Pair of oak chairs by Eugène Vallin, original upholstery.
Eugène Vallin was born in Herbéviller in 1856, in eastern France. He trained in the workshop of his uncle, a specialist in church furniture, which he took over in 1881. He was already known for his remarkable creations such as the Confessional of the Church of Bonsecours or the organs of the Church of Saint-Léon in Nancy.
In the wake of Ruskin or William Morris, Vallin was attached to the idea of an honest and manual craft, limiting the use of machines to the roughing of the material.
He built his house and workshop in 1896, in collaboration with Victor Prouvé and Georges Biet, putting into practice the ideas of Viollet le Duc and making this building one of the first of the Art Nouveau.
Along with Emile Gallé, he is one of the main figures of the Ecole de Nancy.
