{{Short description|20th century French interior designer}} {{Infobox person | name = Henri Samuel | image = | birth_date = 1904 | birth_place = France | death_date = 1996 | death_cause = | education = | occupation = Interior decorator | years_active = 1921-1987 | era = | known_for = Interior decoration | notable_works = | spouse = | partner = | children = | mother = | father = | relatives = | awards = | honours = | website = }} '''Henri Samuel''' ({{IPA|fr|ɑ̃ʁi samɥɛl}}; 1904–1996) was one of the foremost French interior designers of the twentieth century, hailed by ''Architectural Digest'' as a "supreme master of progressive historicism".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/samuel-article-012000|title=Design Legends: Henri Samuel - Architectural Digest|website=architecturaldigest.com|date=January 2000 }}</ref> He was a leading interpreter of le Goût Rothschild after the Second World War and helped restore Château de Ferrières and Château Lafite in the 1950s. His clients included several members of the Rothschild family, the fashion designer Valentino,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/valentino-garavani-paris-chateau-pigeonnier-article|title=Step Inside Valentino Garavani's Asian-Inspired Château Near Paris - Architectural Digest|website=architecturaldigest.com|date=October 2012 }}</ref> and the prominent collector Jayne Wrightsman.<ref>Rosamund Bernier. “Palm Beach Fable: The Private Wrightsman rooms.” House and Garden (May 1984): 118–135.</ref>
==Early life== Samuel was born into a wealthy family: his father was a banker and his grandfather was an antique dealer. After a 2 year apprenticeship on Wall Street he decided to pursue design and in 1925 went to work for design firm, Maison Jansen, where he assisted Stéphane Boudin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/samuel-article-012000|title=Henri Samuel|website=architecturaldigest.com|date=January 2000 }}</ref>
==Career== Samuel worked for Jansen until he was hired by the firm Alavoine, one of Jansen's main competitors. He started his own firm in 1970.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.1stdibs.com/introspective-magazine/henri-samuel/|title=Meet Henri Samuel, the Givenchy-Approved Designer with "Perfect Taste"|website=1stdibs.com|date=6 April 2018 }}</ref>
== Further reading == * Eerdmans, Emily Evans. [https://www.amazon.com/Henri-Samuel-Master-French-Interior/dp/0847861864 ''Henri Samuel: Master of the French Interior''. New York: Rizzoli, 2018] * {{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/86be2b70-6b2d-11e4-ae52-00144feabdc0|title=The enduring legacy of Henri Samuel, decorator to the wealthy|first=Jennifer|last=Krichels|website=Financial Times|date=November 21, 2014|access-date=2017-11-19|url-access=subscription}} * {{Cite web|url=https://www.artsy.net/article/editorial-the-vibrant-influence-of-french-tastemaker-henri|title=The Vibrant Influence of French Tastemaker Henri Samuel on Parisian Design|date=2014-11-11|work=Artsy|access-date=2017-11-19|language=en}}
== References == {{reflist}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samuel, Henri}} Category:French interior designers Category:1904 births Category:1996 deaths