Walter Gropius Furniture
As the founder of the Bauhaus — the German art and design school that was one of the chief crucibles of modernism — Walter Gropius had a central and enduring impact on the architecture and design of the 20th century and beyond. Along with fellow Bauhaus principals such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, Gropius championed a philosophy of design focused on simplicity, efficiency and the inherent beauty of steel, glass and other industrial materials.
Born in Berlin, Gropius followed in his architect father’s footsteps and after completing his studies was employed by the brilliant proto-modernist designer Peter Behrens. Gropius’s early architectural work demonstrated many of the aspects that define the modernist aesthetic: ribbon windows, an emphasis on light and minimal decoration. Gropius became known primarily as a great organizer, writer and teacher. After military service in World War I, he developed concepts of what are now called the applied arts — a marriage of creative imagination with practical skill and technology. These notions drove Gropius’s founding of the Bauhaus in 1919. The school would welcome many of the great creators of the 20th century, including Paul Klee, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Josef Albers. After the independent-minded college fell afoul of the Nazi regime in the 1930s, Gropius immigrated to the United States, and finished out his years on the Harvard faculty.
Gropius produced far fewer furniture designs than his fellows on the Bauhaus faculty, but what he did make has a purity of form and spirit. As you will see from the works offered on 1stDibs, Walter Gropius never compromised his vision of design that encompassed beauty, creativity and the highest level of technical skill.
1950s Austrian Bauhaus Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Birch
1970s American Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Velvet, Oak
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Oak
1970s American Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Velvet, Oak
1950s Austrian Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Birch
1950s Austrian Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Birch
1950s Austrian Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Steel
1970s American Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Velvet, Oak
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Bouclé, Birch
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Chrome
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Wool, Oak
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Bentwood, Plywood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Brass
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Beech
1980s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Chrome
1960s American Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Beech
2010s Ukrainian Modern Walter Gropius Furniture
Fabric, Bouclé
1970s Polish Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Naugahyde, Beech
1960s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Beech, Lacquer, Rush
Early 20th Century German Bauhaus Walter Gropius Furniture
Steel
1970s German Space Age Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Art Glass
1960s German Bauhaus Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Porcelain
1960s German Post-Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Porcelain
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Birch
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Walter Gropius Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s German Bauhaus Walter Gropius Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Ash
Early 20th Century German Bauhaus Walter Gropius Furniture
Leather, Wood
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Metal, Bronze
1950s American Bauhaus Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Walter Gropius Furniture
Birch