PIERRAT Maurice (EN)
Biographical Article
Maurice Pierrat, who originally came from Châlons, possessed an impressive array of multiple talents. Alternately an actor, voiceover dubber, radio and news presenter, and sound designer, he worked in all manner of audiovisual professions. He was a collector of art since his youth, and his lifelong wish was to share his passion for beautiful things with the inhabitants of his native town, although he left it early, at the age of sixteen, to try his luck in Paris. Throughout his life, he accumulated a multitude of artworks of both European and extra-Europeanorigins (Chinese, Japanese, African, Middle Eastern, etc.). Through diligent frequentation of auction halls, he built up a collection of works of art including furniture, decorative objects, paintings, sculptures, vases, and prints, among others. His taste for Chinese art notably led him to acquire many pieces of furniture ranging from chairs to pedestal tables, including sideboards and screens. Maurice Pierrat's bequest, which had been subject to usufruct, finally arrived at the museum of Châlons in 1997.
Domaine public / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Collection
While Maurice Pierrat's collection is extremely eclectic, it nevertheless shows a pronounced taste for the arts of the Far East. He was particularly interested in the arts of Japan and China and bought prints, screens, furniture, decorative objects, and everyday objects from these two countries as well as from Tibet, India, Burma, Indonesia (and more specifically from Java) or Thailand. He also collected works from the Middle East (Iran), Africa (Ivory Coast, Egypt), Greece, Anatolia (now Turkey), as well as works by French artists, including painters, sculptors, and engravers. Throughout his life, he also gave significant donations of works related to World War 1 to the library of Châlons-en-Champagne (prints, etc.) before the bequest later made to the Châlons museum. The donation pledge dates from before 1978 (the year of his death), but the collection did not arrive in Châlons until 1997, after the death of his wife, who wished to enjoy of the collection until the end of her life.
Domaine public / CC BY-SA 3.0
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