Master of Soft Light Manual craftsmanship
The choice of materials, and attention to detail are inseparable from Scandinavian style. Firmly rooted in this tradition, Maison Epice has chosen to present its FW21/22 collection in an iconic setting of Danish design, the unusual PH's eget hus built in 1937 by architect-designer and pioneer of indirect lighting, Poul Henningsen, known as PH.
Iconic Danish Setting
Located in Gentofte, a residential suburb north of Copenhagen, this family home stands out with its industrial style and red windows, a deliberate snub to the bourgeois conservatism of the time. Meanwhile, the wallpaper featuring nude women, designed by painter Albert Naur, seems to be a nod to the designer's provocative spirit. Protected as heritage since 1995, the house, acquired by Realdania By & Byg in 2014, has been restored to its original state.
Art, Science and Design According to PH
The incandescent light bulb, which became widespread in the early 1920s, introduced harsh and unflattering light into homes. This modern lighting contrasted with the soft light of oil lamps or gas lighting. Henningsen developed his PH System with the aim of recreating flattering and soothing lighting, close to daylight and non-glaring. His starting point was the campfire, which he described as humanity's first lamp, producing warm, soft light from bottom to top. The first model of the PH lamp was a set of three separate lampshades, based on scientific calculations: the uniform distribution of light and the reduction of glare dictated the size, shape, and positioning of the lampshade. In 1925, Henningsen won the gold medal at the International Exhibition of Decorative & Industrial Arts in Paris with his invention presented as a pendant lamp, renamed Paris Lamp, produced by Louis Poulsen. Six reflective, overlapping lampshades surrounded the filament bulb to produce indirect light.
At the end of December 1925, Poul Henningsen and publisher Louis Poulsen filed the patent for the PH Lamp, a future timeless icon of lighting art. The registration application entitled "Reflector for incandescent lamp" specified that it was both an invention and a work of art. When frosted glass bulbs replaced transparent ones, the light beam dispersed across the entire surface and became difficult to direct. Henningsen was forced to revise his system. He added a lampshade and reflectors painted red or blue to correct the yellowish defect in the light spectrum of modern bulbs. The designer would dedicate his life to improving his PH Lamp with the goal of creating perfect light. He achieved this perfection with his bestseller, the PH 5 with 5 lampshades, released in 1958 by Louis Poulsen. The PH Artichoke (1957), the PH Grand Piano (1930), and the PH Snake Chair (1932) are among the most iconic creations of Danish design. Poet Otto Gelsted paid tribute to his friend with the poem "Til en PH-Lampe" which ends with: "Observe a PH lamp on a grey December day / You'll see the old pact between spirit and light in a new way"
