“Sybold Van Ravesteyn la chambre d’amis 1925-1926”
The reconstruction of the Van Ravestijn guest room in the villa Noailles highlights a landmark achievement in the history of European modernity. Striking for the totality of the concept of this bedroom dating from 1925, but also striking for the presence of an avant-garde “Nordic” modernity in this southern French villa, designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens.
1925 was the year of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, established to revive innovative productivity in France after World War I. Paris had already been introduced to the Dutch avant-garde architecture of the artist Theo van Doesburg’s circle and his magazine De Stijl through exhibitions organized by Léonce Rosenberg (1923) and Mallet-Stevens (1924). Dutch engineer Sybold van Ravestijn (1889-1983), close to some members of this circle, had the opportunity to display black-and-white furniture he had recently designed for an interior in Utrecht, for the Foreign Pavilion in Paris. The elementary construction and asymmetrical form of the Radermacher Schorer chairs remind us of a model by Gerrit Rietveld, displayed in late 1923 in Berlin in a pavilion designed with Vilmos Huszár. Some of his creations were produced in the early twenties by the cabinetmaker Gerrit Rietveld in his workshop in Utrecht. They knew each other well, both were active members of the Utrechtse Kunstkring.
In 1925, as Rietveld was busy designing the Schröder House, his first architectural construction, Van Ravestijn had all Mr Radermacher Schorer’s furniture manufactured by the Middelbeek workshop. Eileen Gray took a great interest in it and allowed Van Ravestijn to show his furniture in Jean Désert, her Parisian gallery.
Marie-Laure and Charles de Noailles, then in search of objects for their new home in Hyères, loved his unique creations. The innovative spirit perfectly matched Mallet Stevens’ architecture, which was highly influenced by the work of the Dutch architects and designers. Their commission from Van Ravestijn for the interior design of a guest room on the second floor dates from late 1925. The furniture, made in the Middelbeek workshop in Utrecht, was brought to Marseille by boat in early 1926. Van Ravestijn closely followed the development on site, in close collaboration with architect Léon David, whom he asked to respect the choice of colours, as he considered it a total work of art. The interior was completed with his lamps and an artwork by Piet Mondrian, Tableau II, purchased by the Noailles in Paris in late 1925 on the advice of Sybold van Ravestijn. The bedroom was photographed shortly afterwards, then published by the art critic Christian Zervos in the famous magazine Les arts de la maison.
Illustrious friends of the Noailles saw this interior. Van Ravestijn regularly returned to the south. He became famous in the Netherlands, especially for his remarkable architectural style and his numerous buildings.
Since the restorations of the villa Noailles, this guest room has been a subject of historical and scientific research. The idea of a reconstruction underlines its importance in this exceptional place. A first representation of the furniture in its raw finish, without the colour details, objects, and other finishes, allows for the beginning of a reconstruction on site.
Monique Teunissen, historienne de l’art
