Eileen Gray, Brick Screen, 1922
The lacquered wood screen is composed of several horizontal rows of panels joined by thin vertical metal rods. It functions not only as a movable wall that demarcates space but also as a sculpture composed of solids and voids, with an underlying influence of Cubism. It is one of the most striking and elegant creations by Gray, who was one of the leading designers working in Paris after World War I. Gray popularized and perfected the art of lacquered furnishings, and her preference for the meticulous finish of lacquer reveals a predilection for materials used in Japanese decorative arts.
Design is fine. History is mine. 