Jacques Dumond

Born in 1906, Jacques Dumond is considered a leader of the French modernist movement — exemplifying minimalism, functionalism, and a reduc¬tive approach towards ornamentation. Dumond served as a liaison between an older movement of traditional interior designers and those exploring new materials and technologies, his legacy articulated as the ‘missing link’ between the two. He influenced a generation of young designers, cultivating their talents in his studio, as a professor at École Camondo and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, and as vice president of Société des Artistes Décorateurs. Dumond propelled the evolution of industrial design in France, disseminating its significance by promoting exhibitions and participating in the Formes Utiles section of the Salon des Arts Ménagers. Dumond also joined the Union des Artistes Modernes in 1945, and was com¬missioned for other substantial projects including interiors for the French Em¬bassy in Saarbrücken, Germany, 1954, Maison de la Radio (O.R.T.F.), Paris, 1962, and the “Salon Saint-Tropez,” the largest public lounge aboard the SS France cruise liner. Jacques Dumond worked primarily on private commissions rather than mass production, so examples of his work are rare.

Submitted by Demisch Danant