A striking and unusually large French Art Nouveau table lamp dating to around 1910, with a tall painted wooden body decorated by hand with butterflies, flowers and foliage.
The lamp has an elegant elongated form, rising from a broad circular foot through a gently flared lower section into a slender column. The painted surface moves through shades of deep green, soft blue-green and pale blue, giving the lamp a wonderfully atmospheric appearance. Around the lower section are raised silver-grey floral and foliate motifs, their textured surfaces retaining visible detail to the petals, leaves and stems. Further botanical decoration continues upwards along the stem.
Near the top, brightly coloured hand-painted butterflies provide a lively contrast to the more muted palette below. Their orange, yellow, blue and black colouring stands out against the pale blue ground and is particularly characteristic of the naturalistic decoration associated with the Art Nouveau period.
The circular base is finished with a hand-painted geometric border in deep blue against a warm pinkish ground, edged in green. A second, smaller painted geometric band appears beneath the metal lamp fitting, creating a pleasing balance between the flowing botanical decoration and the more structured ornamental details.
One of the most distinctive features of the lamp is its substantial iron shade frame. Attached directly to the upper body of the lamp, the frame is formed from long slender iron supports with curved hooked ends and would originally have carried a large fabric shade. The original textile covering is no longer present, leaving the unusual framework exposed and allowing its early construction to be clearly seen. We have chosen to leave it exactly as found rather than fitting a modern replacement shade.
The lamp is constructed principally from turned wood, with the underside retaining visible turning marks, old slotted screws and the natural wear expected from an object of this age. The upper fitting is metal with a brass-coloured lamp holder.
At 65 cm high before the shade frame is taken into account, this is a particularly substantial table lamp with almost architectural proportions. Its combination of hand-painted decoration, raised floral work, butterflies and surviving iron shade structure makes it a highly individual example of French Art Nouveau lighting.
A wonderfully decorative and unusual early 20th-century French lamp, equally suited to an Art Nouveau interior or as a sculptural statement piece in a more contemporary setting.
Sourced in: South West France
Age: Circa 1910
Material: Wood and iron
What makes it special: Its beautiful hand painted decoration
Large Antique French Art Nouveau Painted Wood Lamp with Butterflies & Flowers Details:
Height: 25.6” / 65cm (and including the iron frame 29.9" / 76cm)
Width at base: 6.8” / 17.5cm
Width of iron frame at widest point: 16.5" / 42cm
Weight: 4.8 lbs / 2.2kg
Condition: There is wear throughout consistent with age and use, including rubbing and losses to the painted decoration, surface marks, craquelure and areas where the underlying wood or earlier surface is visible. The iron frame also shows age-related wear and oxidation. These signs of age have been left untouched and contribute greatly to the character of the piece. The electrical cable and inline switch are later replacements.
**The wiring has not been tested and will need to be wired in line with your local electricity supply**
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