New World Record for Jean Prouvé

A table by Jean Prouvé has set a new auction record for the French designer and architect. The “Table Trapèze” from 1956 fetched €1,241,300 at Artcurial’s design sale on May 19 in Paris, doubling its upper presale estimate of €600,000. It sold to a North American collector. The sale, which gathered pieces by the likes of Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret & Le Corbusier, grossed a total of €3,61,695, selling 82 percent by lot and 92 percent by value.

Prouvé’s “Table Trapèze,” also known as “Table Centrale” was designed by Prouvé for the university campus in Anthony, in the suburbs of Paris, for which he conceived all the furniture. It is considered a Prouvé icon and is famous for its sculptural legs. The table is also remarkable for its size: it is almost three meters long, which is particularly unusual for this model.

The designer’s last record was also set by Artcurial with the armchair “Grand Repos” sold in 2011 for €471,434.