"Araignée" ceiling lamp : designed by Serge Mouille

22 April - 12 May 2021

  • "Araignée" ceiling lamp

    Designed by Serge Mouille
  • Serge Mouille (1922-1988) was a French industrial designer, best known for his light fixture designs. Trained silversmith, he graduated in...

    Serge Mouille (1922-1988) was a French industrial designer, best known for his light fixture designs. Trained silversmith, he graduated in 1941 from the Ecole des Arts Appliqués in Paris where he became a teacher a few years later.  Under the tutelage of Gabriel Lacroix, he became a virtuoso in the art of modeling metal with a hammer. After graduation, he enrolled with Hénin Orfèvre in Paris and quickly established himself among the elderly silversmiths. 

  • After the war, Serge Mouille set up on his own and worked for a variety of goldsmith houses. It was...

    After the war, Serge Mouille set up on his own and worked for a variety of goldsmith houses. It was at this time that he developed the Tétine reflector. Variations of this reflector were eventually made by stretching the edges or squeezing the corners of the original truncated cone. In the 1950's, his experimentations were achieved with the creation of the Lampadaire and the Casquette reflectors where the turning forms were tightened by being flattened on themselves.  

     In 1954, Mouille was appointed head of the metal workshop in the Ecole des Arts Appliqués, taking over from Gabriel Lacroix, his mentor.

     

     

  • «Araignée» ceiling light with three orientable «téton» shades, 1958
    «Araignée» ceiling light with three orientable «téton» shades, 1958

    White lacquered metal and brass

    90 x 230 cm - 35  x 91 in

    Manufactured by Les Ateliers Serge Mouille

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  • This rare and beautiful white « araignée » ceiling lamp designed by Serge Mouille in 1958 presents the white lacquered... This rare and beautiful white « araignée » ceiling lamp designed by Serge Mouille in 1958 presents the white lacquered... This rare and beautiful white « araignée » ceiling lamp designed by Serge Mouille in 1958 presents the white lacquered...
    This rare and beautiful white « araignée » ceiling lamp designed by Serge Mouille in 1958 presents the white lacquered metal finishing that became characteristic of the pieces specifically created by Serge Mouille for French decorator Louis Sognot. Every element of the lamp was designed in the Ateliers Serge Mouille. 
  • Serge Mouille and Louis Sognot

    The collaboration between Serge Mouille and designer Louis Sognot  lasted for almost a decade, from 1954 until 1963. Mouille had been Sognot’s student at the Ecole des Arts Appliqués in Paris. A few years later, Sognot asked him to create lighting designs for his stands at the different Salons where he was exhibiting. Sognot’s decors were highly publicized, being written about and photographed in many magazines, and this communication gave a chance to Serge Mouille to become known and recognized on the international design scene. 

    Whether it was for his shows or for some private commissions, Louis Sognot always left the designs of the light fixtures entirely up to Serge Mouille.  

  • Who was Louis Sognot ?
    • Louis Sognot (1892-1970) was a renowned designer, a member of the Union des Artistes Modernes, and a teacher. He was...

      Louis Sognot (1892-1970) was a renowned designer, a member of the Union des Artistes Modernes, and a teacher. He was involved in many projects, offering innovative decorations for private or professional clients. He participated in several shows such as “L’exposition Universelle de Paris”, the "Salons des Arts ménagers" and the "Salons des Artistes décorateurs". 

      At the end of the 1920’s, Sognot became one of the protagonists of the Modernist movement. Inspired by the Cubism, he pushed the geometric rigor of functionalism to its limits. By the end of the 1930’s, his approach to design changed and he adopted an idea of comfort and quality.

  • Serge Mouille and Steph Simon Serge Mouille and Steph Simon Serge Mouille and Steph Simon Serge Mouille and Steph Simon Serge Mouille and Steph Simon
    Serge Mouille and Steph Simon

    1954 always - Steph Simon was planning on opening his gallery in Paris and offered to take charge of the distribution of Mouille’s lights and lamps. Steph Simon gathered the most innovative designers of the time to work together and create a veritable center dedicated to the promotion of modern furniture. Among those designers, Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé became responsible for the art direction, the outfitting of the gallery and the furniture, while Serge Mouille was in charge of the lighting along with Isamu Noguchi. The gallery eventually opened in 1956.

  • COPYRIGHTS

    Portrait © Editions Serge Mouille® - 2020 ; "Araignée" ceiling lamp ©Gokelaere & Robinson, 2020 ; Galerie Steph Simon © Laffanour Galerie Downtown, Paris. 2020 ; Feuillet Serge Mouille ©Editions Steph Simon, 1956