Although he was Romanian by birth, architect and designer Jean Gillon’s heart and soul belonged to his adopted country of Brazil. The country’s culture and revered architecture served as a muse for his mid-century furniture designs. Today Gillon ranks among the most interesting figures in Brazilian modernism, which is characterized by sensual forms and beautifully handcrafted chairs, tables and cabinets built from exotic hardwoods.
Gillon was born in Iasi and graduated from the city’s George Enescu National University of the Arts. He then moved to Paris, where he studied tapestry, worked at the newspaper Le Monde as a cartoonist and moonlighted as a set designer for the Paris Opera Ballet. He eventually left Paris for Vienna, where he studied architecture at the School of Industrial Arts, known today as the University of Applied Arts. In the early 1950s, Gillon was a visiting lecturer at London’s Central School of Arts and Crafts.
In 1956, Gillon moved with his wife and two daughters to São Paulo, where he developed a passion for Brazilian architecture, namely the work of modernists such as celebrated architect Lina Bo Bardi and designer José Zanine Caldas. Gillon took on interior decorating projects and formed the Fábrica de Móveis Cidam, which later became Italma Wood Art, in order to design furniture for his clients. Gillon’s furnishings, produced at Italma and also in collaboration with manufacturers such as Probel, were immensely popular and could be found in the planned capital city of Brasilia, a project launched in 1956 by Oscar Niemeyer.
Gillon designed everything from bowls and baskets to centerpieces, tables and other objects and furniture. However, he was best known for his lounge chairs and sofas, including his iconic Jangada chair. Named for the Portuguese word for traditional Brazilian fishing boats, the award-winning Jangada was framed in jacaranda in the late 1960s. The welcoming seat of Gillon’s visually striking trapezoidal lounge chair features plush leather cushions that are supported by nylon fishing rope.
Gillon continued to produce furniture for Italma Wood Art until he retired in 2003. He died in 2007, and today Gillon’s pieces remain highly covetable among interior designers and collectors of modern furniture.
On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Jean Gillon seating, decorative objects and serveware.
"Jangada" Lounge Armchair in Jacaranda by Jean Guillon for by Italma Woodart
By Jean Gillon
Located in Montreal, QC
"Jangada" Lounge Armchair with Ottoman in Jacaranda Designed by Jean Guillon and made by Italma Woodart Foil manufacturer's label to ottoman ‘WoodArt J...
Jacaranda
Mid-Century 1955 Vintage Jean Gillon Chaise Longue
By Jean Gillon
Located in London, GB
Jean Gillon (1919–2007) was a Brazilian designer of Jewish-Polish descent who became renowned for his work in furniture design and for his significant contributions to Brazilian mode...
Upholstery, Wood
Italian Chaise Longue silk
Located in Long Island, NY
Italian Chaise Longue .Elegant and Timeless. Beautiful Reds and Gold Colors in Silk .
Silk
$8,523Sale Price|25% Off
H 25.6 in W 76.78 in D 39.38 in
Mid-Century Modern Twins Chaise Longue, Beige Fabric, Handmade by Greenapple
By Rute Martins, Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Mid-Century Modern Twins Chaise Longue, Contemporary Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Twins chaise longue and its matching...
Walnut, Oak, Linen, Mohair, Fabric, Leather, Cotton, Velvet, Bouclé, Wood
Vintage Brown Leather Chaise Longue
By Enrico Pellizzoni
Located in Milan, IT
Showcasing a fluid silhouette crafted of bronzed cylindrical steel, padded in expanded polyurethane, and upholstered in vintage brown leather, this elegant chaise longue makes for th...
Leather
Penelope Green Chaise Longue
By Pier Luigi Frighetto by Black Tie
Located in Milan, IT
The curved Silhouette of this superbly elegant chaise longue provides a chic and comfortable seat that will highlight the decor of any bedroom or...
Metal, Other
Upholstered Daybed Chaise Longues
Located in Sheffield, MA
Graceful and inviting, the recamier chaise with arched back and rolled arm. The fainting couch is upholstered but it does show some ware. Although made in the Victorian period, it ...
Upholstery
$5,995
H 31.25 in W 30.5 in D 35.5 in
Jean Gillon for Italma Amazonas Mid Century Lounge Chair and Ottoman
By Italma, Jean Gillon
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Jean Gillon for Italma Amazonas Mid Century Lounge Chair and Ottoman The chair measures: 30.5 wide x 35.5 deep x 31.25 high, with a seat height of 15 inches and arm height/chair cle...
Leather, Wood
Victorian Walnut Chaise Longue
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Victorian Walnut Chaise Longue – Button-Back Upholstery Item Code: S27-1109 This elegant Victorian walnut chaise longue features a beautifully shaped silhouette with a sweeping backr...
Walnut
Pair of French Vintage Adjustable "Chaises Longues"
Located in Austin, TX
Iconic French vintage adjustable chaises longue chair with chromed steel frame. Measurements are for the chair sitting at the maximum position for the given dimension. Very comfortab...
Chrome
$5,250
H 33 in W 22 in D 63 in
Charlotte Perriand for LeCorbusier LC4 Chaise Lounge by Cassina in Black Leather
By Cassina, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Cassina
Located in Dallas, TX
Le Corbusier held that furniture should be “extensions of our limbs and adapted to human functions.” The LC4 Chaise Longue (1928) embodies this notion with a “floating” frame that mo...
Steel
$7,351
H 33.08 in W 55.12 in D 28.75 in
Mid 19th Century Chaise Longue in Titley & Marr Printed Cotton
Located in Batley, GB
A cute little mid 19th century country house chaise longue. English c1840 with a beautifully curvaceous walnut frame raised on the original gilt brass casters and short turned legs. ...
Walnut
Leather BoConcept Chaise Longue
By BoConcept
Located in Vilnius, LT
Vintage BoConcept chaise lounge with relax function. In natural black leather, chrome steel base/legs. Label: BoConcept. Very good vintage condition.
Metal, Chrome
$25,000
H 32.5 in W 36 in D 41.5 in
“Jangada” Lounge Chair with Ottoman in Hardwood & Leather, Jean Gillon, 1970s
By Jean Gillon
Located in New York, NY
Few works encapsulate the spirit of Brazilian Modernism as powerfully as the Jangada. Designed in the 1970s by Jean Gillon, this iconic lounge chair takes its name from the handcraft...
Leather, Natural Fiber, Hardwood, Wood