Serge Mouille

1922-1988

Light Sculpted in Black

Trained as a silversmith, Serge Mouille revolutionised French lighting in the early 1950s. Reacting against the Italian design of the time, he imagined lamps in black-lacquered metal with organic forms, evoking insects or birds. Distributed by the Steph Simon gallery alongside Prouvé and Perriand, his creations became true manifestos of modernism.

The Aesthetic: Purity and Movement

Everything about Mouille is tension and balance: articulated arms, counterweights, adjustable eye-shaped shades. Black, almost exclusive, underlines the graphic purity of every silhouette.

Materials: Black-lacquered metal, brass, aluminium.

Icons: The ‘Trois Lampes’ (Three Lamps) floor lamp, the ‘Œil’ (Eye) and ‘Flammes’ (Flames) wall lights, and the ‘Saturn’ series.

A Rare and Coveted Legacy

Produced in very small, largely handmade series, Serge Mouille's works now feature in the greatest design collections, from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs to MoMA. Each original piece is a collector's item in its own right.