Ruhlmann and Art Nouveau

Paris born Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann (1879 – 1933) was a furniture designer. His mother and

 father owned a painting and contracting firm so he was constantly exposed to design in his lifetime. It was here where he first was exposed to architects and designers of all sorts, making a lasting impression on his career choice.
Influences that impacted him during the art nouveau and arts and crafts movement were carried into the 1920’s while he designed.  He created a line of precious pieces in which Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann implemented the use of exotic woods. His favourite species were macassar ebony and amboyna burl since both of these has soft striking background patterns that would not over take the design of the furniture. Between the design of the furniture that Emile-Jacques Ruhlman created and the material he used to make it, there was always a sense of amazement given to the user.
During the 20’s, there was still a push for and resistance to the arts and crafts movement. Designers at or related to the Bauhaus School were agreeing with the crafts movement and created a variety of pieces. Like this, Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann worked in team with 27 master cabinetmakers, four finishers, a dozen upholsterers, a few apprentice cabinetmakers and twenty-five draftsmen. In doing so, he created pieces that were very pricey. Customers would still buy his pieces since they were sold under the cost of making them so more people could afford them.

This was a huge business risk for Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, if he was to ever go out of business his pieces might not have been viewed as important. His pieces were viewed as Art Nouveau examples which can be considered the first step towards a modernism approach. These pieces can be identifiable by the sleek, dark lines versus the lighter cloth pieces. Furniture designs created by Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann can still be purchased today.

The approach of creating a piece that was luxurious, affordable, and exotic pieces forced the demand of handcrafted pieces back to the top. Due to the actions of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann and others, the modernist movement was in full fledge and ready to reach new heights. 
Similar to the Movement in William Morris and the Tulip Chintz, the push against a movement plays a powerful role. Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann decided to take his design career differently than all others. He wanted his work to be available to as many people as possible. Choices like this is what made him stand out from other designers at this time and made his pieces last until present time. His want for everyone to enjoy this work he created helped him push his designs to be easy to produce while still ensuring the aesthetic was not depleted. The Art Nouveau style that Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann was famous for designing in still has characteristics that are used in many work to date. Being passionate about what you're accomplishing will force your best foot forward and cause some of the best creations you can imagine. Making a lasting impression with these comes with the choices you make to showcase your concepts. 

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Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann