The name of Ruhlmann is still too vivid in our memories for us to attempt to establish a sort of biography of the man whom all those interested in the evolution of modern art consider a master and who remains a great initiator for the entire public.
For those who have had the privilege of attending his lectures or getting to know him intimately, Ruhlmann embodies a rare entity: that of the Creator-Architect. In all his works, he brought an admirable technique. A highly talented artist, he skillfully adapted this technique to forms of such perfectly harmonious proportions that we are delighted by each of his pieces of furniture. The materials and colors display such refinement, the execution, down to the smallest details, is so flawless, and even the imagination is so well-suited that we cannot resist applying this formula: Furniture of art and intelligence.
Just a year after his passing, the doors of the Pavillon de Marsan open to honor the man who can be called the master of contemporary decorative art, and it is a fitting tribute.
With growing success, his talent becomes more pronounced, production accelerates, always renewed and designed with admirable rationalism. It is the full blossoming of Ruhlmann's art, the complete perfection of cabinetmaking, utilitarian understanding, remarkable balance of lines, and exquisite refinement.
All these forms are graceful but never frail; they are dense, full, and firm but never massive: the contours are all of extreme purity.
With the evolution of taste comes the evolution of the use of materials. The increasingly demanding technical requirements are realized with such skill that they become an aesthetic necessity. This is where Ruhlmann's marvelous sense of adaptation as an "architect-decorator" shines.
One senses in Ruhlmann's production this passionate spirit, always in search of a new detail, renewed perfection, and sure originality.
Sources : Plaisir de France N°4 Janvier 1935
Sources: Image from Wikimedia and from Maxime Old archives
