The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave.
ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.
Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.
Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.
Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Monumental Patinated Fiberglass Figure Sculpture Style of Alberto Giacometti
By Alberto and Diego Giacometti
Located in Long Island City, NY
Monumental Patinated Fiberglass Figure in the Style of Alberto Giacometti A monumental fiberglass sculpture with a bronze tone patinated finish, executed in the style of Alberto Gia...
Fiberglass
20th Century French Vintage Abstract Brutalist Raw Metal Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern French abstract Brutalist sculpture, décor piece made of hand crafted raw metal, in good condition. Minor fading, scratches due to age. Wear consistent w...
Metal
Stunning Wooden Zodiac Wall Plaque Relief Brutalist Midcentury, German, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A beautifully crafted wooden wall plaque relief depicting all zodiac signs, designed in a bold Brutalist style and produced in Germany in the 1970s. The expressive carved forms and s...
Plywood
$3,905Sale Price / set|20% Off
David Marshall. Brutalist aluminum and bronze wall sculptures, Spain, 1970s
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Set of two brutalist wall sculptures by David Marshall, Spain, 1970s. Made of aluminum and bronze. These wall sculptures can be placed on the wall as decorative elements, or installe...
Aluminum, Bronze
Brutalist Fiberglass Relief Wall Plaque, 1960s
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Brutalist relief plaque made of fiberglass in the 1960s, featuring an abstract surface of geometric shapes and incised textures. The patinated finish in bronze-effect tones evokes th...
Fiberglass
1970s Austin Production "Uttermost Welcome Home" Patinated Resin Sculpture.
By Edgar Degas, Austin Productions
Located in Miami, FL
1970s Austin Production "Uttermost Welcome Home" Patinated Resin Brutalist Sculpture. Features a molded sculpture of a father hugging a girl, inspired by Degas' "Little Ballerina" s...
Resin
Mid-Century Italian Paolo Soleri Brutalist Wind Chime Sculpture
By Paolo Soleri
Located in Forney, TX
A large and heavy patinated bronze Brutalism style windbell sculpture by Paolo Soleri (Italy, later America; 1919-2014). Beautiful, substantial Mid-century Post Modernist Brutali...
Bronze
Cubist School Jazz Band Sculpture signed and dated Austin Productions 1964
Located in New York, NY
Stylized cast sculpture of a Jazz Band, marked Austin Productions 1964. Executed in the Brutalist style, with obvious Cubism School influence. Construct...
Plaster
Brutalist Abstract Wall Sculpture in the Style of Curtis Jere
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this large diameter wall sculpture in the style of C. Jere, circa 1960.
Metal
$530Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist sculpture in welded and patinated copper and brass - Jarc - 1970
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
Brutalist sculpture in welded and patinated copper and brass, depicting a stylized animal. Created by the artist Jarc in the 1970s, it is in excellent condition with a beautiful patina.
Brass
$1,162Sale Price|20% Off
Marcello Fantoni style. Stunning brutalist sculpture, Italy, 1950s
By Silas Seandel, Paul Evans, Marcello Fantoni
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Brutalist sculpture in Marcello Fantoni's style, 50s. Made of copper metal cut with a torch and welded together the pieces that form it, creating a body of purely brutalist phantasma...
Copper, Iron
Henri Fernandez Gold and Blue Longhorn Beetle Lamp
Located in Hastings, GB
Extremely rare sculpture in brass and agate, by Henri Fernandez for atelier Duval Brasseur, modelled as a Longhorn Beetle and dating to the 1970’s. The beautiful blue agate wings ar...
Agate, Brass
$9,200Sale Price|20% Off
Paul Evans Sculpture 1950s 1960s Mid Century Brutalist Abstract Metal Modern Art
By Alberto and Diego Giacometti
Located in Peoria, AZ
AFTER PAUL EVANS MID CENTURY MODERN MONUMENTAL BRUTALIST FINE ART DIRECT METAL SCULPTURE! MAGNIFICENT TOWER STRUCTURE! IRON, BRASS, BRONZE & WOOD BASE CIRCA 1956 Similar to Diego Giacometi Approximate Dimensions: Large 34" Tower/ 13" Wide & Deep This is the Holy Grail for Mid Century abstract...
Bronze, Iron
"Greedy pig" life sized fully functioning heavy metal freestanding safe/vault
By Jan Paul
Located in Maastricht, NL
"Greedy pig" Life sized fully functioning heavy metal freestanding safe/ freestanding statement. Meta-commenting capitalism. The pigs snout is formed by a original 3-numbers lef-rig...
