Marcel Breuer Seating
American, Hungarian, 1902-1981
The architect and designer Marcel Breuer was one the 20th century’s most influential and innovative adherents of modernism. A member of the Bauhaus faculty, Breuer — like such colleagues as the architects Walter Gropius and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and the artists and art theoreticians László Moholy-Nagy and Josef Albers — left Europe in the 1930s to champion the new design philosophy and its practice in the United States.
Born in Hungary, Breuer became a Bauhaus student in 1920 and quickly impressed Gropius, the German school’s founder, with his aptitude for furniture design. His early work was influenced by the minimalist Dutch design movement De Stijl — in particular the work of architect Gerrit Rietveld. In 1925, while he was head of the Bauhaus furniture workshop, Breuer realized his signature innovation: the use of lightweight tubular-steel frames for chairs, tables and sofas — a technique soon adopted by Mies and others. Breuer’s attention gradually shifted from design to architecture, and, at the urging of Gropius, he joined his mentor in 1937 on the faculty of Harvard and in an architectural practice.
In the 1940s, Breuer opened his own architectural office, and there his style evolved from geometric, glass-walled structures toward a kind of hybrid architecture — seen in numerous Breuer houses in New England — that pairs bases of local fieldstone with sleek, wood-framed modernist upper floors. In his later, larger commissions, Breuer worked chiefly with reinforced concrete and stone, as seen in his best-known design, the brutalist inverted ziggurat built in New York in 1966 as the home of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Breuer’s most famous furniture pieces are those made of tubular steel, which include the Wassily chair — named after Wassily Kandinsky and recognizable for its leather-strap seating supports — and the caned Cesca chair. Breuer also made several notable designs in molded plywood, including a chaise and nesting table for the British firm Isokon and a student furniture suite commissioned in 1938 for a dormitory at Bryn Mawr College. Whether in metal or wood, Breuer’s design objects are elegant and adaptable examples of classic modernist design — useful and appropriate in any environment.
Find vintage Marcel Breuer seating, storage cabinets and lighting on 1stDibs.
Color: Brown
Creator: Marcel Breuer
Pair of Midcentury Marcel Breuer Chrome and Rattan Cesca Chairs for Gavina 1970s
By Gavina, Marcel Breuer
Located in Roma, IT
Set of wonderful two mid-century chromed metal and rattan chairs "Cesca model". These amazing chairs were designed by Marcel Breuer and produced for Gavina in Italy during the 1970s....
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Original Gavina Set of Four "Cesca" Chairs by M. Breuer, 1965
By Marcel Breuer, Simon Gavina Editions
Located in Sacile, PN
Four Cesca chairs designed by Marcel Breuer for Gavina dated circa 1965 (the project was created in 1928).
This first serie is hand sewn straw thread fo...
Category
1960s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal
Group of 3 Chairs Gavina Cesca Wood, Italy, 1960s
By Marcel Breuer, Gavina
Located in Milano, IT
Group of 3 chairs; tubular in chromed metal, seat and back with painted wooden frame and Vienna straw.
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Italian Set of Chrome and Black Cesca Chair by Marcel Breuer
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian set of 3 chrome cantilever Cesca chair with black lacquered wood profiles by Marcel Breuer.
The chairs are in really good ...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Bauhaus Tubular Chrome Armchairs by Mücke Melder, Restored Leather, 1930s
By Mücke & Melder, Marcel Breuer
Located in Horomerice, CZ
"Made by Mücke Melder, an influential modernist furniture manufacturer that specialised in tubular steel designs.
It has been restored and reupholstered by our professional refurbi...
Category
20th Century Czech Bauhaus Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Marcel Breuer Isokon Chaise Longue, Knoll Studio / C.1970
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Montréal, QC
Marcel Breuer created innovational bentwood furniture. This Chaise longue is considered to be one of the most important pieces of its time, and was originally designed for Isokon Eng...
Category
20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Leather, Wood
Set of Four Tanned Cognac Marcel Breuer Cesca Dining Chairs
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Dallas, TX
Bold and modern, iconic set of four Marcel Breuer's revolutionary Cesca (B32) dining armchairs. The simple design combines an Industrial Age aesthetic of tubular steel inspired by a ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Bauhaus Tubular Chrome Armchairs by Mücke Melder, Original Condition, 1930s
By Mücke & Melder, Marcel Breuer
Located in Horomerice, CZ
"Made by Mücke Melder, an influential modernist furniture manufacturer that specialised in tubular steel designs.
It has been restored and reupholstered by our professional refurbi...
Category
20th Century Czech Bauhaus Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Bauhaus Writing Desk and Chair, Thonet, Chrome-Plated Steel, Czechia, 1930s
By Marcel Breuer, Thonet
Located in Horomerice, CZ
Bauhaus writing desk and chair.
