Austrian architect and furniture and fabric designer Josef Frank was a leading voice for a gentle, humane modernism. His advocacy of warm, comfortable, eclectically styled environments was highly influential in his adopted country of Sweden, and it’s now widely regarded as a harbinger of the backlash against doctrinaire modernism and the embrace of the homespun that occurred in the late 1960s.
The son of a successful Viennese textile manufacturer, Frank studied architecture at Vienna University of Technology, graduating in 1910. From the first years of his practice, he marched counter to the orderly, symmetrical architectural layouts and decors prescribed by contemporaries such as Adolf Loos.
Frank drafted rooms of varying shapes and called for flexible interior-design arrangements. His furniture pieces are light and easy to move — and his chairs are always made of wood, most often with lushly curved steam-bent arms and slatted backs. Frank openly loathed the tubular steel furnishings and “machine for living” aesthetic promoted by Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and other Bauhaus principals. “The home must not be a mere efficient machine,” Frank once said. “It must offer comfort, rest and coziness…. There are no puritan principles in good interior decoration.”
Frank — who was Jewish — sensed the dire implications of the rise of Nazism in Germany and Austria, and in 1933 he moved to Stockholm with his Swedish wife, Anna. He became the design chief for the furnishings maker Svenskt Tenn and found a perfect match culturally for his brand of simple, relaxed and bright creations. Like many modernists — notably Charles and Ray Eames and Alexander Girard — Frank had a deep love of folk art, which influenced his designs for a wide array of colorful, richly patterned upholstery fabrics, many based on the classic “Tree of Life” motif.
In all his designs, Frank took inspiration from a broad variety of sources. In his furniture, one can discern traces of Asian patterns, Rococo, Italian Renaissance, Scandinavian handicrafts and even Chippendale pieces. As such, the work of Frank — the friendly modernist — is at home in any type of décor.
Find vintage Josef Frank pillows, armchairs, floor lamps and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Art Deco Vintage Brown Beech Windsor Chairs Josef Frank, circa 1930, Vienna
By Josef Frank
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Deco vintage Windsor chairs or dining chairs Josef Frank attributed circa 1930 in Vienna and executed by Thonet-Mundus. It features a company´s branding label. The chairs from br...
Bentwood, Beech
Josef Frank Easy Chair Model 508 Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden
By Josef Frank
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Very rare easy chair model 508 designed by Josef Frank. Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden.
Cane, Mahogany
Art Deco Josef Frank Walnut Wood Vintage Coffee Table Vienna circa 1926
By Josef Frank
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Deco coffee table or side table shows solid walnut feet with a walnut veneered table top with a wonderful wood grain Josef Frank furniture pieces stand for effortless and timeles...
Wood
Rare Stool in Mahogany and Original Leather by Josef Frank, 1950's
By Josef Frank
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare Stool in Mahogany and Original Leather by Josef Frank, 1950's Additional Information: Material: Mahogany and original leather Style: Mid century, Scandinavian Rare stool model ...
Mahogany
Midcentury Modern table or desk lamp by Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Rare, elegant brass table or desk lamp by Josef Frank, with original leather upholstery with some patina on the stem and base. Flexible neck and decorative round brass feet.
Brass
Floor Lamps by Josef Frank, Sweden, 1950s
By Josef Frank
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Designed by renowned Austrian-Swedish architect and designer Josef Frank for the iconic Swedish design house Svenskt Tenn (Model 2326 / 2568 series), this vintage floor lamp beautifu...
Metal
Easy Chair in Beech and Original Fabric by Josef Frank, 1934
By Josef Frank
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Easy Chair in Beech and Original Fabric by Josef Frank, 1934 Additional Information: Material: Beech and original fabric Style: Mid century, Scandinavian Rare easy chair model 336 P...
Beech, Fabric
Mid Century Modern Oval Sunburst Mirror Josef Frank, West Germany 1960s
By Josef Frank
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find beautiful and rare Mid Century Modern Oval Sunburst Mirror designed by Josef Frank. It comes with a black metal frame and the rope that allow you to mou...
Metal
Josef Frank Stools Model 973 Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden
By Josef Frank
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare pair of stools model 973 designed by Josef Frank. Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden.
Brass
Armchair A63/F by Josef Frank for Thonet Mundus
By Josef Frank
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Armchair A63/F by Josef Frank for Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished with new seat.
Bentwood
Height Adjustable Floor Lamp in Brass and Lamp Shade by Josef Frank, 1950's
By Josef Frank
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Height Adjustable Floor Lamp in Brass and Original Lamp Shade by Josef Frank, 1950's Additional Information: Material: Brass and original lamp shade Style: Mid century, Scandinavian...
Brass
1950s Pair of Caned Prague Dining Chairs, Model 811, by Josef Frank for Thonet
By Thonet, Josef Frank
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Pair of Caned 811 Dining Chairs, initially designed by Josef Frank for Michael Thonet in 1920. This pair of chairs dates to the 1950s. The chairs have a pressed Vienna Brai...
Bentwood, Cane, Braid
Pair of Josef Frank Cushions in the Notturno Pattern
By Josef Frank
Located in New York, NY
A pair of cushions with the "Notturno" printed cotton pattern, designed by Josef Frank. Pieced with bias linen and silk. Newly made, 50 down/50 feather insert.