Metal
Isabelle Faure Signed Illuminated Gold Butterfly Sculpture Light Brass and Agate
Located in Hastings, GB
An incredibly rare sculpture by world renowned sculptor Isabelle Faure, in hand worked brass and agate. The enormous butterfly spans over 80cm in diameter and the stunning agate wing...
Agate, Brass
$2,324 / item
Abstract Sculpture in Cast Stone by Alentes Atelier
Located in PALEA FOKEA, ATTIKI
This limited-edition work balances monolithic weight with fluid, architectural movement. The piece exists somewhere between sculpture and spatial artifact — at once primitive and dis...
Cast Stone
Brutalist Brass Tree Sculpture by Friedle, Circa 1970s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Brutalist brass sculpture of a Tree Cluster grouping by Friedle.
Brass
$12,000Sale Price|52% Off
1960s Mid Century Modern Abstract Metal "Wall Jewelry" Sculpture Harry Bertoia
Located in Peoria, AZ
MAGNIFICENT! BRUTALIST HANDWORKED SCULPTED METAL WALL ART Attributed to Harry Bertoia. INCREDIBLE WELDS, WORKMANSHIP & DESIGN! HUGE! App...
Bronze, Iron
Brutalist Male Bust by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Patinated Bronze
Located in Astoria, NY
Philip LaVerne (American, 1907-1987) and Kelvin LaVerne (American, 1937-2025) Male Figure Patinated Bronze Portrait Bust Sculpture, signed to reverse. 22.5" H x 14" W x 7" D. Prove...
Bronze
1970s Sergio Bustamante Style Metal and Ceramic Birds S/2
Located in Stamford, CT
Set of two 1970s brass and ceramic decorative birds. In the style of Sergio Bustamante. Burnished brass with blue/white painted ceramic. No artists signature or brand stamp. Owl: 5....
Brass
$2,900 / item
Rick Owens Cast Bronze Coupe Nitrate Patina Vase
By Rick Owens
Located in Chicago, IL
The now iconic bronze coupe vase from the Rick Owens bronze relic collection. This is shown in the nitrate patina. Each piece is handmade and hand patinated so there is always a slig...
Bronze
Brutalist Brass Sculpture Flowers and Leaves Style of Silas and Jere
Located in New York, NY
A signed brass and metal sculpture of flowers and leaves, Brutalist period, in the style of designers Silas Seandel or C. Jere, circa mid-20th century. A Brutalist sculpture of flowe...
Metal, Brass
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
Patinated Brutalist Unicorn Tragedy Bronze Sculpture on Marble Base
Located in San Diego, CA
Patinateed Brutalist "Unicorn Tragedy" bronze sculpture on marble base, circa 1970s. The piece depicts the tragedy of a young unicorn realizing his mother has been speared and is on ...
Marble, Bronze
Abstract Modernist Bronze Sculpture Figural with Brutalist Relief Texture 1970s
By Lynn Chadwick
Located in Troy, MI
Unique post-war abstract sculpture in solid bronze Anonymous artist circa 1970's Slab like torso cast in deep relief texture and nuanced patinas Three elongated legs and subtly offs...
Bronze
Vintage Iron Giraffe Sculpture in Brutalist Style, 29\" Tall, 1950s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage Brutalist style hand forged and welded steel giraffe sculpture with a rich dark patina. Heavily inspired by traditional West African ironworks this piece captures an elongate...
Iron
"Un Jardín" – Abstract brutalist cantera stone sculpture
Located in Guadalajara, MX
This small scale sculpture cut in black cantera stone abstracts the text “nada menos que el universe entero” (nothing less than the entire universe”, which is what Luis Barragán said...
Stone
Mid Century Welded Dark Iron Rod Table Sculpture on Walnut Block Base
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Handmade patinated Iron Rod, Abstract Tree Form, Table Sculpture on Block Walnut base, Circa 1960. Featuring handcrafted vertical form composed of welded patinated 3/4"D cut, varied ...
Iron
Monumental Paolo Soleri Brutalist Bronze Bell with Cast Aluminum Spine, 1960
Located in Chicago, IL
Monumental Paolo Soleri Brutalist Bronze Bell with Cast Aluminum Spine, 1960 A striking and monumental work by Paolo Soleri, this sculptural bronze bell is suspended from a cast alum...
Aluminum, Bronze, Copper
Mid Century Brutalist Modern Abstract Wall Sculpture by Finesse Originals
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fun to look at piece of 3D wall created by Finesse Originals in the 1960's. It consists of a wood frame and the sculpture part is molded resin.
