PROPERTY FROM THE DIEPENHORST FAMILY, THE NETHERLANDS
240
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
Armchair, model no. R54
- Estimate
- $20,000 - 30,000
$18,750
Lot Details
Bent beechwood, plastic-covered springs, brass, fabric cushion.
designed 1942, produced 1942-1946
29 x 23 5/8 x 34 1/4 in. (73.7 x 60 x 87 cm)
Produced and retailed by Metz & Co, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The present rare armchairs from the 1940s form a link between Gerrit Thomas Rietveld's prewar and postwar works. The white-stained short sides of the stretcher are an echo of Rietveld's youthful flirtation with De Stijl while the model is closely related to the metal "Beugelstoel" from 1927. The slender frame of bentwood shows the influence of Scandinavian and American design which would become the leading trend in Europe in the postwar years. Because of the metal shortage during and directly after the war, wooden furniture became a popular alternative. This design by Rietveld however did not become a commercial success; only four armchairs and a settee of this model are known. This complete set was purchased in 1946 at Metz & Co in Amsterdam by Professor Diepenhorst, together with furniture pieces by Alvar Aalto. The Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam acquired one armchair and the settee in 1986; Centraal Museum, Utrecht acquired another armchair at the same time. The remaining two armchairs (the present lots) have remained in the collection of the Diepenhorst family to this date.
Provenance
Literature
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
Dutch | B. 1888 D. 1964Gerrit Thomas Rietveld began as an apprentice in his father's cabinetmaking workshop, going on to train and work as a draftsman. In 1917 he started his own furniture-making workshop in Utrecht. Positive critical review by Theo van Doesburg in his journal De Stijl resulted in near-instantaneous influence on broader developments in European modernism. This connection to the De Stijl movement also inspired him to introduce color to the posts, rails and terminals of his furniture. His resulting "Red-blue" armchair is among the most iconic chair designs of the twentieth century.
From the beginning, Rietveld embraced modernist principles of functionalism, simplicity of form and mass-production, and eventually moved away from De Stijl to become a member of the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM). Rietveld worked through the post-war years, completing a number of private residences, housing developments and institutions. He continued to design furniture for these commissions as well as for retailers like Metz & Co.
Browse ArtistFrom the beginning, Rietveld embraced modernist principles of functionalism, simplicity of form and mass-production, and eventually moved away from De Stijl to become a member of the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM). Rietveld worked through the post-war years, completing a number of private residences, housing developments and institutions. He continued to design furniture for these commissions as well as for retailers like Metz & Co.