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Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.

ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.

Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively. 

Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer

Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.

The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.

As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.

Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.

As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Creator: Guitou Knoop
Guitou Knoop Mid-Century Modern Abstract Brutalist Sculpture, France
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Mid-Century Modern abstract bronze metal tabletop sculpture accessory by Guitou Knoop (French, 1909-1985). Signed on base. This work is 1 of ...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Guitou Knoop Mid-Century Modern Abstract Brutalist Sculpture, France
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Mid-Century Modern abstract bronze metal tabletop sculpture accessory by Guitou Knoop (French, 1909-1985). Signed and dated 1965, 4/6 on base. This work is 1 of 5 available for purc...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Guitou Knoop Mid-Century Modern Abstract Brutalist Sculpture, France
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Mid-Century Modern abstract bronze metal tabletop sculpture by Guitou Knoop (French, 1909-1985). Signed and dated 1965 on base. This work is 1 of 5 available for purchase.  
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Guitou Knoop Mid-Century Modern Abstract Brutalist Sculpture, France
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Mid-Century Modern abstract bronze metal tabletop sculpture accessory by Guitou Knoop (French, 1909-1985). Signed and dated 1965 on base. This work is 1 of 5 available for purchase....
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Guitou Knoop Mid-Century Modern Abstract Brutalist Sculpture, France
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Mid-Century Modern abstract bronze metal tabletop sculpture accessory by Guitou Knoop (French, 1909-1985). Signed and dated on base. This work is 1 of 5 available for purchase.  
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Bronze

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Mid-century Modern abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage abstract sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern abstract sculptures made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original abstract sculptures, popular names associated with this style include Joel Escalona, Curtis Jeré, Carstens Tönnieshof, and Gerhard Liebenthron. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for abstract sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $76 and tops out at $260,000 while the average work can sell for $1,960.

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