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.
Pair of "Hortus" Glass Pots or Vases by Josef Frank
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn, Reijmyre Glasbruk
Located in Paris, FR
Josef Frank designed the original Hortus pot in 1938. Later, during the war period, when metal was hard to come by, Estrid Ericson had the Gullaskruv glassw...
Glass
French Terracotta Vase or Pot à Confit 11.5"H
Located in Winter Park, FL
An earthenware confit pot from the Southwest of France with traditional yellow glaze. Minor losses to glaze. These ordinary earthenware vessels were once used daily in the French cou...
Terracotta, Earthenware
A vase by Svenkst Tenn
By Svenskt Tenn
Located in Long Island City, NY
A vintage vase produced by Svenkst Tenn. Sweden Circa 1940s. Pewter and brass. Marked " Modern Metallkunst Svenkst Tenn".
Pewter
$2,600
H 6.25 in W 9 in D 8.25 in
20th Century Silver Swedish Svenskt Tenn Candle Holder by Josef Frank
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A silver, vintage Mid-Century Modern Swedish " Vänskapsknuten " candle holder made of handcrafted silvered metal, designed by Josef Frank and produced by Svenskt Tenn in good conditi...
Metal
French Terracotta Vase or Pot à Confit 12"H
Located in Winter Park, FL
An earthenware confit pot from the Southwest of France with traditional yellow glaze and a drip of green on one side. Minor losses to glaze. These ordinary earthenware vessels were o...
Earthenware, Terracotta
French Terracotta Vase or Pot à Confit 13.5"H
Located in Winter Park, FL
An earthenware confit pot from the Southwest of France with traditional yellow glaze. Minor losses to glaze. Bottom is chipped and has a small drainage hole for use as a planter. The...
Earthenware, Terracotta
Pair of Mid-century Glass Vases by Börne Augustsson
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Mid-century Glass Vases by Börne Augustsson for Ruda Glasbruk, Sweden. Beautiful pinched organic forms across the body. Good vintage condition with some small marks at the bo...
Glass
Hand painted "Apple" jar by Josef Frank for Svenskt tenn
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Hägersten, SE
Rare lidded jar in the shape of an apple designed by Josef Frank. Produced by Firma Svenskt Tenn during the 1950s. Made from Aluminum with hand painted decor. Very good vintage condi...
Aluminum
Josef Hoffmann Pair of Hammered Silver Vases
By Josef Hoffmann
Located in New York, NY
Hoffmann encountered an abundance of classical forms during his studies in Rome in 1896, which influenced his designs. The vases reference both the elegant form of a folding fan and ...
Silver
$2,101
H 6.11 in Dm 7.88 in
Brass Candlestick 'Vanskapsknuten' by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1938
By Just Andersen, Svenskt Tenn, Nils Fougstedt, Estrid Ericson, Josef Frank
Located in Malmö, SE
A beautiful brass candle holder with amazing patina. Designed by Josef Frank in 1938 and made by Firma Svenskt Tenn, Stockholm, Sweden. Old production, this is made in the 1940s. G...
Brass
$1,755 / set
H 5.91 in Dm 4.73 in
Pair of Josef Frank Six-Armed Candelabra for Firma Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, 1940s
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Stockholm, SE
Few objects carry a room quite like a lit candelabra. This petite pair, designed by Josef Frank for Firma Svenskt Tenn in the 1940s, Sweden, does so with characteristic wit — five ar...
Brass
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.5 in Dm 7 in
Antique Sgraffito Vase / Pot by Josef Ekberg for Gustafsberg
By Josef Ekberg
Located in San Diego, CA
Antique Sgraffito vase / pot by Josef Ekberg for Gustafsberg., circa 1911. Beautiful large piece made at his studio in the Gustavsberg Porcelain Factory, Sweden. Blue flower decorat...
Pottery, Stoneware
French Terracotta Vase or Pot à Confit 12"H
Located in Winter Park, FL
An earthenware confit pot from the Southwest of France with traditional yellow ochre drip glaze. Some losses to glaze. These ordinary earthenware vessels were once used daily in the ...
Earthenware, Terracotta
1940s Emerald Glass "Hortus" Pot by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn
By Josef Frank, Svenskt Tenn
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Introduced in glass form in 1942, the "Hortus" pot is one of Josef Frank's most coveted / iconic designs. This rare, early example in emerald green is in excellent, vintage condition...
Glass