Auguste Majorelle (1825–1879) was a French art dealer, decorator, ceramicist and cabinet-maker, who established the Atelier d’Art de Decoration in Nancy, France. His son, Louis Majorelle, became one of the earliest modernist cabinet-makers and his grand-son, Jacques Majorelle, was a noted modernist-Orientalist painter.
Life and career Born Joseph-Constant Auguste Majorelle at Lunéville in 1825; he was the son of Jean Sylvestre Majorelle (1790-1864) and Aimée-Marie Larue (d.1830). Only scant documentary evidence is available in relation to Majorelle’s early career.Labor, J., Art Nouveau, Parkstone International, 2014 He was trained in the decoration of faience pottery,Kopf, S., A Marquetry Odyssey: Historical Objects and Personal Work, Hudson Hills, 2008, p. 20 which has led scholars to infer that he completed his apprenticeship at the Luneville Faience.Humbert, C., Les arts décoratifs en Lorraine : de la fin du XVIIe siècle à l'ère industrielle, Paris, Les éditions de l'amateur, 1993, 207 p. 68 (ISBN 978-2-85917-157-5)
In 1858, shortly after his marriage to Marie Jenny Barbillon, he moved to Toul where he opened a business trading in objets d’art, in collaboration with Faïencerie Toul-Bellevue (Toul-Bellevue Pottery).Humbert, C., Les arts décoratifs en Lorraine: de la fin du XVIIe siècle à l'ère industrielle, Paris, Les éditions de l'amateur, 1993, p. 68, (ISBN 978-2-85917-157-5) He gradually moved into furniture making and set up a large and successful furniture factory in Toul.Greffe, X., “A Permanent and Polymorphous Figure”, in: The Artist–Enterprise in the Digital Age, [Volume 1 in Creativity, Heritage and the City, [series], Springer, Tokyo]
In 1860, after the birth of his eldest son, Louis, the family relocated to Nancy permanently.Kopf, S., A Marquetry Odyssey: Historical Objects and Personal Work, Hudson Hills, 2008, p. 20; Duncan, A., Art Nouveu Furniture, C.N. Potter, 1982, p. 84 By the mid 1800s, Nancy had become a prosperous town, where the local people could afford to spend on domestic consumption, such as furniture and household goods. The number of furniture manufacturers in Nancy increased markedly between 1860 and 1870.Kopf, S., A Marquetry Odyssey: Historical Objects and Personal Work, Hudson Hills, 2008, p. 20 During this period, Nancy became an important centre for creative arts, artisans and intellectuals.Marcilhac, F., La Vie et l'oeuvre de Jacques Majorelle, [volume 7 in the series, Les Orientalistes], Paris, ACR edition, 1988, p. 8
In Nancy, Majorelle opened an Atelier d’Art de Decoration,Marcilhac, F., La Vie et l'oeuvre de Jacques Majorelle, [volume 7 in the series, Les Orientalistes], Paris, ACR edition, 1988, p. 8; Duncan, A., Louis Majorelle: Master of Art Nouveau Design, Abrams, 1991, pp 13-16 which sold ceramics, antiques, fabrics and reproductions of 18th century furniture, especially furniture in the style of Louis XV.Campbell, G., The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts, Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 73 He purchased items, some of which he decorated and many items of furniture sold in his atelier, were made in his factory.Aptel, C. and Klopp, G., Nancy 1900: Rayonnement de l'Art Nouveau, G. Klopp, 1989, n.p.
He became highly skilled in lacquer work in the Asian style, which at the time was very popular with the upper middle classes. In 1861, he exhibited his lacquer furniture in the Chinese style at the Universal Exhibition.Thiébaut, P., "Contribution à une histoire du mobilier japonisant: les créations de "l'Escalier de Cristal", in: Revue de l'Art,1989, no. 85. pp 76-83; doi : [DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/rvart.1989.347791] In 1864, he patented a ceramic lacquering technique and, in 1876, he patented a second method of hot enamelling on the inside of objects such as vases.Hachet, M., Harmand, A., Mertzweiller and Prévost, A., Auguste Majorelle and La Faïencerie de Toul, Catalog of the Exhibition at the Toul Art and History Museum, 6 May 2009 – 30 August 2009
His oldest son Louis, after having assisted his father, assumed full control of the business after his father’s premature death.Marcilhac, F., La Vie et l'oeuvre de Jacques Majorelle, [volume 7 in the series, Les Orientalistes], Paris, ACR edition, 1988, p. 8; Tschudi-Madsen, S., The Art Nouveau Style: A Comprehensive Guide with 264 Illustrations, Courier Corporation, 2002, p. 106
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See also École de Nancy French porcelain Lacquer painting Louis XV furniture Luneville Faience Porcelain manufacturing companies in Europe (list) Villa Majorelle
External links Lunéville faience and associated Lorraine royal manufactories history of the Lunéville manufactory
References