Jan Vanek
Elegance describes the designs of Jan Vanek.
Influenced by his family’s furniture company, Vandek studied woodworking. Following a stint in Germany, where he advanced his skills at established firms in Munich, Stuttgart and Heilbronn, he returned home to the former Czechoslovakia and took over the family business, which in 1920 became known as Spojené Uměleckoprůmyslové Závody, or UP Závody.
Vanek's early friendships and collaborations with architectural and design greats like Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Adolf Loos and others likely had much to do with his graceful style, best exemplified by his 1930s bentwood chairs, with the arabesque curves of their arms and legs conjoining to form open, dynamic loops.
True to Czech standards for uniformity, Vanek scarcely altered the design over decades of production, though he did gradually modernize his frames: His 1950s models are more angular, industrialized — and very definitely modern.
Find a collection of vintage Jan Vanek furniture today on 1stDibs.
Average Sold Price |
$1,650 |
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Materials |
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1940s Czech Art Deco Vintage Jan Vanek
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Czech Art Deco Jan Vanek
Fabric, Upholstery, Beech
1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jan Vanek
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Czech Art Deco Jan Vanek
Wood, Lacquer, Textile, Cotton, Oak
1940s Art Deco Vintage Jan Vanek
Fabric, Bentwood
1940s Czech Brutalist Vintage Jan Vanek
Oak
Mid-20th Century Czech Bauhaus Jan Vanek
Canvas, Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Jan Vanek
Fabric, Oak