Resin, Wood
MARYLYN HYDE Post-War British Ceramic Sculptural Stoneware Pottery Vessel
Located in Torquay, GB
Striking British studio stoneware pottery sculptural vessel by Marylyn Hyde, dating from the late 1970s to early 1980s. This monumental stoneware jardiniere is formed as a fragmented...
Ceramic, Stoneware
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist C Jere Tree Sculpture Signed
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A great Mid-Century Modern Curtis Jere brass, copper and metal life-size tree sculpture. Rare form Brutalist design. Large leaves and verdigris green metal base. Signed C Jere on leaf.
Metal, Brass, Copper
Midcentury Brutalist Brass Sculpture, circa 1960s
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful hand-made brass sculpture, Midcentury Modern/Brutalist period, circa mid-20th century, 1960s. Piece is unsigned; In the style of designers Paul Evans, Curtis Jere. Piece is all brass with a square black composite base. Very good condition as shown in images. Dimensions: 22.75" Height. Other items shown available separately, search 1stDibs ref. #: Mackenzie-Childs vase, search ref. #: LU1314226933622 (SOLD.) Agate dish...
Composition, Brass
Brutalist Cast Iron Fish Sculpture - Mid-Century Aquarium-Inspired Design 1977
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This striking Brutalist cast iron fish sculpture captures the essence of mid-century design with its raw, textured finish and bold aesthetic. Fea...
Iron
Brutalist Abstract Iron Sculpture, Signed CH, Netherlands, 1960s
Located in DE KWAKEL, NL
An expressive Brutalist sculpture in welded iron, composed of sharply cut geometric elements that merge into a dynamic and almost architectural form. The layered construction, pierce...
Iron
Monumental James Bearden Mystical Galaxy Chimes Sculpture Steel Bronze Brutalist
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed and studio-made by American craftsman James Bearden, this chime sculpture is among the largest made, and the largest on sale today. An early m...
Bronze, Steel
Giovanni 'John’ Bucci Metal Art Sculpture, 1960s
Located in Savannah, GA
Giovanni 'John' Bucci (Italian-American, 1935-2019) A welded metal sculpture composed of various found metal pieces, 1960s. 20 inches wide by 24 inches tall by 8 ½ inches deep
Metal
Vintage Carved Solid Mahogany Decorative Post, Brutalist Style, 1960s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Handsomely carved solid mahogany decorative post. Vintage, and originally intended as a banister stop. This is a strikingly beautiful piece that can serve as an eye catching art obje...
Mahogany
Harry Bertoia Gilt Bronze, Brass and Steel Dandelion Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Bertoia's Dandelion form is widely regarded to be the apex of his career. An overwhelming physical presence is balanced by its truly delicate nature. A gilt bronze central sphere is ...
Granite, Brass, Bronze
$1,596Sale Price|38% Off
Brutalist Direct Metal Bull Sculpture Yahweh, Gilt Polychroming Stock Market
Located in Peoria, AZ
Rare! Brutalist Bull Sculpture Depicting Archaic Deity Yahweh Gilt Polychroming Verso base "Yahweh" This fascinating sculpture is done in a simple, primitive style, looking like...
Metal, Enamel
American Nautical Hand-Crafted Coral Brass Fish Sculptural Table Lamp Modern
Located in Miami, FL
Brutalist Style whimsical nautical Brass Fish on a natural white coral core and mounted on a rectangle Wood Base. The Stem is a copper piece of pipe and topped with the socket and ...
Coral, Brass
Massive Outdoor Abstract Steel Floor Sculpture in Geometric Stacked Cube Form
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A massive brutalist sculpture outdoor sculpture circa 1980's. It consists of welded steel construction with patinated cubes on a black enameled base. Just shy of 8 feet tall. Unmarked.
Steel
Italian modern brutalist Brass sculpture by Edmondo Cirillo, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern brutalist Brass sculpture by Edmondo Cirillo, 1970s Brass sculpture with a rectangular base with reference to the brutalist style. The front of the sculpture is square...
Brass
'La Mia Casa' Wooden Sculpture by Giuseppe Rivadossi, Italy 1975
Located in Hellouw, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi’s work stands apart through its quiet sense of monumentality. Working almost exclusively in wood, the Italian sculptor and cabinetmaker developed a language rooted...
