Art Deco Sofa by Alfred Porteneuve

Elegant French Art Deco three-seat sofa attributed to Alfred Porteneuve, featuring a refined curved silhouette and clean, architectural lines. The piece is upholstered in a warm mocha velvet tone and accented with cherry wood details at the arm supports, giving it both softness and structure. The sofa reflects Porteneuve’s connection to the Ruhlmann circle and the sophisticated French design language of the 1930s, where proportion, comfort, and luxury materials were carefully balanced. Its generous back, rounded arms, and streamlined profile make it a strong example of period Art Deco seating. The sofa reflects Porteneuve’s connection to the Ruhlmann circle and the sophisticated French design language of the 1930s, where proportion, comfort, and luxury materials were carefully balanced. Its generous back, rounded arms, and streamlined profile make it a strong example of period Art Deco seating.
Alfred Porteneuve
(1896 – 1949)
Trained in architecture at Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux Arts in Paris, Porteneuve is probably better known as the nephew and collaborator of the eminent French Art Deco designer, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann.
With Ruhlmann he participated in the design of l’Hotel du Collectionneur pavilion at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Paris. A fine designer on his own, Porteneuve opened his own workshop after Ruhlmann’s death in 1933. He favored fruitwoods, laminates and metal, sometimes collaborating with lacquerist Jean Dunand.
Porteneuve decorated and furnished numerous private residences as well as commercial offices, government installations, and interiors of the 1939 oceanliner Pasteur.
From: Art et Progres, La France Nouvelle Artistique, 1936:
Alfred Porteneuve
Born 19 January 1896
Government-certified architect. Student of MM. Expert, Gromort, Patout. Collaborator of Ruhlmann, from 1921 to 1933. Member of the SAD Committee. Veteran.
Participated in the decoration of the Ile-de-France liner; of the Hotel du Collectionneur 1925; of diverse of the Paris Chamber of Commerce; from the Minister's Office to the Colonial Museum, etc.