Naomi Caryl
Late 20th Century American Modern Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Late 20th Century American Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
Steel
Mid-20th Century French Modern Abstract Sculptures
Steel
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Ceramic
People Also Browsed
20th Century Spanish Brutalist Flush Mount
Wrought Iron, Iron, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Art
Brass, Iron
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Metal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
Metal, Copper, Iron
Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Flush Mount
Metal, Gold Leaf, Iron
Vintage 1920s American Mid-Century Modern Paintings
Glass, Wood, Masonite, Paper
20th Century French Brutalist Wall Lights and Sconces
Iron, Gold Leaf, Metal
Early 2000s French Post-Modern Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Drawings
Glass, Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Earthenware
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Religious Items
Ceramic
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Lucite
Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Brutalist Wall-mounted Sculptures
Brass, Iron
1950s Prints and Multiples
Ceramic, Earthenware
Early 20th Century French Modern Abstract Sculptures
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century American Modern Books
Paper
Late 20th Century French Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Steel, Magnets
A Close Look at modern Furniture
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
12 Calming Spaces Inspired by Japanese Design
From cherry-blossom-adorned walls paired with glamorous lighting to wood-paneled ceilings above checkerboard-patterned chairs, these 12 spaces seamlessly blend Eastern and Western aesthetics.
Eileen Gray’s Deco Designs Launched Modernism. That Was Just the Beginning
Decades after her death, appreciation for the legendary designer and architect's work continues to flourish.
Harvey Probber Was the Godfather of Modern Modular Seating
The forward-thinking designer is finally getting his due.
20 Artfully Crafted Mirrors to Frame Your Reflection
In "Object Permanence 4," on view at the 1stdibs Gallery, Emma Holland Denvir and Leah Ring have brought together pieces that range from polished to playful.
Roberto Burle Marx’s Bold Brazilian Landscape Design Comes to New York
The New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, has mounted a multifaceted show honoring the polymath modernist's legacy, including new work by contemporary landscape maker Raymond Jungles.