Source: Czechia (Czechoslovakia)
Period: 1930-1939
Material: Chrome-Plated Steel, Lacquered Wood
Number of d...
Category
1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Pair Of Vintage Marcel Breuer Cesca Carver Chairs In Black, 1970s
By Marcel Breuer
Located in London, GB
Pair of vintage square back Marcel Breuer Cesca carver chairs with characterful patina to the frames. Perfect to complete a dining set or use as desk or lounge chairs.
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Rattan, Beech
Set of 4 Marcel Breuer Cesca Metal and Wood Mid-Century Modern Chairs, C. 1960
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
This set of four Cesca chairs, designed by Marcel Breuer, is a true testament to the iconic Bauhaus movement of the 20th century. Manufactured in Italy by an unknown manufacturer cir...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal
Model B35 Armchair by Marcel Breuer, Germany circa 1940
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Culver City, CA
Model B35 Armchair by Marcel Breuer
Germany circa 1940
Tubular metal frame with original oak armrests and newly replicated wicker seat ...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal
Armrest Chair, 1990s
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Wassily Chair style
Period of production: 1990s
Designer: Marcel Breuer
Manufacturer: Italy, 1990s
Style: midcentury modern, classic design
Materials: metal frame, silicon cord,...
Category
1990s Slovenian Mid-Century Modern Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal, Chrome, Iron
Pair of Contemporary S 35 Lounge Chairs by Marcel Breuer for Thonet
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Norwalk, CT
This pair of iconic S 35 lounge chairs features heavy-duty black leather seats slung over tubular polished chrome frames, with black stained beechwood armres...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Bauhaus Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
SIX RESTORED ViNTAGE BROWN LEATHER MARCEL BREUER B34 FASEM DINING ARMCHAIRS 6
By Fasem International, Marcel Breuer
Located in GB
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this one of a kind suite of six, fully restored, Marcel Breuer, Fasem, B34 armchairs in hand dyed brown leat...
Category
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Set of 2 Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs by Marcel Breuer
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of 2 dining chair Cane Cesca ! stunning
The Cesca chair was a chair design in 1928 by Marcel Breuer, using tubular steel. It was named Cesca as a tribute to Breuer’s adopted d...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Bauhaus Chrome Armchair B34 by Marcel Breuer / Mücke & Melder, 1930s /Eisengarn
By Marcel Breuer, Mücke & Melder
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930s, Czechoslovakia
- completely original condition ( two screws under armrests replaced)
- original iron fabric / eisengarn.
Category
1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
1930s Marcel Breuer B34 Chair, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly Chromed
- New canvas
- Originally painted wooden armrests with some signs of use
- Manufacturer: Thonet (TON).
Category
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
S 35 Cantilever Cow Hide Lounge Armchair Designed by Marcel Breuer
By Marcel Breuer
Located in New York, NY
RANGE S 35 cow hide
Among all the cantilever chairs of the Bauhaus epoch, the armchair S 35, with its lightness, flexibility and comfort, casts a shadow over eve...
Category
2010s German Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Leather
Gordon International Marcel Breuer B64 Cantilever Upholstered Chairs, Set of 4
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Germantown, MD
Iconic set of four Marcel Breuer Cesca S64 cantilever armchairs featuring an ebonized lacquered beech frame finish. Beautifully crafted from tubular chrome-plated steel frames and or...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Marcel Breuer's Thonet B 34 Variation from Samal & Co
By Marcel Breuer
Located in PRAHA 5, CZ
Adjusted/ resigned by Antonín Šámal, manufactured by Šámal & co. , Prague, former Czechoslovakia in 1930's. Rare collectors pieces. In original condition. Wood and steel expertly cle...
Category
1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Steel
Customizable S 32 VL Cantilever Chair Designed by Marcel Breuer
By Marcel Breuer
Located in New York, NY
Among the tubular steel furniture models, the cantilever chair S 32 is especially versatile. It is at home in various design worlds and fits in wi...
Category
2010s German Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Customizable S 64 Cantilever Armchair by Marcel Breuer
By Marcel Breuer
Located in New York, NY
Among the tubular steel furniture models, the cantilever chair S 64 is especially versatile. It is at home in various design worlds and fits in wi...
Category
2010s German Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Marcel Breuer Cesca Chair for Gavina Wood Metal Crome, 1980, Italy
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Milano, IT
Marcel Breuer Cesca chair for Gavina wood metal crome, 1980, Italy.
Category
1980s Italian Other Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Wood
1970s Marcel Breuer Iconic S64 Chairs by Gordon International, a Set of 4
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Germantown, MD
1970s Marcel Breuer S64 Chairs by Gordon International made in Italy.
