Camille Gauthier : ébéniste et industriel de l'Art Nouveau

Exhibition at the Château Madame de Graffigny, Villers-lès-Nancy, 11 June – 23 August 2026

The Lorraine cabinetmaker and furniture designer Camille Gauthier (1870–1963) is a major yet little-known figure of the École de Nancy. Unlike Gallé, Daum or Majorelle, who were heirs to bourgeois families, Camille Gauthier, the son of farmers, had to build his own workshop from scratch.

Gauthier began by studying under the painter Jules Larcher at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy, before enrolling at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 1891. After starting out at Louis Majorelle’s in 1893 as a draughtsman in the design office, he set up in business for himself and founded his own company, Gauthier-Poinsignon. His talent – which sometimes remained anonymous as he did not always sign his creations – nevertheless enabled him to become a recognised entrepreneur, notably thanks to his partnership with Paul Ponsignon.

This exhibition catalogue, the first reference work devoted to Gauthier, fills a significant gap. Its in-depth analysis provides a better understanding of Camille Gauthier’s career, his body of work and his place in art history. It brings together around 80 works by the cabinetmaker and nearly 150 objects displayed in authentic early 20th-century interiors.