Meerson, Lazare

▪ British-born motion-picture set designer

born 1900, Russia

died May 1938, London

      motion-picture set designer whose work transformed French set design. His studio-built street scenes and sets for Jacques Feyder and René Clair in the 1930s marked the beginning of the development of French poetic realism, a complete break from the expressionism and impressionism popular at the time.

      Meerson left his homeland at the time of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and settled briefly in Germany before leaving for France.

      Meerson's delicate, airy decorations were meticulously wrought with significant detail. He never let the camera focus on a blank wall; there was always some background detail for the director to use. He was the first to use iron, glass, cement, and oil paint on a large scale. His reputation as a designer has rarely been equaled. Meerson worked in England for his last two years, and his influence there was as strong as it had been in France.

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