Pierre Paulin

PIERRE PAULIN (Paris, 1927–Montpellier, 2009).
Pumpkin armchair with footrest. Designed in 1971.
Produced by Ligne Roset, France, in the 2000s.
Molded foam and cream-colored Diva leather upholstery.
In very good condition, with slight signs of use.
Measurements: 83 × 105 × 83 cm (armchair); 38 × 75 cm (footrest)

The Pumpkin model holds a unique place in Pierre Paulin’s career: it was conceived in 1971 for the private apartments of Claude and Georges Pompidou at the Élysée Palace and remained associated with that institutional commission for decades, until Ligne Roset brought the design into public production for the first time. This historical provenance lends the model a significance that transcends its status as a piece of domestic furniture.

The armchair embodies Paulin’s exploration of a new way of living, based on low, enveloping, and fully upholstered seats, moving away from the conventional structure of separate legs, arms, and backrests. The continuity of its volumes and the radial seams transform the upholstery into the very architecture of the piece, while the footrest extends its purpose as a comfortable and protective ensemble. The combination of both pieces and their leather finish reinforce the lot’s decorative and collectible appeal.

Pierre Paulin was a key figure in French design during the second half of the 20th century. His organic seating transformed the relationship between the body, furniture, and interior space. His work is extensively represented at MoMA in New York and at the Centre Pompidou, which dedicated a major retrospective to him in 2016.