Pair of Modernist Cast Iron and Wrought Iron Andirons by Raymond Subes, French Work, Circa 1940

This distinguished pair of modernist andirons in cast iron and wrought iron is an important work by Raymond Subes, the pre-eminent French ferronnerie artist of the twentieth century. Executed circa 1940, the pieces demonstrate the mastery of form and material that placed Subes at the summit of his craft. Each andiron presents a rigorously geometric composition in which the structural weight of the cast iron base is balanced by the elegant verticality of the wrought iron upright, the whole achieving an architectural equilibrium characteristic of Subes at his best. The warm, dark patina of the iron surfaces gives the pieces a commanding presence.

Raymond Subes (1891–1970) was universally recognised as the greatest French metalworker of his generation. Having studied under master ferronniste Emile Robert, he went on to receive commissions for the most prestigious projects of the Art Deco and mid-century periods, including the ocean liners Normandie and Île de France, and the interiors of the finest Parisian hôtels particuliers. His fireplace accessories — screens, andirons, and firedogs — represent some of the most refined applications of his art, designed to be seen against an open fire and to enrich the domestic interior with sculptural authority.

A signed pair of Subes andirons represents one of the most desirable acquisitions in French twentieth-century decorative metalwork. These examples, with their powerful yet spare modernist design, would transform any fireplace into a focal point of artistic distinction. A rare opportunity to acquire works by one of the true masters of French craft, whose pieces are today represented in major museum collections on both sides of the Atlantic.