Pair of Bentwood Armchairs by Jan Vanek for UP Závody, Czech Republic 1930s

Elegance describes the designs of Jan Vanek.

Influenced by his family’s furniture company, Vandek studied woodworking. Following a stint in Germany, where he advanced his skills at established firms in Munich, Stuttgart and Heilbronn, he returned home to the former Czechoslovakia and took over the family business, which in 1920 became known as Spojené Uměleckoprůmyslové Závody, or UP Závody.

Vanek's early friendships and collaborations with architectural and design greats like Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Adolf Loos and others likely had much to do with his graceful style, best exemplified by his 1930s bentwood chairs, with the arabesque curves of their arms and legs conjoining to form open, dynamic loops.

True to Czech standards for uniformity, Vanek scarcely altered the design over decades of production, though he did gradually modernize his frames: His 1950s models are more angular, industrialized — and very definitely modern.

Find a collection of vintage Jan Vanek furniture today on 1stDibs.