French Art Deco Rug by Jean Burkhalter for Pierre Chareau
Jean Burkhalter (1895-1984) was a renowned French architect and designer. After completing his studies at the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Burkhalter worked for a few years with Jules Coudyser, one of the leading Parisian décorateurs and well-known publisher of textile art, from whom he learned a lot about weaving techniques. Already in 1919 he was invited to exhibit at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs where he presented his first collection of carpets and fabrics. This experience allowed him to land as a designer at the Atelier Primavera, which is one of the most appreciated Maison among the interior decoration ateliers, part of the Printemps department store. From 1923 he collaborated with architects of the rank of Robert Mallet-Stevens and Pierre Chareau, sealing a partnership with the latter by designing, in 1924, the first collection of carpets for the Boutique Pierre Chareau. This collection is characterised by abstract motifs similar to lunar landscapes or by irregular shapes with surfaces with a marbled and spotted effect, or others still recognizable by strokes similar to pictorial brushstrokes, paying homage to the floral style that will distinguish the Art Deco period. The rug presented here is part of a suite of five pieces commissioned in 1925 for a villa in Corsica designed by Chareau, representing the different artistic facets of Burkhalter in his period of maximum maturity.