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Poul Henningsen Lanterns

Danish, 1894-1967

The name Poul Henningsen is synonymous with the best and most innovative modern Scandinavian lamps and other lighting. The Danish designer created a signature vocabulary of fixtures with tiered and layered shades in sculptural arrangements that are at once naturalistic and geometric. 

Henningsen grew up in a town on the outskirts of Copenhagen and studied architecture at the Technical University of Denmark. He would become a noted art critic, journalist and screenwriter, but his first love was lighting design.

Henningsen’s childhood home was illuminated by oil lamps. When his family switched to electrified lighting, he was alarmed and repelled by the harsh glare cast by an incandescent bulb, and in his late teens he began conducting quasi-scientific experiments to measure which materials and methods best diffused or reflected light to give it a warm brightness. His work came to the attention of the lighting-fixtures firm Louis Poulsen, which sponsored the development of a prototype lamp. The design won a gold medal at the 1925 Paris Expositions Internationales des Arts Decóratifs et Industriels Modernes — from which the term Art Deco derives. The lamp, whose three-part shade is said to be inspired by the arrangement of a dinner plate atop a soup bowl atop a teacup, became the basis for Henningsen’s most successful design, the PH 4/3 desk lamp.

All told, Henningsen would design some 100 lighting fixtures in his career. Some of his most notable creations are hanging lamps, which include the Septima (1929), a pendant composed of seven graduated frosted-glass layers; the Spiral (1942), made of a single ribbon of enameled aluminum; and the Artichoke lamp (1958), whose 70 glass or metal fins in a staggered and graduated arrangement on a central steel frame resemble those of its namesake. The last is likely Henningsen’s masterwork and an icon of mid-20th-century design. Like all Henningsen lighting designs, it is striking, sculptural and — thanks to his insistence on the primacy of the quality of the light cast — superbly functional.

Find a collection of authentic Poul Henningsen table lamps, floor lamps and other lighting on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Poul Henningsen
Louis Poulsen, Outdoor Wall Lamp in Black by Poul Henningsen
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Louis Poulsen, outdoor wall lamp in black by Poul Henningsen Measures: Width x height x length (mm) 283 x 239 x 336, 2.4 kg Material: Shades and arm in black lacquered stainless s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Poul Henningsen Lanterns

Materials

Metal

Louis Poulsen, Outdoor Lamp in Black by Poul Henningsen
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Louis Poulsen, outdoor lamp in black by Poul Henningsen. Measures: Width x height x length (mm) 283 x 909 x 283, 3.6 kg Material: Black-lacquered stainless steel. Ground anchor: I...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Poul Henningsen Lanterns

Materials

Metal

Louis Poulsen, Outdoor Wall Lamp in Cooper by Poul Henningsen
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Louis Poulsen, outdoor wall lamp in cooper by Poul Henningsen Size: Width x height x length (mm) 450 x 290 x 505, 6.8 kg Shades: Spun copper. Wall box and arm: Copperplated, brass...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Poul Henningsen Lanterns

Materials

Metal

Related Items
Large Poul Henningsen 'Ph Wall' Darkly Patinated Outdoor Lamp for Louis Poulsen
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Poul Henningsen PH 3/2.5 Outdoor Wall Light for Louis Poulsen
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Poul Henningsen PH 3-2/5 outdoor wall light for Louis Poulsen. Based on Poul Henningsen's revolutionary reflective three-shade system, which directs the majority of the light downward. The light features spun black powder coated stainless steel shades with an aluminium mounting plate and cover with a matte white painted interior surface which diffuses the light comfortably. Price is per item. UL listed for wet locations. Mounts directly over a 4" octagonal junction box. The PH 3-2.5 pendant light is part of the three shade system developed by Paul Henningsen...
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Poul Henningsen PH Hat Wall or Ceiling Light for Louis Poulsen
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Poul Henningsen PH Hat wall or ceiling light for Louis Poulsen. Designed by Henningsen in 1961 as a refined glare free lighting solution for bedrooms and other ...
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Louis Poulsen 'Toldbod' Outdoor Wall Light in Natural Aluminum
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
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Louis Poulsen 'Toldbod' outdoor wall light in natural aluminum. The Toldbod 6.1" Wall was launched in 2006, with a design based on Poul Henningsen's Ellipse reflector. The fixture is...
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Poul Henningsen PH 3-2 1/2 Outdoor Bollard for Louis Poulsen
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Louis Poulsen PH 3½-2½ Color Table Lamp by Poul Henningsen
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Weston, FL
About This Product The PH 3½-2½ Glass Table lamp was designed in 1928 and is one of many advanced projects undertaken by Poul Henningsen in the development of his world-famous three-...
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Aluminum

