Book Review: Jean-Michel Frank
Jean-Michel Frank – During the 1920s and 1930s, Jean-Michel Frank, the self-made man of design, invented his own unique style, which became a benchmark of minimalism, daringly new for the time. Just like the timeless little black dress, many of Frank’s furnishings still have the power to transform a space with understated elegance and continue to inspire. This book tells the story and shows the creations of one of the most important designers of the twentieth century. Join Best Design Books and discover everything! Assouline presents a portrait of an iconic yet somewhat mysterious artist whose work illuminated the decorative arts in the twentieth century. Jean-Michel Frank never attended a school of architecture or design, yet during the 1920s and 1930s, this self-made interior designer honed and perfected his own unique style, which became a benchmark of Art Deco sophistication. Gold, silk, marble, and fine wood veneers were employed alongside straw marquetry, parchment, plaster, leather, canvas, and distressed oak. Collaborating with the best artists of the time, including Alberto Giacometti and Christian Bérard, Frank designed and art directed streamlined yet sumptuous interiors for notable patrons from Marie-Laure and Charles de Noailles, Nelson Rockefeller, and Elsa Schiaparelli to French…
