en suite with the following lot

Tour Arago-Défense, Paris
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Overall very good condition. The metal surfaces with light surface scratches, some surface soiling, occasional minor dents, scattered traces of white house paint, and scattered discolorations and areas of wear throughout, consistent with age and handling and visible in the catalogue illustration. Some of the cylindrical elements including the large central element with manufacturing seams. The central portion with two dents along the lower circumference, one measuring approximately 6 inches long, the other approximately 4 inches long. The interiors of the metal cylindrical shade elements are painted white with lifting and flaking to the paint throughout, not visible when the chandelier is installed. The glass elements appear to be original and in good condition with occasional chips around the edges, not visually detractive and barely visible when the glass is installed. One of the glass elements is supported by a disk to compensate for its slightly too small diameter. One small screw has been replaced. The fixture was not tested for electricity at the time of sale and may need service at the buyer’s discretion. A dynamic work with impressive scale and luminous metal and wonderfully faceted glass elements.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Lots 79 and 80 illuminated the hall of the the Tour Arago Défense, located near the Seine, in the neighborhood of La Défense. Conceived by Architect Jean de Mailly circa 1961, the building was distinguished by its rectilinear lines and its unusual façade, which combines glass and green-colored panels. Located at the westernmost extremity of Paris, La Défense is Europe’s largest purpose-built business district, composed of several generations of skyscrapers, growing ever taller and more ambitious over time. Since the very end of the 1950s, the goal of La Défense has been to invent a new city where business, life and art can live together. An monumental Calder Stabile, gigantic figures by Miró or a Thumb by César are among the spectacular works of art which have been incorporated in the area.

Jean de Mailly, who designed the Tour Arago Défense was one of the founding architects of La Défense, participating in the first generation of buildings. At the First Grand Prix de Rome in 1945, Jean de Mailly was one of the emblematic figures of French modernism in architecture, combining a classic aesthetics with functionalism. This philosophy corresponds with Max Ingrand’s own conception of lighting, which was informed by his predecessors’ ideas yet radically modern: “A lighting or element of lighting must answer certain norms. It must adapt itself to the volume of the rooms which it has to light, participate to the spirit and architecture of these rooms in order to fit there. Its shape, material, and radiance must be modulated and conceived in parallel to the architecture, animating its surface while specifying their function.“ Certainly this is the case for the following two chandeliers, whose numerous faceted glass elements set into a futurist brass structure present a dynamic contrast to the geometry of the Tour Arago hall.  Their radiating arms and the lustre of the materials used impart these chandeliers with a dynamism that is quintessential to the work of Ingrand.