Description
Désiré Guilmard's Le Garde-meuble, ancien et moderne
These striking lithographs are from Le Garde-meuble, ancien et moderne, an interior design periodical published bimonthly in Paris from 1839 to 1935. (The prints presented here were published between 1870 and 1880.) The publication influenced design throughout the world for almost a century by promoting French styles. The prints are quite rare. No complete set is known to have survived.
The prints represent the height of French design and are so richly detailed that they still serve as inspiration to designers. The prints show details such as wood carving, fabric patterns, and intricate finishes. The prints look fantastic framed.
Each installment contained up to nine loose lithographs that featured prints representing seating furniture, case furniture, and beds and window hangings.
Désiré Guilmard established the firm D. Guilmard to publish a range of periodicals focused on furniture and design, including publications aimed at paticular trades like woodworkers, sculptors, tapestry makers, sculptors, etc. Le Garde-meuble, ancien et moderne is by far his best known publication. Little is known about Guilmard, other than that he a was very influential figure in design.
Prints from Le Garde-meuble, ancien et moderne are featured in the Cooper-Hewitt Collection at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. For more information about this work visit their website.
The prints are on fine paper measuring ~ 10 1/4" by 13 1/2".