Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design

November 4, 2016 - March 26, 2017

The Jewish Museum presents the first U.S. exhibition focused on French designer and architect Pierre Chareau (1883–1950). Showcasing rare furniture, lighting fixtures, and interiors, as well as designs for the extraordinary Maison de Verre, the glass house completed in Paris in 1932, the exhibition brings together over 180 rarely-seen works from major public and private collections in Europe and the United States.

Installation view of the exhibition Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design, November 4, 2016 - March 26, 2017. The Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Will Ragozzino/SocialShutterbug.com

Installation view of the exhibition Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design, November 4, 2016 - March 26, 2017. The Jewish Museum, NY. Photo: Will Ragozzino/SocialShutterbug.com

Pierre Chareau rose from modest beginnings in Bordeaux to become one of the most sought-after designers in France. Creating custom furniture and interiors for a distinguished clientele that included leading figures of the French-Jewish intelligentsia, Chareau balanced the opulence of traditional French decorative arts with interior designs that were elegant, functional, and in sync with the requirements of modern life. His innovative furniture, veneered in rare woods with occasional touches of exotic materials, had clean profiles and movable parts that appealed to the sensibilities of the progressive bourgeoisie.

Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design proposes a fresh look at the internationally recognized designer and examines his work in the Parisian cultural context between the wars to highlight his circle of influential patrons, engagement with the period’s foremost artists, and designs for the film industry. Together with his wife Dollie, Chareau was an active patron of the arts, and the exhibition reunites several pieces from their collection of paintings, sculptures, and drawings by significant artists such as Piet Mondrian, Amedeo Modigliani, Jacques Lipchitz, and Max Ernst.

The exhibition also addresses Chareau’s life and work in the New York area, after he left Paris during the German occupation of the city, including the house he designed for Robert Motherwell in 1947 in East Hampton, Long Island.

Download the gallery guide and kids guide for this exhibition.

#PierreChareau
 

Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design is organized by the Jewish Museum and Esther da Costa Meyer, Professor, History of Modern Architecture, Princeton University, in collaboration with The Centre Pompidou. The special exhibition design is by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design is made possible by The Jerome L. Greene Foundation.

Generous support is also provided by The Peter Jay Sharp Exhibition Fund, The Grand Marnier Foundation, Tracey and Robert Pruzan, Susan and Benjamin Winter, Design Within Reach, Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, Selz Foundation, and UOVO. Additional funds are provided through the Leon Levy Foundation.
The interactive visitor experience is made possible by


The publication is supported by the Dorot Foundation and the Barr Ferree Foundation Fund for Publications, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University.
 
The Jewish Museum gives special thanks to the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.

In the Press

“a delightful, virtual-reality-enhanced examination of the designer’s work…”

— The New York Times

"...a rare achievement in exhibition design."

— The New Yorker

The Best of Art in 2016

— The New York Times

Installation Views

Interactive Features

360° rendering of the Grand Salon of the Maison de Verre, Paris
Courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro

360° rendering of the garden of the Maison de Verre, Paris
Courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro

360° rendering of the study in the Pierre Chareau residence, Paris
Courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro

360° rendering of the Farhi Apartment, Paris
Courtesy Diller Scofidio + Renfro

In the Shop

Pierre Chareau Exhibition Catalogue

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Pierre Chareau Postcard: Bedroom

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Pierre Chareau Postcard: Dining Room

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