Cotton, Silk, Down, Feathers
Josef Frank Six-Branched Candle Holder for Firma Svenskt Tenn, Sweden 1930s
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Utrecht, NL
In 1934, Josef Frank made his first attempt at modernizing the classic candelabra. With softly swaying forms, he eliminated the base in the middle, ...
Brass
Josef Frank Table Mirror Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden
By Josef Frank
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare table mirror designed by Josef Frank. Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden.
Brass
Swedish Tea or Bar Cart by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, 1950s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Matosinhos, 13
A beautiful design piece, imagined by Josef Frank for the Swedish brand Svenskt Tenn in the 1950s. This piece can be used as a bar or tea cart, infusing any space with glamour and character from the Nordic mid-century style. It is a very versatile and iconic piece, with elegant proportions and delicate metal-work details. About Josef Frank & Svenskt Tenn: Svenskt Tenn was founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, who recruited Josef Frank to...
Brass, Sheet Metal
Pair of 20th Century Swedish Headboards by Josef Frank
By Josef Frank
Located in Barcelona, ES
A Pair of 20th Century Swedish Headboards by Josef Frank in 1939. Made for Firma Svenskt Tenn.
Rattan, Mahogany
$2,433 / set
Pair of Bamboo & Rattan Chairs by Josef Frank
By Josef Frank
Located in London, Charterhouse Square
A pair of Bamboo & Rattan Chairs designed in 1947 by Josef Frank in Sweden. The Austrian born architect is considered to be one of the most important figures in Swedish design. Fra...
Cane
Josef Frank Occasional Table, Mahogany, Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Stockholm, SE
Occasional table designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden. 1950s. Mahogany. H: 45 cm L: 80 cm D: 40 cm Josef Frank was a true European, he was also a pioneer of what would become classic 20th century Swedish design and the “Scandinavian Design Style”. Austrian- born Frank started his design career as an architect after having trained at the Technische Hochschule in Vienna between 1903 and 1910. After his training he went on to teach at Kunstgewerbeschule (The Viennese School of Arts and crafts) where he developed and espoused the new school of modernist thinking towards Architecture and Design that was coming to fruition in Vienna at the time. He also went on to lead the Vienna Werkbund throughout the 1920s. This was a truly progressive group of Architects and Designers who set about improving the daily lives of Austrian people through modernist design and architecture in partnership with Arts and Crafts ideals and construction. Frank’s leadership of the Werkbund had already cemented his place at the forefront of European design. Frank’s time in Vienna was typified by his design for the “Die Wohnung” exhibition of the Deutscher Werkbund in Stuttgart, 1927 where he exhibited along side his contemporaries at the forefront of design, such as the likes of Le Corbusier and Walter Gropius. Here he showed a specially designed pair of flat-roofed reinforced concrete houses in what is now seen as a typical modernist style. What separated Frank’s house from the other 32 houses of the exhibition was the interior and furniture inside the building. It was described as “Neo-Classical” and filled with an eclectic mix of period pieces, modern design and pieces designed by Frank himself that seemed to cross the two worlds. This was a complete opposite direction to that which his fellow Architects were travelling in with their pared back and angular aesthetics. Frank said of his own work: “The house is not a work of art, simply a place where one lives,” and by this reasoning Frank rejected the regimental mechanisation of the living space that his contemporaries believed in, instead he set about creating congenial and spontaneous interiors. Frank’s practice saw him placing the bright colours and the soft forms of nature back into the furnishings and interiors that he thought modernism sorely mist. Frank, along with Oskar Walch set up Haus und Garten in Vienna in 1925. This was Frank’s first commercial foray into furniture and home furnishings and the company went on to become the most influential furnishing house in Vienna with a riotous depth of colour and interesting shapes becoming the trademark of their design. However this success was to come to an end with rise of Nazism in Vienna in the early 1930’s. Frank was Jewish, and he and his wife Anna decided they would leave Vienna for her motherland: Sweden, in 1933. Frank continued to design for Haus and Garten, visiting Vienna occasionally and designing the pieces that would continue to be the company’s best...
Mahogany
Art Deco Vintage Circular Coffee Table Cherry Wood Josef Frank circa 1932 Vienna
By Josef Frank
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Deco vintage authentic circular coffee table from cherry wood by Josef Frank designed circa 1932, Vienna. A beautiful circular like coffee table by Josef Frank with 4 ( four ) s...
Cherry, Walnut
Brass Table lamp by Josef Frank for Firma Svensk Tenn, model 2332, 1960s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Göteborg, SE
Ideal for a range of settings, from a stately living room to an elegant office, this table lamp not only serves as a functional lighting solution but also as a testament to exquisite...
Brass
Green Table Lamp 'Model 2434' Designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Stockholm, SE
Table lamp model 2434 designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1939. Polished and lacquered brass with fabric shade. Measures: H: 58 cm W: 50 cm Josef Frank was a true E...
Brass
Floor Lamp Model 2564 Designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Stockholm, SE
Floor lamp model 2564 designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1950s. White lacquered brass and Lacquered Paper. Stamped. This elegant brass floor lamp is adjustable in h...
Brass
Josef Frank Brass Mid-Century Table Lamp Model 2552
By Josef Frank
Located in London, GB
A single table lamp by Josef Frank for Firma Svenskt Tenn. Sweden, c1938, likely c1940s. Naturally patinated brass, stamped to underside with the model number. No shade wa...
Brass