# Rene Herbst artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/rene-herbst/
Profile generated: 2026-05-25T03:10:26.901Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1891-03-18
- Nationality: French
- Movements: Modernism, Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM)
- Common media: steel furniture, industrial design

## About Rene Herbst

René Herbst (1891–1982) was a French furniture designer and architect recognized as one of the leading proponents of industrialized modern design in twentieth-century France. Born in Paris on March 18, 1891, Herbst championed the use of industrial materials—particularly tubular steel—in furniture, arguing that mass production and modern art were complementary forces. In 1929 he co-founded the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM), a collective that rejected decorative revivalism in favor of functional, machine-age aesthetics. His advocacy helped shape French modernist design throughout the 1930s and beyond. Herbst's work appears in major museum collections, and his furniture designs circulate regularly in the international design market.

## Common works and media

Herbst is best known for tubular steel furniture—particularly seating, tables, and shelving systems designed in the late 1920s and 1930s. His metal-frame chairs and lounge seating are the works most frequently encountered at auction. He also designed lighting fixtures and interior fittings. Collectors may also find later production or licensed reissues of his early modernist designs.

## Market and appraisal context

René Herbst's work at auction is dominated by his modernist furniture designs, especially tubular steel chairs and seating from the late 1920s and 1930s. Provenance linking a piece to a documented exhibition, commission, or UAM context can substantially affect value. Condition, originality of finish, and whether a piece is a period original or later reissue are key factors collectors should verify. His broader architectural output is less commonly encountered at auction. With 251 recorded auction appearances in the Invaluable data, Herbst maintains an active but specialized market niche within twentieth-century decorative arts.

## Appraisily data basis

Appraisily artist pages combine structured identity research from museum records, library authority files, and biographical databases with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. For René Herbst, identity data is sourced from the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, Getty ULAN, VIAF, and Wikidata.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1421687
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Herbst
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500263771
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/17267629/
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/289473
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no91010545
- The Museum of Modern Art: https://www.moma.org/artists/7467