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Gerrit Rietveld

Best known for his Red and Blue chair, a modernist icon created using only two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld trained as a cabinetmaker, and his bold vision for furniture was supported by his expertise in construction and craftsmanship.

Born in Utrecht, Rietveld learned goldsmithing in addition to the cabinetry apprenticeship he had in his carpenter father’s workshop. He studied draftsmanship with architect Piet Klaarhamer at the Utrecht Museum of Applied Arts and opened his own furniture workshop in 1917. In the 1930s, Rietveld began to experiment with then-unusual materials like plywood and aluminum, and he pursued intellectual concepts through his design, even considering a seat as a resting place for the body and the soul.

Designed in 1918, the minimalist Red and Blue chair is widely coveted by collectors and gained admirers in the likes of legendary American sculptor and designer Donald Judd over the years. (Examples of Rietveld’s designs can be found in Judd’s restored home-museum in New York City.) The Red and Blue chair is so stunning in its geometric simplicity that it is one of the most important symbols of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl, of which Rietveld was an important part. De Stijl means “the Style” and was an effort to express utopian values through pure abstraction in design and the use of primary colors.

Another example of Rietveld’s celebrated seating furniture is the Zig-Zag chair, which was commissioned by the Dutch department store Metz & Co. and intended to be mass-produced. The resulting design — to which the rights to manufacture were bought by Cassina in 1971 — is the essence of the De Stijl movement and an example of Rietveld’s experiments with jointless chairs made from a single material, wood. The Zig-Zag chair’s armless, legless, elegant form is pure abstraction, yet it is also sturdy and comfortable.

Later in his career, Rietveld worked more often as an architect, designing buildings in prestigious settings like the Venice Biennale. He was a pioneer in more ways than one: The first building he designed, Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht in 1924, is a radically modern space and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

Find vintage Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price
$6,820
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Related Creators
Iconic Designs from Gerrit Rietveld
Explore timeless pieces that have earned their place in history.
Gerrit Rietveld Red And Blue Chair
Gerrit Rietveld Red And Blue Chair
Gerrit Rietveld Zigzag Chair
Gerrit Rietveld Zigzag Chair
Set of Ten Early 'Zig Zag' Chairs by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1973, Signed
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This set of ten early year 'Zig Zag' chairs by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina are the holy grail of collectors pieces. Extremely rare and coveted, original 'Zig Zag' chairs are a part o...
Category

1970s Italian De Stijl Vintage Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Wood

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrecht Armchair by Cassina
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Armchair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1935. Relaunched in 2015. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Gerrit T. Rietveld came up with the design for the Utrecht armchair...
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2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Fabric

  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrecht Armchair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrecht Armchair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrecht Armchair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrecht Armchair by Cassina
H 27.56 in. W 25.2 in. D 33.47 in.
Gerrit Rietveld Zeilmaker Version of Black Red and Blue Chair by Cassina
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1920. Relaunched in 2015. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. One of the versions of the iconic model dated 1918. The structure is in black-sta...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Leather, Wood

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrech Armchair by Cassina
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Armchair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1935. Relaunched in 2015. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Gerrit T. Rietveld came up with the design for the Utrecht armchair in ...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Fabric

  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrech Armchair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrech Armchair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrech Armchair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Utrech Armchair by Cassina
H 27.56 in. W 25.2 in. D 33.47 in.
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Elling Buffet by Cassina
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Buffet designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1919. Relaunched in 2019. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Represents, with the red and blu...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Wood

  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Elling Buffet by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Elling Buffet by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Elling Buffet by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Elling Buffet by Cassina
H 40.16 in. W 78.75 in. D 17.72 in.
Crate Lounge Chair, Wb Lacquered Pinewood/ Q Cushion, by Gerrit Rietveld for Hay
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Lebanon, LB
Initially designed to make use of surplus wooden shipping crates by Dutch architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld in 1934, the Crate Collection has been relaunched in a Rietveld Originals...
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21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Pine, Lacquer

Crate Lounge Chair, WB Lacquered Pinewood/ F Cushion by Gerrit Rietveld for HAY
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Lebanon, LB
Initially designed to make use of surplus wooden shipping crates by Dutch architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld in 1934, the Crate Collection has been relaunched in a Rietveld Originals...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Pine, Lacquer

Crate Lounge Chair-BWB Lacquered Pinewood/ F Cushion, by Gerrit Rietveld for HAY
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Lebanon, LB
Initially designed to make use of surplus wooden shipping crates by Dutch architect and designer Gerrit Rietveld in 1934, the Crate Collection has been relaunched in a Rietveld Originals...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Pine, Lacquer

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Creators Similar to Gerrit Rietveld

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More Gerrit Rietveld Designs
Gerrit Rietveld Red And Blue Chair
Gerrit Rietveld Red And Blue Chair
Average Price
$4,045
Number Available
7
Gerrit Rietveld Red And Blue Chair
By Gerrit Rietveld
Materials
Wood, Beech, Hardwood
Styles
Mid Century Modern, Modern
With its geometric composition and primary colors, the Red and Blue armchair has become the definitive symbol of the Dutch De Stijl (“the Style”) movement. The chair’s creator, Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964), was perhaps an unlikely pioneer of this revolutionary aesthetic movement given his traditional path to making furniture. The son of a carpenter in Utrecht, Rietveld left school at age 11 to begin an apprenticeship with his father. Later, he attended night school and worked for a goldsmith. ...
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Gerrit Rietveld Zigzag Chair
Gerrit Rietveld Zigzag Chair
Average Price
$24,238
Number Available
4
Gerrit Rietveld Zigzag Chair
By Gerrit Rietveld
Materials
Wood
Styles
De Stijl, Mid Century Modern
“It is not a chair but a designer joke,” Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964) famously said of the piece that would, ironically, become perhaps his most recognizable chair design. Introduced in 1934, the Zig-Zag chair was the result of Dutch department store Metz & Co having enlisted Rietveld to create a chair for mass production.By this time, Rietveld had gained international acclaim for designs like his famous Red and Blue chair as well as the groundbreaking Rietveld Schröder House (1924) in his...
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Gerrit Rietveld furniture for sale on 1stDibs

Furniture by Gerrit Rietveld are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive objects are often made of wood and designed with extraordinary care. In our Gerrit Rietveld collection of furniture there are many options to choose from, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. 32 vintage editions of these items are in stock, while there are 17 modern editions to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Gerrit Rietveld were created in Europe during the 20th century in the Mid-Century Modern style. Many customers also consider furniture by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, Willem H. Gispen and, t'Spectrum when they are looking for additional options. The prices for Gerrit Rietveld furniture can vary depending on size, time period and other attributes. 1stDibs's price starts at $1,056 and tops out at $101,346, while pieces like these can sell for $7,311.
Questions About Gerrit Rietveld
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Gerrit Rietveld's style reflects the characteristics of De Stijl, a Dutch art movement active in the early 20th century. Rietveld created simple, sleek furniture designs easily manufactured in mass by machines. Shop a variety of Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Gerrit Rietveld used a variety of materials. He was one of the first furniture makers to employ plywood and aluminum in furniture designs. Two of his most famous pieces are the Red Blue chair and the Zig Zag chair. Shop a selection of Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.

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