler's marquetry panels for the Queen Mary and the Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms story...

In 1919, Frederick Belmont, a confectioner by trade, opened the first of his Bettys tea rooms in Harrogate. The blend of Yorkshire hospitality with Swiss culinary precision was a hit and royal patronage soon followed. The tea rooms remain popular today yet have retained the elegance and style of the past. You can still view the Art Nouveau marquetry designs of Yorkshire scenes on the walls in the basement, known as the Spindler Gallery that Belmont commissioned from Paul Spindler of the Spindler studio in Alsace [Charles Spindler (1865-1938); Paul Spindler (1906-1980); Jean-Charles Spindler, Paul’s son, took over the day-to-day operation of the workshop in 1975]. 

Interior design inspired by the Queen Mary cruise liner

 In 1936 Belmont traveled on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary. He was so enthralled by the splendor of the ship that he commissioned the Queen Marys’ designers and craftsmen to turn a furniture store into his most sophisticated branch yet – an elegant café right in the heart of York, Bettys' York branch.

 

The Art Deco Elegance of the Belmont Room

The art deco elegance of the Queen Mary is particularly evident in the first floor Belmont Room which was based on one of the cruise liner’s state rooms. Today, as you sit in Bettys surrounded by huge curved windows, elegant wood panelling and ornate mirrors, you can almost imagine yourself aboard the historic ocean liner.

 Photos and portions of text courtesy of Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms