After studying at the École Boulle, from which he graduated in 1921, Gilbert Poillerat joined Edgar Brandt, a leading French architectural metalworker and arms manufacturer, best known for creating the flame beneath the Arc de Triomphe, as a draftsman and model designer. Poillerat expressed his passion for drawing and metalwork, and throughout his career he skillfully adapted his ironwork to the evolving fashions and tastes of his time.

Beginning in 1931, Gilbert Poillerat’s style became simpler and more closely resembled the neoclassical forms of the 18th century. His style took on a dreamlike quality reminiscent of the Fontainebleau School and the surrealist affectation popularized by certain interior designers of the time: coiled rope…

In the late 1930s, Poillerat established himself as the leading metalworker of his generation, on par with Raymond Subes, one of the most important French metal artists of the 20th century. In 1937, he created the gate at the Palais de Chaillot for the International Exhibition of Arts and Techniques. Poillerat became a professor at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs. The master metalworker sometimes moved away from monumental works to apply his diverse talents to interior objects. After the war, he created an increasing number of pieces of furniture and took his place among the great designers of the 20th century.

The scarcity of fine pieces on the market now commands often very high prices for the works of Gilbert Poillerat, whose name is mentioned alongside the great artists of the 20th century and whose works are featured in major museums such as the MAD in Paris and in important private collections around the world. A monograph was published in 1992 with a preface by Karl Lagerfeld and an essay by François Baudot. Featuring a wide selection of Poillerat’s works, this publication sparked a rediscovery of his work and solidified his position in the international art market.

Gilbert Poillerat’s work combines a lightness of line with a strong sense of dynamism. He uses realistic motifs such as hearts, scallop shells, and trimmings. His pieces are distinguished by their remarkable volume and scale, as well as their consistently perfect proportions, which are in keeping with the great tradition of 18th-century French taste.

Gilbert Poillerat’s imagination continues to expand a decorative repertoire of wonder.