Jean-Michel Frank was born in 1895 and was an influential French interior and furniture designer.
Frank began his design career in the 1920s.
His early pieces often incorporated rich materials such as galuchat (untanned shark or ray skin), parchment, rock crystal, and exotic woods.
In the 1930s, he joined Adolphe Chanaux, and together they formed a successful design atelier in Paris.
With the outbreak of World War II, Frank, who was Jewish, was forced to flee Paris and took refuge in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Before his arrival, the Comte company had already been importing his designs for their projects.
In 1936, Comte signed a licensing agreement to produce Frank's furniture locally.
In 1940, he took on the role of creative director at Comte.
Some notable clients included the Viscount and Viscountess de Noailles, Nelson Rockefeller, and Elsa Schiaparelli.
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Style Art Deco
"The name Art Deco was assigned in the 1960s, at the exhibition "Les Années 25" held in Paris at the Museum of Decorative Arts.
The first pieces could be seen at the International Exhibition of "Decorative Arts and Modern Industry" held in Paris in 1925. This exhibition was a direct response to the Turin exhibitions of 1902 and Milan of 1906.
The Art Deco style emerged between 1920 and 1940 and is represented by symmetrical, rectilinear lines, abstract designs, and bold colors.
It featured the implementation of exotic materials such as parchment, shagreen (the skin of a small shark or ray), chrome pieces, and enamels, as well as ivory and mother-of-pearl inlays.
In contrast, Art Nouveau was more focused on asymmetrical, curved lines inspired by nature."
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