Serrurier-Bovy and the ‘Chambre d’Artisan’

In 1893, Gustave Serrurier exhibits a ‘cabinet de travail’ at the Salon de la Libre Esthétique, attracting the attention of the public and the press. In 1895, he presents the ‘Chambre d’Artisan’ at the Cercle Artistique, a very similar armchair to the one that was included is now in the Ghent Design Museum. Initially constructed out of spruce with differently turned legs, the model is later made from oak.

Serrurier accompanies this set with a brochure in which he formulates his social commitment. His aim to make art accessible to the working classes is achieved using affordable materials and simple techniques such as screws and cut-outs. His style blends influences of Louis XIII and the Arts and Crafts-movement, with a back cut from a single board and fixed to a frame. Later, he continues this approach by further streamlining his creations, reducing ornamentation to achieve a more sober, functional design.