“The Prague Chair” by Madsen & Schubell, Denmark, 1950s

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“The Prague Chair” by Madsen & Schubell, Denmark, 1950s

About the Item

This famous model, the “Pragstolen” (literally: The Prague Chair) by Danish designer duo Madsen & Schubell was designed by Henry Hans Schubell and was produced until 1961. The frame is made of oak, teak and stained beech wood. The seat is slightly raised towards the front and the armrests are following the its curves to ensure sitting comfort. The back is angled and has little “wings” on top, providing an ergonomic and welcoming look. This Prague Chair is upholstered with a grey fabric and features button tufting. The tufting stitches are festooned with seventeen light grey buttons, arranged in a symmetric pattern on the backrest and the seat. The chair further features a headrest cushion attached to the back. The majority of Madsen & Schubell’s chair models were designed by Henry Hans Schubell, including the Pragstolen, and produced in the joint company with Arnold Madsen in Copenhagen. Under license some models were produced by Vik & Blindheim in Norway, and Bovenkamp in the Netherlands. About the designers: Henry Hans Schubell was born on February 23. 1906 in Elsinore, Denmark. After completing school, he became an apprentice cabinetmaker in Elsinore. After 5 years he finished his apprenticeship, and was awarded a medal for his work. When he turned 20, he moved to Copenhagen, where he worked for various cabinetmakers. In 1929, at the age of 23, he was employed as a foreman at the cabinetmakers “Winter & Winding, where he supervised the production of furniture until 1945. In 1944, the firm received a request from an upholsterer named Arnold Madsen, who had an idea for a chair. Madsen was having difficulties finding a cabinet maker with the required skills to do the woodwork based on Madsen’s little plaster model. Henry Schubell succeeded in producing the wooden frame, making it possible for the chair to be put into production. Arnold Madsen was so impressed by his work that he suggested to form a partnership where Henry Schubell would design the furniture and produce the wooden frames, which Arnold Madsen would then upholster and market. The workshop was realised in the inner city of Copenhagen, and their joint venture was named “Madsen & Schubell”. The cooperation between Henry Schubell and Arnold Madsen was so successful that they purchased a factory building on the outskirts of Copenhagen. Over the next 20 years, the company produced several successful models, most of which were designed by Henry Schubell. Some of these chairs were licensed to the Norwegian company Vik & Blindheim and to the Dutch company Bovenkamp. The cooperation between the two ended in 1963, and by mutual agreement, Arnold Madsen established his new upholstery firm under the name “Madsen og Schubell”, in cooperation with his son, Ib Madsen. In the 1970s, Ib took over the company which still ran under the name Madsen & Schubell causing some confusion about the attribution of Madsen & Schubell models.~H. Condition: Item has some minor marks and scratches. Recently re-upholstered in premium sheepskin. Dimensions: 33.5 in W x 36.6 in D x 39.4 in H? 85 cm W x 93 cm D x 100 cm H Shipping: This “Prague Chair” will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to make sure you will receive the item in gallery condition. Complimentary shipping within the Netherlands.

Creator:
Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell (Designer),Vik & Blindheim (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 39.38 in (100 cm)Width: 33.47 in (85 cm)Depth: 36.62 in (93 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Oak,Sheepskin,Wood
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1950s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Item has some minor marks and scratches. Recently re-upholstered in premium sheepskin.
Seller Location:
Utrecht, NL
Reference Number:
Seller: 201903061stDibs: LU2947318954382

Shop All Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell

Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell

The history of Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell originates with Henry Hans Schubell and Arnold Madsen, a powerhouse duo in Danish furniture design throughout the mid-20th century. The pair collaborated with Dutch company Bovenkamp on a range of furnishings and created memorable lounge chairs, stools and other seating throughout the 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s — such as the iconic Clam chair — that represent the finest of Scandinavian modern design.

Born in 1906, Schubell was an apprentice cabinetmaker turned foreman by his early 20s. As a supervisor for cabinetmakers Winter and Winding, Schubell oversaw furniture production in their workshop until the mid-1940s.

In 1944, a skilled upholster by the name of Arnold Madsen requested assistance from a cabinetmaker to make a prototype lounge chair based on a plaster model he’d made. Accepting the challenge, Schubell impressed Madsen to the point that he suggested they enter into a partnership. The Clam chair was their first collaboration as Madsen & Schubell.

According to Aaron FitzGerald, of Dagmar gallery, Madsen’s Clam chair is “one of the most sought-after and simultaneously misattributed and copied chair designs of the twentieth century.” In the past, it was ascribed to the Norwegian retailer Martin Olsen and then the Danish architect Philip Arctander. It was only through some dogged research by a team of international design historians and collectors that it was finally correctly associated with Madsen.

In the backyard of a modest home in Copenhagen, Schubell built wooden frames which Madsen then upholstered. They sold their finished products to dealers under their joint name, earning enough money to move production to a factory outside the city. Some models were under license by Norwegian company Vik & Blindheim while others were manufactured by Bovenkamp in the Netherlands. The pair’s partnership ended in 1963 in order for the designers to establish separate companies. Madsen opened a new upholstery firm with his son, Ib Madsen, under the name Madsen og Schubell, and Schubell continued to build frames for Madsen as Schubell & Son.

Vintage Madsen & Schubell chairs offer sturdy build quality and the kind of superior upholstery that is typical among mid-century Scandinavian furniture. Working with a range of woods including teak, rosewood and birch, Madsen & Schubell accented natural wood grains with soft lambswool and sheepskin for a variety of comfortable seating.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Ib Madsen and Acton Schubell lounge chairs, armchairs and other seating.