Good vintage condition.
Measures 23.6"W x 23.6"D x 31.5"H seat height is 17.7".
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal, Chrome
Chrome Bauhaus Armchairs Designed by Mücke Melder, Fully Refurbished, 1930s
By Mücke & Melder, Marcel Breuer
Located in Horomerice, CZ
"Made by Mücke Melder, an influential modernist furniture manufacturer that specialised in tubular steel designs.
It has been restored and reupholstered by our professional refurbi...
Category
20th Century Czech Bauhaus Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Breuer Rocking-Chair
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Paris, FR
Rocking-chair by Marcel Breuer, 1980.
Category
Late 20th Century Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Metal
Vintage Germany Icon Bauhaus B35 Black Leather Chair by Marcel Breuer for Thonet
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This design icon from 1928, the B35 armchair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in the late 1920s and made by the German Thonet factory in the early 1930s. This piece is made of tubular steel and black leather with natural patina. The materials used and the traces of wear show that this is an early production of this timeless modell. The armrests are finished with solid wood. Following the success of his Wassily chair, Breuer continued to experiment with tubular steel furniture. Like the Wassily chair, the B35 was not a direct representative of the Bauhaus school, but is clearly in line with the Bauhaus design and construction principles, with a modern, stripped-down form made of industrial materials not used today in furniture production.
Marcel Breuer was born in 1902 in Hungary. He was an architect and designer. He received a scholarship to study painting and sculpture at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1920, but quickly quit and applied to the Bauhaus school in Weimar, Germany. After completing the preliminary courses there, he studied at the Bauhaus furniture...
Category
1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Chrome
Marcel Breuer Isokon Loung Chair
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Oosterbeek, NL
Marcel Breuer famously designed innovative wood bent furniture before his metal tubular designs. This Chaise longue or ‘Long Chair’ was designed for Isokon Comapny England in the 196...
Category
1930s English Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Plywood
Set of 6 Cesca Chairs by Marcel Breuer for Gavina, 1970s
By Marcel Breuer, Dino Gavina
Located in Roma, IT
Set of 6 CESCA Chairs by Marcel Breuer for Dino Gavina, Italy 1970s.
Load-bearing structure in mannesmann-type continuous tubular steel, cold-bent chrome-plated. Seat and backrest ...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Steel
Set of 8 Vintage Cesca Chairs by Marcel Breuer, 1970s
By Marcel Breuer, Dino Gavina
Located in Roma, IT
Cesca Chairs is a set of 8 chairs designed by Marcel Breuer and realized by Dino Gavina in the 1970s.
Load-bearing structure in mannesmann-type continuous tubular steel, cold-bent c...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Steel
Bauhaus Stool Hn6 by Marcel Breuer, 1930s, Czechoslovakia
By Mücke & Melder, Marcel Breuer
Located in Prague 8, CZ
This chrome-plated stool, catalog number Hn 6, was designed by the world-famous designer MARCEL BREUER (1902–1981) in the 1930s. It was manufactured in the former Czechoslovakia by t...
Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Bauhaus Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Steel, Chrome
Four Cesca Chairs by Marcel Breuer for Gavina
By Marcel Breuer
Located in London, England
Cesca chairs, also known as Cesca-style chairs, are a type of modernist furniture design that has become an iconic piece of 20th-century design. They were created by the Hungarian-born American designer Marcel Breuer in the late 1920s. The name "Cesca" is derived from Breuer's daughter's name, Francesca. Cesca chairs are known for their minimalist and Bauhaus-inspired aesthetic. They represent the principles of the Bauhaus school, which emphasized functionality, simplicity, and the use of modern materials. Cesca chairs have achieved iconic status in the world of design and are considered classics of modernist furniture design. They are part of the permanent collections of many museums and are still in production by various furniture manufacturers.
Set off four Cesca chairs finished in black by Marcel Breuer for Gavina SpA...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marcel Breuer Seating
Materials
Steel
Marcel Breuer seating for sale on 1stDibs.
Marcel Breuer seating are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Marcel Breuer seating, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 215 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 6 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original seating by Marcel Breuer were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider seating by Vico Magistretti, Marco Zanuso, and Giancarlo Piretti. Prices for Marcel Breuer seating can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $296 and can go as high as $107,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,375.
