"[Brandt's] myriad accomplishments and exceptional quality of work make him one of the most impressive artists of the 20th century."
-Wright Auctions
CAREER
As a teenager, Edgar William Brandt began learning traditional forging techniques at an ironwork atelier and, by graduation, was regarded as "the most accomplished ironsmith in the school." After completing his army obligation in 1900, he opened his own modest atelier where he designed small items like rings, pendants, and brooches. Inspired by the likes of Louis Majorelle, Brandt debuted his Art Nouveau furniture designs in 1903 at the Salon des Artistes Decorateurs.
Over the next several years, Brandt's work was met with praise from decorative-arts critics and he soon began to recieve significant large-scale commissions, such as the grand staircase at the Hotel de Ville in Euville. During the latter half of his career, Brandt embraced the technological advancements of the industrial revolution and the practicality of the Art Deco movement to manufacture magnificent public works (like the Escalier Mollien in the Louvre) and collaborative pieces with other artists (such as Daum and Favier).