Prouvé was born in 1901 in Nancy, France and studied engineering before becoming interested in metalwork, apprenticing under a local blacksmith. Ultimately, it was steel and aluminum that grabbed the designer’s attention as new materials for designing modern, durable, and easily-produced furniture. In 1931, Prouvé established Les Ateliers Jean Prouvé which became the site where his designs were rigorously tested, refined, and adapted. Imbued with social idealism and ambitious business sense, the designer preferred furniture commissions in the public sector which required his work to be functional, austere, and easily produced.

The Semi-metal chair—first designed in 1935 and developed for broader production in the 1950s—epitomizes the effort to marry ingenious design and mass production. Prouvé wanted to design a chair in which the user could lean back onto the rear feet, which bear the most weight, without compromising the sleek silhouette of the lightweight design. His solution was to design back legs of folded metal, resembling an airfoil with their gracefully tapered form. This metal support is not just functional, but also the most striking aspect of the design.