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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.

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
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld "Utrecht" Armchair for Cassina, 1935
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld "Utrecht" armchairs for Cassina, wool and steel, Netherlands, 1935. The designer came up with the idea of the “Utrecht” armchair in 1935 while working for t...
Category

1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Steel

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld "Utrecht" Armchairs for Cassina, 1935, Set of 2
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld "Utrecht" armchairs for Cassina, wool and steel, Netherlands, 1935, set of two. The designer came up with the idea of the “Utrecht” armchair in 1935 while w...
Category

1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Steel

Bookcase / Room Divider by Wim Rietveld for De Bijenkorf, the Netherlands, 1960s
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Antwerp, BE
Impressive bookcase / room divider designed by Wim Rietveld for De Bijenkorf, The Netherlands 1960s. This bookcase stands on its own, its double sided so you can also use this as a r...
Category

1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Metal

Gerrit Rietveld "Zig-Zag" Chairs by Cassina, Italy 1973 'Four Available'
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in Sacile, PN
Four Gerrit Rietveld "ZIG-ZAG" chairs by Cassina, Italy 1970s. N°853 -854 -873-874 Provenance: Private collection Milan This set of ten early year 'Zig Zag' chairs by Gerrit Rietvel...
Category

1970s Italian De Stijl Vintage Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Wood, Elm

Red Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina No. 213
By Cassina, Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Munster, NRW
Vintage edition of the red and blue chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld and manufactured by Cassina, Italy. Originally designed in 1918, this piece is s...
Category

1970s Italian De Stijl Vintage Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Plywood

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Wood

  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
H 29.14 in. W 14.57 in. D 16.93 in.
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
By Gerrit Rietveld, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Wood

  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
  • Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
H 29.14 in. W 14.57 in. D 16.93 in.
Table Lamp, Gerrit Rietveld
By Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Milano, IT
A big table lamp, with a modern feeling in the design of the base, so regular and geometric. A very interesting object designed by Gerrit Rietveld, so actual and collectible. Good fo...
Category

1920s Italian Modern Vintage Gerrit Rietveld

Materials

Metal

  • Table Lamp, Gerrit Rietveld
  • Table Lamp, Gerrit Rietveld
  • Table Lamp, Gerrit Rietveld
  • Table Lamp, Gerrit Rietveld
H 19.69 in. W 31.5 in. D 6.3 in.
Browse all Furniture from Gerrit Rietveld
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More Gerrit Rietveld Designs
Gerrit Rietveld Red And Blue Chair
Gerrit Rietveld Red And Blue Chair
Average Price
$3,871
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
$16,682
Number Available
3
Gerrit Rietveld Zigzag Chair
By Gerrit Rietveld
Materials
Wood, Elm, Hardwood
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.

Gerrit Rietveld furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gerrit Rietveld furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 51 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 54 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Gerrit Rietveld were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by UMS Pastoe, Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, Perriand, and Cees Braakman. Prices for Gerrit Rietveld furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at £1 and can go as high as £34,053, while a piece like these, on average, fetch £4,432.
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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