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Indepth Arts News:
"Bugatti"
1999-07-18 until 2000-09-19
Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, OH,
USA United States of America
This is the first American exhibition to include the work of three generations of the Bugatti
family. Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940) was active in Milan from the 1880s until about 1904
chiefly as a designer of furniture and interior decorations. He then moved to Paris, where
he created some furniture, but also cast metal work, particularly in silver. Examples of his
furniture and silver, along with drawings and plaster models by him are to be included in the
show. He retired about 1910. His son Rembrandt Bugatti (1885-1916) worked as a sculptor,
especially of animals and chiefly in bronze, from about 1900 until his suicide in 1916.
Sculpture and drawings by him will be shown. Another of Carlos sons, Ettore (1881-1947)
manufactured automobiles, working in Milan, Germany, and then at his own factory in
Molsheim, Alsace. His son Jean (1909-1939) designed automobiles for his fathers company
in the 1930s. Six automobiles will be included in the exhibition, including a 1930 Royale and
a Type 57 SC, Atlantic. Curated by Henry Hawley.
Highlights include automobiles, including two of
the greatest vehicles made by the Bugatti firm,
a 1930 Royale and a Type 57 SC, Atlantic
(1938) plus a Baby Bugatti electric car, as
well as 20 sensitively modeled animal sculptures and some drawings by Rembrandt Bugatti
and 38 examples of Carlo Bugattis furniture and cast metal work, chiefly in silver, along
with plaster models and drawings by him
The artists:
Carlo Bugatti (1856-1940)
Carlos sons, Rembrandt (1885-1916) and Ettore (1881-1947) Bugatti
Ettores son, Jean Bugatti (1909-1939)
Carlo Bugatti was active in Milan beginning in the 1880s chiefly as a designer of furniture.
His abundant variations in design blended Islamic and Japanese motifs with circular and
ovoid forms, fantastic animal forms and asymmetrical ornamentation, incorporating such
novel materials as vellum panels and silk fringes. Carlo moved his family to Paris in about
1902, where he continued to create furniture, but also designed cast metal work, particularly
in silver. Rembrandt and Ettore both grew up helping in their fathers workshops.
Rembrandt Bugatti became a sculptor, especially of animals and chiefly in bronze, from his
teenage years around 1900 until his suicide in 1916. Most of his bronzes were cast by the
Hebrard firm of Paris (which also cast Rodins Thinker as well as Carlos metalworks) and
sold through Hebrards gallery. Self-trained automotive engineer Ettore manufactured
automobiles, working in Italy, Germany, and then at his own factory in Molsheim, Alsace.
Jean designed automobiles for his fathers company in the 1930s until his early death in 1939
in a car accident.
Henry H. Hawley, Curator of Renaissance and Later Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the
Cleveland Museum of Art, organized the exhibition.
Time-ticketed admission in Cleveland is $5 on weekdays and $7 on Saturdays and Sundays,
with discounts for students and groups. An audio tour will be available for $3. For
information, contact the Ticket Center at (216) 421-7350. Outside Cleveland,
1-888-CMA-0033.
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