PIERRE PAULIN (1927-2009)

A favorite of the most influential members of society, Pierre Paulin sought to create objects that combined luxury and accessibility through mass production but rejected the idea that, in the process, one must sacrifice craftsmanship and originality. The Elysée lampadaire design was commissioned in 1969 by Georges and Claude Pompidou for their private presidential apartments at the Elysée Palace. The rooms Paulin renovated intended to bring the modern world into the centuries-old palace, once home to Madame de Pompadour and Napoleon I. Paulin combined his appreciation for contemporary Scandinavian and American furniture with materials representing the societal and technological events occurring at the time. Possibly as an ode to the Apollo program and the excitement of putting the first man on the moon, Paulin chose to design the Elysée lampadaire using cast aluminum and plastic coating similar to that used in the cabins of the spacecraft. The furniture produced by Paulin also drew inspiration from nature resulting in forms reminiscent of flora reduced to their most basic characteristics.