The Birth of Art Deco

As his starting point for the aesthetic we have come to love as Art Deco, French furniture and interior designer E.-J. Ruhlmann’s pavilion at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes presented the fair’s most celebrated displays and thereby began our enduring appreciation for the international design idiom.

This book celebrates the 1925 Paris Exposition—at its centenary—a landmark event that shaped twentieth-century design and gave its name to Art Deco. The exposition dazzled over sixteen million visitors during its run, showcasing the pinnacle of French luxury goods and design innovation.  

Renowned as the preeminent exponent of French Art Deco, Ruhlmann (1879–1933) was recognized for the aesthetic refinement, luxurious materials, and impeccable craftsmanship of his creations. Inspired by eighteenth-century pleasure pavilions, Ruhlmann’s pavilion, L’Hôtel du Collectionneur (The Town House of the Collector), was one of the most admired exhibits at the fair. Conceived as a modern-day Trianon, it was filled with his own sumptuous furnishings together with a meticulous selection of objets d’art by his contemporaries, including Edgar Brandt, Jean Dunand, and Jean Puiforcat.

Central to this publication is a facsimile of the original catalogue documenting the pavilion. The book offers a detailed examination of the pavilion’s architecture and interiors, revealing how Ruhlmann’s vision set standards for luxury and taste in the interwar period. Although the pavilion existed for only six months, it left a lasting legacy as one of the most refined examples of Art Deco, embodying both the opulence and the innovative spirit of the era.

Jared Goss is an independent scholar and former associate curator in the department of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.