Hollywood Regency Table Lamp Base in Bronze and Quartz by Claude Victor Boeltz, 1980s

Pied de lamp sculptural in gilded bronze and quartz evoking sea rocks attributed to Claude Victor Boeltz (born in 1937)
Bronze technique exploded.
Beautiful general condition, note a discreet trace of glue on the basis of quartz.
Sold without lampshade
Circa: 1980
Height out of lampshade in photo: 35 cm / 14 in.
Width: 21cm / 8.3 in.
Depth: 15 cm / 6 in.
Weight: 3.5 kg
Each piece by Claude Victor Boeltz is glamorous while retaining a rich organic sensation which adds a touch of daring sophistication to any interior. This French surrealist designer Calle popularized a technique which he called "broken bronze" - a process which reveals the metallic components of a given piece as if they had been liquefied and then crystallized as a result of an explosion.

Boeltz was born in Paris in 1937. There were several artists in his family and Boeltz quickly developed creative interests from an early age. He was passionate about painting, architecture, ceramics and many other things, but he was also intrigued by scientific fields such as geology and anatomy.

Boeltz studied with the sculptor Henri Molin and learned in the Susse Frères and Houdot foundries. In addition, he took evening lessons at the Boulle school in Paris and the Paris Academy of Art. He frequents museums and finds a lot to appreciate in the works of artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Demeter Chiparus, Salvador Dalí, and Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann.

After moving to the French Riviera, Boeltz personally met Pablo Picasso. He worked for a while with Picasso and, in the mid -1960s, he created a foundry in the Loire Valley. In the late 1960s, his work was noticed throughout Europe (his works were sold by companies such as Cartier). In the early 1970s, he met the sculptor César Baldaccini, whose "compression" pieces encouraged him to experiment with abandonment, and his technique of "broken bronze" was born.

The "Hollywood Regency" style furniture by Boeltz - Mirrors, candlesticks, frames, lamps and even ceiling lights - were made with this new process. The designer then worked to decorate these "exploded" pieces with semi -precious stones - often African emeralds - or other light materials such as quartz and murano glass. He then opened two foundries to produce this type of works.

In the early 1980s, Boeltz transferred his facilities to the United States. He built a large foundry in Vega, and today, Las Vegas hotels are home to several of his works. Among his collectors, we can cite Salvador Dalí, Baron Rothschild and others.