# Maxime Old artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/maxime-old/
Profile generated: 2026-05-30T06:27:05.310Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Nationality: French
- Movements: Art Deco to Modern Design transition, Bauhaus influence
- Common media: Furniture, Interior architecture

## About Maxime Old

Maxime Old (1910–1991) was a French interior architect, decorator, and furniture designer recognized for bridging the refined aesthetics of 1930s French decorative art with the emerging vocabulary of modern design. Active across several decades of the twentieth century, Old developed a distinctive approach that combined Bauhaus rationalism with the exacting craftsmanship associated with designers like Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. His work earned institutional acknowledgment, including commentary from Yves Badetz, chief curator of decorative arts at the Musée d'Orsay, who described Old's refined lines as anticipating contemporary design sensibilities. Old's practice spanned residential interiors, bespoke furniture, and decorative commissions, placing him among the notable French designer-craftsmen whose output appears in both museum collections and the decorative-arts market.

## Common works and media

Maxime Old's output most commonly encountered in appraisal and auction contexts includes bespoke furniture pieces such as chairs, tables, cabinets, and desks, often featuring refined woodwork and modernist lines. His practice also encompassed complete interior architecture commissions for residential and commercial spaces. Decorative objects and design drawings related to his studio may also appear. Materials typically associated with his work include fine woods, metal accents, and upholstered elements consistent with mid-twentieth-century French design.

## Market and appraisal context

Maxime Old's furniture and interior design work appears at auction primarily within twentieth-century decorative art and modern design categories. Collectors and appraisers evaluating Old pieces should consider documented provenance, the presence of studio stamps or labels, the specific materials and construction techniques used, and whether a work is a unique commission or part of a production series. The artist's recognized role in the transition from Art Deco to modern design may contribute to collector interest. Without a published catalogue raisonné, attribution depends on provenance research and stylistic comparison. Consulting realized prices from major auction houses is recommended for current market calibration.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines identity research from authority files (Wikidata, Getty ULAN, VIAF, RKD, Library of Congress) with biographical context from encyclopedia sources. When available, auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots from major auction houses are integrated to support market context. Attribution and valuation guidance reflects the limitations of the available published record.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3302653
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxime_Old
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500266509
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/67345159/
- RKD: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/211462
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr00028789