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Josef Frank Lounge Chairs

Austrian, 1885-1967

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.

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Creator: Josef Frank
Josef Frank, Lounge Chairs, Mahogany, Fabric, Sweden, 1940s
Josef Frank, Lounge Chairs, Mahogany, Fabric, Sweden, 1940s

Josef Frank, Lounge Chairs, Mahogany, Fabric, Sweden, 1940s

By Josef Frank

Located in High Point, NC

A pair of mahogany and white fabric lounge chairs designed by Josef Frank and produced by Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, c. 1940s. Wear to wood frame consistent with age and use. Reupholster...

Category

1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Josef Frank Lounge Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Mahogany

Josef Frank, Lounge Chair, Mahogany, Leatherette, Sweden, 1950s
Josef Frank, Lounge Chair, Mahogany, Leatherette, Sweden, 1950s

Josef Frank, Lounge Chair, Mahogany, Leatherette, Sweden, 1950s

By Josef Frank

Located in High Point, NC

A mahogany and black leatherette lounge chair or armchair designed by Josef Frank and produced by Svenskt Tenn, Sweden, c. 1950s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 27.25"H x 21.5"W x 23....

Category

1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Josef Frank Lounge Chairs

Materials

Faux Leather, Mahogany

Josef Frank Easy Chair Model 508 Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden
Josef Frank Easy Chair Model 508 Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden

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.

Category

1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Josef Frank Lounge Chairs

Materials

Cane, Mahogany

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Model A 752 Bentwood Chair by Josef Frank for Thonet, 1930s
Model A 752 Bentwood Chair by Josef Frank for Thonet, 1930s

Model A 752 Bentwood Chair by Josef Frank for Thonet, 1930s

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Model 868, Easy Chair by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn, 1950s

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Pair of Easy Chairs / Armchairs Designed by Josef Frank Produced by Svenskt Tenn

Pair of Easy Chairs / Armchairs Designed by Josef Frank Produced by Svenskt Tenn

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Rare pair of easy chairs / armchairs designed by Josef Frank. Produced by Svenskt Tenn in Sweden.

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Josef Frank lounge chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Josef Frank lounge chairs 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 Josef Frank lounge chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original lounge chairs by Josef Frank were created in the Scandinavian Modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider lounge chairs by Bröderna Anderssons, Eric Merthen, and Ulferts Möbler. Prices for Josef Frank lounge chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $995 and can go as high as $8,086, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,541.