Wright, Chicago, "Important Design," December 8, 2009, lot 162
Theodore M. Brown, The Work of G. Rietveld, Architect, Cambridge, 1958, pp. 24, 33, 166 for early examples
Daniele Baroni, The Furniture of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, New York, 1978, pp. 49, 58-59 for early examples
Marijke Küper and Ida van Zijl, Gerrit Th. Rietveld 1888-1964, The Complete Works, Utrecht, 1992, p. 246
Peter Vöge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Rotterdam, 1993, pp. 31, 42 for early examples
Ida van Zijl, Gerrit Rietveld, London, 2010, pp. 41, 51, 62, 64, 66, 162, 190, 223 for early examples
Dutch • 1888 - 1964
Gerrit 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.
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