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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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
- What is Leo Sewell famous for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Leo Sewell is famous for producing welded metal sculptures out of scavenged or found objects. The American artist was born on September 7, 1945, in Annapolis, Maryland. Dozens of museums around the world have his work on display. Find a variety of Leo Sewell art on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Leo Sewell used a variety of materials to create his sculpture, including plastic, metal and wood. Leop Sewell is known for his collage-like sculpture using primarily recycled materials and featuring naturalist themes and animals. Shop a selection of Leo Sewell artwork on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022American artist Leo Sewell is considered a found object artist; his sculptures of recycled materials are well known and particularly treasured for his approach. The objects he uses to make sculptures often have sentimental meaning to the people who commission his art. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from top artists.