Creators Similar to Marcel Breuer
Questions About Marcel Breuer Seating
- Who is Marcel Breuer?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer was an architect and furniture designer who made a major impact on modern design by introducing new materials and emphasizing the importance of form matching function. He was born in Pécs, Hungary, in 1902, and was a part of the Bauhaus school. You’ll find a collection of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To pronounce Marcel Breuer, say "mar-SELL BROO-ur." The artist's first and last name both originate from the Hungarian language. Breuer was born in Pécs, Hungary, on May 21, 1902. You can shop a variety of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- What inspired Marcel Breuer?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Dutch art movement De Stijl inspired Marcel Breuer's early work. Artists in the movement like Piet Mondrian created art that adhered to the principles of geometry. This idea resonated with Breuer and informed his designs. Shop a selection of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- Where was Marcel Breuer born?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer was born in Pécs, Hungary, on May 21, 1902. He attended the Bauhaus design school in Weimar, Germany, and eventually became a part of the faculty. After the Nazis shut the school down, Breuer moved to the U.S. He died in New York City on July 1, 1981. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Marcel Breuer furniture.
- What is Marcel Breuer known for?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer is known for his work as an architect and furniture designer during the 20th century. During his life, he created many famous chairs that remain popular today, including the Wassily lounge chair, the Cesca chair and the D40 cantilever chair. You’ll find a range of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- What did Marcel Breuer design?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Over the course of his life, Marcel Breuer designed many things. Furniture was one of his main focuses, and he created many influential pieces, including the Wassily lounge chair, the Cesca chair and the Laccio side table. Shop a collection of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 12, 2024Marcel Breuer is famous for being one of 20th-century modernism’s most influential innovators. His most well-known furniture pieces were crafted of tubular steel, including the Wassily chair and the caned Cesca chair. Breuer also made several notable designs in molded plywood, including a chaise longue and nesting table for the British firm Isokon and a student furniture suite commissioned in 1938 for a dormitory at Bryn Mawr College. Breuer’s designs are elegant and adaptable examples of modernism, useful and appropriate in any environment. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Marcel Breuer furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, Marcel Breuer taught at the Bauhaus design school in Weimar, Germany. He arrived at the institution in 1920 as a student. By 1925, his duties expanded to include teaching classes of his own and running the school's furniture shop. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Marcel Breuer furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Today, Marcel Breuer chairs are made in the factory locations of the furniture manufacturer Knoll, Inc. It operates production facilities in Italy and Canada, as well as in Pennsylvania and Michigan in the U.S. Find a collection of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer was associated with the Bauhaus school in Weimar, Germany. After attending classes as a student, Breuer became the head of the school's furniture shop. While working there, he created the Wassily lounge chair, introducing the use of tubular steel frames to modern furniture design. Find a variety of Marcel Breuer chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Most Marcel Breuer chair legs are made out of bent tubular steel. The designer introduced this radical new material to modern furniture design with his Wassily Model B3 lounge chair. On 1stDibs, you can shop a collection of Marcel Breuer chairs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022There are a number of ways that you can tell an original Marcel Breuer chair. One trick is to examine the frame. If you see end caps, you're likely looking at a replica. Authentic Breuer chairs featured polished, welded ends. Some chairs also feature stickers that identify the model name located under their seats. On 1stDibs, find a collection of expertly vetted Marcel Breuer chairs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer became an apprentice and student at the Bauhaus school in 1920. He made a big impression on the school's founder, Walter Gropius, and later became the head of the institution's furniture workshop. Find a selection of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer chose a bicycle tube frame to create his Wassily lounge chair because he was impressed by the strength and weight properties of the steel. The chair was a landmark in furniture design and opened the doors to the use of tubular steel frames in many chairs, tables and sofas produced during the modern period. You’ll find a selection of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer created the Cesca chair while splitting his time between Paris and Germany. He made the chair in 1928, shortly after he left the Bauhaus school, but you can clearly see the influence of the institution's design principles in the clean, simple lines of the piece. Find a range of Marcel Breuer Cesca chairs on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To identify Marcel Breuer bar stools, start by examining the frame. Genuine models will usually feature smooth, welded ends. Most reproductions have end caps instead. You can also look for a sticker that bears the model name on the underside of the seat. On 1stDibs, find a range of expertly vetted Marcel Breuer bar stools.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To reupholster a Marcel Breuer Cesca chair, first pry out the staples, remove the original upholstery and disassemble the chair. Place the new fabric on a flat surface and position the seat upside down. Fold the fabric over the edge and secure it with a staple gun. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of expertly vetted Marcel Breuer Cesca chairs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022What was most innovative about Marcel Breuer's Model B3 chair was its frame. Also known as the Wassily lounge chair, the piece featured a lightweight, sturdy tubular steel frame inspired by the artist's Adler bicycle. His use of the metal started a radical shift in furniture design. You’ll find a variety of Marcel Breuer Model B3 chairs 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Marcel Breuer introduced the material of tubular steel to modern furniture design. He employed it in many of his chairs, tables and sofas, prizing the material because it minimized the weight of pieces without sacrificing their strength. Shop a range of Marcel Breuer furniture on 1stDibs.
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