Screen by Philippe Jean, France, 1970s.

PHILIPPE JEAN (France, 1931-1987).
Screen. France, 1970s.
4 smoked plexiglass panels.
Chrome hardware.
In very good vintage condition; slight signs of use.
Measurements: 240 cm (approximate total width).

Outstanding piece by Philippe Jean, known for merging sculptural concept and functional design. This is an attractive Space Age style screen: four rigid sheets of smoked plexiglass mounted vertically, with profiles and connecting elements in chromed metal that alternate transparency and opacity depending on the incidence of light. The design emphasizes vertical geometry with rectangular panels and the tension between visual lightness (translucent acrylic) and luminous structure (visible metal accessories).

In contemporary environments the piece functions both as a room divider and as a sculptural element regardless of whether it is unfolded or folded. Similar examples and pieces can be found in catalogs and stores specializing in French design from the 1970s.

Philippe Jean studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Versailles and completed his training at the École Boulle in Paris. After initial stages in painting and decorative sections, he worked in the design industry and with decorators such as Carlhian before focusing on lighting and furniture from the late 1960s. In the 1970s he developed lamps, tables and lampshades that combine polished metal structure with acrylic panels and elements, in an aesthetic that embraces Space Age and post-war French modernism. His works appear in galleries, auctions and vintage design catalogs. Today his pieces are sought after by discerning collectors of vintage design; signed or well-documented plexiglass screens/screens, illuminated tables and lucite lamps command significant prices in specialty markets.