Wood
Contemporary Brutalist Style Bronze & Marble Jazz Musician Band Figures 5 Pc Set
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Contemporary Brutalist Style Bronze & Marble Jazz Musician Band Figures - 5 Pc Set. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: (5) Standing Musicians: 13" H x 4.5 W x 5" D
Bronze
$725Sale Price|20% Off
A small brass sculpture of an owl in a brutalist style - France - 1970s
By César Baldaccini, Germaine Richier
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A small brass sculpture of an owl in a style reminiscent of Germain Richier or César Baldaccini. This unique piece features a textured, organic surface, marked by raw details and a h...
Brass
Eddie Hackman The Shearer Bronze Figure Limited Edition 1986 Australian Outback
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Eddie Hackman "The Shearer" Bronze Figure Limited Edition 1986 Australian Outback, Signed to Rear. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: 4" H x 3.75" W x 2.5" D.
Bronze
$1,356Sale Price / item|20% Off
Khadim Diop Bronze Sculptures African Ethnic Art Statue Musician Vintage Modern
Located in London, GB
Khadim Diop, the Senegalese artist renowned for his bronze sculptures that adorn many private collections worldwide, has crafted two captivating and expressive pieces that showcase his mastery of the medium, a rare find in the market outside Africa! The first sculpture portrays a dynamic figure playing the Djembe drum...
Bronze
Still Stand No90, The Sleek Burned Oak Totem, a Synthesis of Dark Elegance
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Still Stand No90, The Sleek Burned Oak Totem, a Synthesis of Dark Elegance —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a t...
Hardwood
Original Pal Kepenyes Lion Sculpture Signed
By Pal Kepenyes
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1970. We offer this Pal Kepenyes Lion Sculpture made in steel and black marble signed. Pal Kepenyes was a Hungarian artist and jewelry designer known for his unique and innova...
Marble, Steel
Monumental Brutalist Stacked Cube Steel Garden Sculptures, after David Smith
By David Smith, Paul Evans
Located in Buffalo, NY
Monumental Brutalist Stacked Cube Steel Garden Sculpture, after David Smith / Paul Evans.. Signed and dated bUT unfortunately illegible. Amazing use of color, texture and space, Eigh...
Steel
Organic Modern Burl Wood Bookends, Sculptural Brutalist Studio Craft, 1970s
Located in San Carlos, CA
A striking pair of sculptural bookends carved from solid burl wood, celebrating the natural beauty and irregularity of the material. Each bookend features dramatic swirling grain, kn...
Burl
Anthropomorphic Modernist 'Makonde' Sculpture 1950s
Located in Meer, VAN
Anthropomorphic Modernist 'Makonde' sculpture 1950s This is a wonderful piece of modernist African art. It is a so called 'Makonde' sculpture. These unique pieces are crafted by t...
Wood, Ebony
Vintage Boho Brutalist Modernist Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Command attention with the raw, architectural power of this vintage Brutalist sculpture. Epitomizing the avant-garde spirit of the Mid-Century Modernist movement, this striking abstr...
Stone, Aluminum
Brutalist Bronze Sulpture, "Bull" by Alfred Hrdlicka, Austria late 20th Century
By Alfred Hrdlicka
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a brutalist bronze sculpture of a charging or defensive bull on a marble base by Austrian artist Alfred Hrdlicka. The sculpture appears to be patinated ...
Marble, Bronze
$5,600Sale Price|22% Off
Paul Evans Brutalist Cocktail Table in Patinated Steel and Bronze, c. 1970
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exceptional Brutalist coffee table by Paul Evans, created as part of his celebrated Sculptured Metal Collection for Directional, exemplifies the raw artistry and architectural p...
Bronze, Steel
Brutalist Metal Sculpture by Silas Seandel
Located in New York, NY
Brutalist mixed metal sculpture by Silas Seandel. This piece depicts a stylized Lilly, it is constructed of torch cut metal, it is signed "Silas" on its back. The sculpture is design...
Brass, Copper
Brutalist Metal Rooster Sculpture by Michel Anasse, France, c. 1960
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
An elegant and highly decorative metal rooster sculpture by Michel Anasse (1930–2020), one of the key figures of French modernist metalwork. This exceptional piece showcases Anasse’...
Metal
Brutalist wall sculpture, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Architectural brutalist wall mounted sculpture made from cast metal. Imposing wall sculpture 1970s - Belgium Height: 75cm Width: 180cm Ref.: 25090304 *All images are always part...
Metal
Brutalist panel (mixed media)
Located in Oostende, BE
A Brutalist panel featuring geometrically cut colored glass set in concrete, all encased in a sturdy wooden frame.
Cement
Brutalist Abstract Wall Sculpture in the Style of Curtis Jere
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this large diameter wall sculpture in the style of C. Jere, circa 1960.
Metal