Louis Poulsen PH 3/2 Table Lamp by Poul Henningsen
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
Located in Weston, FL
About This Product Poul Henningsen designed the three-shade system during 1925/1926. The first lights using the system were designed for an exhibition in Paris. His work with Louis P...
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Pair of Poul Henningsen PH Wall Outdoor Lamps for Louis Poulsen in Verdigris
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Glendale, CA
Pair of Poul Henningsen PH wall outdoor lamps for Louis Poulsen in Verdigris The PH Wall is part of the revolutionary three shade system developed by Paul Henn...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Poul Henningsen Lanterns

Materials

Copper

“Kontrast” Pendant Lamp by Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
Located in Stockholm, SE
Striking “Kontrast” pendant lamp by Poul Henningsen. Lacquered white on the outside and orange red and purplish blue on the inside. Spreads an amazing...
Category

1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Poul Henningsen Lanterns

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Large Poul Henningsen 'PH Wall' Outdoor Lamp for Louis Poulsen in Verdigris
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
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Large Poul Henningsen 'PH Wall' outdoor lamp for Louis Poulsen in verdigris. The PH Wall is part of the revolutionary three shade system developed by Paul Henn...
Category

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Large Poul Henningsen 'PH Wall' Brown Patinated Outdoor Lamp for Louis Poulsen
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
Located in Glendale, CA
Large Poul Henningsen 'PH Wall' brown patinated outdoor lamp for Louis Poulsen. The PH Wall is part of the revolutionary three shade system developed by Paul...
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Copper

‘PH Hat’ wall fixture, designed by Poul Henningsen and produced by Louis Poulsen
By Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
‘PH Hat’ wall fixture, designed by Poul Henningsen and produced by Louis Poulsen in the 1960s. With original white painted steel body and adjustable s...
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Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Poul Henningsen Lanterns

Materials

Steel

Previously Available Items
Real Danish Stuff, Ph5 Pendant, Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
Located in Brussels , BE
The real Danish stuff – PH5 pendant - Louis Poulsen – Poul Henningsen.
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Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Poul Henningsen Lanterns

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Iconic Kontrast Pendant Lamp Poul Henningsen Louis Poulsen 70s
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
Located in Brussels , BE
Iconic Kontrast pendant lamp Poul Henningsen Louis Poulsen, 1970s.
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Louis Poulsen Ph5 Poul Henningsen, 1970s
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
Located in Brussels , BE
Louis Poulsen Ph5 Poul Henningsen, 1970s.
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Monumental Poul Henningsen Charlottenburg Pendant Lamp
By Louis Poulsen, Poul Henningsen
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Denmark, 1980. Extra Large Louis Poulsen manufactured PH 8 1/2 'Charlottenborg' Pendant Lamps designed by Poul Henningsen in the 1960s. Dark Blue Reflector Enameled Reflector Dis...
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Poul Henningsen lanterns for sale on 1stDibs.

Poul Henningsen lanterns 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 Poul Henningsen lanterns, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 1 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 3 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original lanterns by Poul Henningsen were created in the modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider lanterns by and Louis Poulsen. Prices for Poul Henningsen lanterns can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,643 and can go as high as $3,881, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,458.
Questions About Poul Henningsen Lanterns
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    Poul Henningsen is famous for designing innovative modern Scandinavian lamps and other lighting. The Danish designer created a signature vocabulary of fixtures with tiered and layered shades in sculptural arrangements that are at once naturalistic and geometric. Some of his most iconic pieces include the Spiral, made of a single ribbon of enameled aluminum, and the Artichoke lamp, whose 70 glass or metal fins in a staggered and graduated arrangement on a central steel frame resemble those of its namesake. Find a collection of Poul Henningsen lighting on 1stDibs.

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