Charles Dudouyt

A major figure in early 20th-century French design, Charles Dudouyt moved France’s design aesthetic from an elaborate classicism to a more modernist sensibility. Following World War I, Dudouyt abandoned painting and drawing to manufacture lamps and other decorative objects. He moved to Paris in 1933 and turned away from French classicism, adopting more refined contemporary forms. His style found parallels with the arts and crafts movement, characterized by an honest approach to simple materials like wood. Dudouyt’s move to Paris coincided with a more ambitious scale of production; he switched from making decorative objects to large furniture sets including tables and chairs.