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Hergé: Interior design connoisseur?

jock123
Moderator
#1 · Posted: 5 Apr 2014 16:06
We have an existing thread about the interior design choices at Marlinspike (see The Decor at Marlinspike), including the Sisley painting, the Rococo sideboard, and the spiffy modernist Tulip TV, but the use of design icons in the books extends even further than the Captain's family estate.

A prime example is the scene in the hotel at the start of Tintin in Tibet, where the patrons in the resident's lounge are shown sitting on some rather smart chairs.

A little bit of investigation has made it possible to identify them as a version of the Métropole Visiteur chair, by Jean Prouvé, a noted Twentieth Century French engineer, metal-worker, architect and furniture designer.
Dating from around 1948, there appear to have been a variety of designs and refinements of the chair over the years, and I've not yet found a specific model for Hergé's reference.
As far as I can see the arm of the chair is usually plain wood, chamfered at an angle to the metal frame, to form a sort of ledge for the sitter's fore-arm or hand, and stopping short of the bend into the leg at the front; as shown, the ones in the hotel have longer, more rounded arms, possibly covered in the fabric of the chair-covering, and reaching the bend of the leg.

The stage version put on at the Barbican in London had very nice reproductions of the seats, looking very like the ones in the book, so they may have built them for the show, or there may be someone reproducing them commercially; I doubt that they were the real deal, as I've seen a reference which says a pair of originals sold at auction for $90,000!

Any other examples of designer furniture in the books that you've spotted?
Ranko
Member
#2 · Posted: 7 Apr 2014 21:37
I'm afraid I sound like a bit of a philistine when I say I have no idea! I simply wouldn't know what to look for.
Having said that, Professor Tarragon's house is rather elaborate. Maybe there is a fine example in there?

Edit: I've just noticed we have a thread on the subject ... although no mention of furniture: Seven Crystal Balls: Professor Tarragon's home
jock123
Moderator
#3 · Posted: 8 Apr 2014 00:10
Ranko:
I'm afraid I sound like a bit of a philistine when I say I have no idea!

Oh don't worry - we'll soon knock some of that learning that they are always going on about into you! :-)

I should have added an example which is pointed out in The Complete Companion: on page 17 of Tintin and the Picaros, Haddock takes a tumble, and falls backwards off a stylish Bertoia wooden bench.

Michael Farr reports that Hergé had two of these benches, with one in the foyer at the Avenue Louise offices.

With a bit of on-line searching I've found that there are reproductions available, for a couple of hundred pounds; genuine antique originals go for quite a lot more, although in hundreds or low thousands, not tens of thousands - in terms of cost per head (or rather posterior) it's a considerably cheaper option to have three or four people sit on one of these than to provide everyone with a Métropole chair!

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