A designer and ensemblier, Jules Leleu was one of the key authors of the Art Deco movement. While he did not win the fame of such contemporaries as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank, Leleu had a longer career and was easily their peer in the conception of trim, refined furniture forms and in the use of the opulent materials — from lacquer and ivory to sharkskin and exotic woods — that were a keynote of haute Art Deco design.
Leleu was born into a family of artisans and decorators. Their firm, Maison Leleu, had existed since the 18th century and Jules would guide it through much of the 20th. (The business lasted until 1973, headed at the end by Jules's children.) He studied architecture, served as an aviator in World War I, and after the conflict took up design full-time.
Leleu presented work at the 1925 exposition in Paris that gave us the term Art Deco, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York purchased a burl amboyna wood commode by Leleu directly from the show.
As the desks, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs show, Leleu was a stickler for precision craft and preferred to let his materials do the talking — his furniture is generally spare and sleek; its presence is established by figuring (or patterning/graining) in the wood and the occasional marquetry medallion. He had a keen eye for currents in design and an adaptable sensibility.
Maison Leleu would embrace many of the starker forms of modernism after the 1940s, as well as new materials such as artificial lacquer and plastics (then considered cutting-edge rather than cheap). Jules Leleu is a guiding light of 20th-century modernism: a man whose work represents both a devotion to traditional handiwork and an appreciation for the next wave in design.
Find Jules Leleu tables, sideboards, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Art Deco cheval mirror – France 1925
Located in Girona, Girona
Cheval mirror in solid mahogany and amboyna burl. French polish. Original mirror. Hooks and handle in nickel-plated brass. France c.1925.
Brass
Art Deco Mirror, 1920, French, Wood and Mirrror
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Amaizing mirror Material: mirror and wood Style: Art Deco Country: France We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and Art Nouveau and Vintage styles since 1982. If you have any ...
Mirror, Wood
Art Deco Cheval Dressing Mirror from a Gents Outfitters
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Art Deco Cheval Dressing Mirror from a Gents Outfitters This is a very practical wide French dressing mirror, the mirror has an easel stand an...
Oak
Art Deco Style Cheval Mirror The Mirror has an Arch shaped top
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Art Deco Style Cheval Mirror The Mirror has an Arch shaped top, it sits firmly in its stand and swivels for maximum advantage The Stand is set on arching splayed feet, the mirror is...
Glass
Maurice Dufrène Art Deco Mirror
By Maurice Dufrêne
Located in NANTES, FR
Art Deco mirror, Paris, 1925, attributed to Maurice Dufrène. Wooden frame covered with red copper and floral decoration. Very good quality, mirror replaced. In perfect condition. He...
Wood
$6,825
H 62.21 in W 26.78 in D 15.95 in
Art Deco Floor Mirror with Hardwood Frame, Movable Design, France 1930
Located in Wiesbaden, DE
The Art Deco floor-standing mirror with a movable mirror, crafted in France around 1930, is an outstanding example of the elegant and innovative design of the Art Deco era. This floo...
Hardwood
$25,000
H 67 in W 50 in D 12 in
Jules Leleu, Fine Art Deco Standing Mirror / Vanity, France, circa 1928
By Jules Leleu
Located in New York, NY
A fine and rare vanity with a pleasing asymmetrical form, ample storage, nickel-plated hardware and pulls, and a beautiful oval, rimless mirror. ...
Nickel
$13,533
H 80.71 in W 45.28 in D 17.72 in
Art Deco Mirror By Maurice Dufrene Presented At The 1919 Salon Of Decorative Art
Located in Charmes, FR
This cheval mirror is distinguished by its oval shape, mounted on a richly ornamented base. The mirror is framed by a lacquered wood structure in cream tones, highlighted with black ...
Wood
$11,768
H 74.81 in W 34.65 in D 16.54 in
Art Deco Cheval Mirror or Psyche, fully refurbished, France 1930s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a spectacular Art Deco Hallway Mirror or Psyche,, made in solid cherry wood, featuring a tall, arched mirror frame with a decorative crest at the top an...
Mirror, Cherry
Art Deco Figured Walnut Cheval Floor Mirror
Located in London, GB
A superb original Art Deco figured walnut cheval floor mirror. This was made in England, it dates from the 1930’s. It has a stylish and quite unusual design, the quality is outstand...
Mirror, Walnut
