Jean Prouv was born in Nancy, France on April 8, 1901. He served as an architect and furniture designer and often was referred to as a "constructor" as well. And during his career, Prouv was a key contributor in several design areas, including architectural, industrial, structural and furniture design. From 1914 to 1917, Prouv studied at the school of fine arts in Nancy. He later apprenticed with a blacksmith and opened his own furniture design studio in 1923.

Initially, Prouv produced wrought iron lamps, chandelier and hand rails. He was commissioned to help several artists craft their projects in the 1920s. However, Prouv eventually moved past the use of wrought iron in decorative works and began using metal to crafts smooth surfaces of folded metal plates. He began developing storefronts and furniture at this time. Prouv developed the "Ateliers Jean Prouv" in 1931 and began collaborating with French architects Eugne Beaudoin and Marcel Lods. By 1936, Prouv helped produce the standard models for hospitals, offices and schools. He also developed and patented several industrial products using folded sheet metal in the construction of buildings.

There was increased interest in using Prouv's methods and materials for mass production of furniture following World War II. In 1947, Prouv built the Maxville factory to create furniture and explore potential architectural uses of aluminum. For example, he designed the Ferembal Demountable House in 1948, and this building featured steel portal frames that formed a structural core. And In 1949, Prouv and his brother Henri won a contract by the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urbanism to build a 14-lot subdivision at Meudon to illustrate his prototype lightweight prefabricated metal building system.

In addition, Prouv's metal furniture was produced globally. Prouv worked with furniture designers such as Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret to develop a style that was set apart from the Bauhaus steel furniture of the time. Prouv's furniture rejected the commonly used steel tube technique. Instead, his works focused on the durability and form of sheet metal and attention to evolving technical developments. Prouv also followed the principle of "never postponing decisions so as neither to lose the impetus nor indulge in unrealistic forecasts." From 1957 to 1970, Prouv lectured at the Conservatoire des Arts et Mtiers in Paris. And in 1971, he served as the president of the Jury for the design of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Prouv died in Nancy on March 23, 1984.