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Display case
Colonna, Edouard, born 1862 - died 1948 - Enlarge image
Display case
- Place of origin:
Paris, France (made)
- Date:
ca. 1900 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Colonna, Edouard, born 1862 - died 1948 (designer)
Bing, Siegfried, born 1838 - died 1905 (maker) - Materials and Techniques:
Oak, with metal and glass
- Museum number:
W.24:1, 2-1975
- Gallery location:
In Storage
Edouard Colonna designed this showcase for the entrepreneur Siegfried (Samuel) Bing. Bing’s gallery in Paris, 'L'Art Nouveau', gave its name to the style of design and decoration that swept through Europe in the years around 1900. The showcase shows the spare, abstract motifs, based on natural forms, that were the hallmark of the style.
Art Nouveau furniture was often made in tropical hardwoods, with very delicate carving. On this piece, the same motifs have been carried out in a more substantial fashion on the oak stand, which would withstand heavy use in a popular commercial gallery.
Colonna had a long and varied career as a freelance designer. He studied in Brussels but moved to the USA in 1882, where he designed railroad cars, among other things. He later worked in Canada. In 1898 he settled in Paris, where he worked for Bing and for several other firms, designing ceramics and jewellery as well as furniture.
