Louis Majorelle Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Louis Majorelle, born on 26 September 1859 in the Arrondissement of Toul in France, was a famous French decorator and furniture designer, in the Art Nouveau style. He attended the courses of Théodor Devilly and Charles Pêtre at the Nancy Ecole des Beaux-Arts, before being admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1877, where he studied under the guidance of the painter Aimé Millet. Read the full biography

Louis Majorelle, born on 26 September 1859 in the Arrondissement of Toul in France, was a famous French decorator and furniture designer, in the Art Nouveau style. He attended the courses of Théodor Devilly and Charles Pêtre at the Nancy Ecole des Beaux-Arts, before being admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1877, where he studied under the guidance of the painter Aimé Millet. After his father's death two years later, Majorelle took over the family furniture and majolica business. In 1894, after having produced works of historical inspiration, he decided to replace the lacquered and painted technique of Rococo and Japanese style furniture with an inlaid decoration featuring naturalistic and symbolist references. Furthermore, he created ceramics in several Lorraine workshops and models of stoneware objects, opening numerous exhibition shops in cities such as Paris, Lyon and Lille. Majorelle was also vice-president of the Ecole de Nancy in 1901. He died on 15 January 1926 in Nancy.