"The Chair" Hans Wegner for Johannes Andersen
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"The Chair" Hans Wegner for Johannes Andersen
About the Item
- Creator:Johannes Andersen (Maker),Hans J. Wegner (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 18.8 in (47.76 cm)Width: 24.8 in (63 cm)Depth: 20.87 in (53.01 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Lovely patina! Newly professionally upholstered seat. No breaks, glue or wobbles! Ready for installation.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU159724715303
Hans J. Wegner
Best known for his chairs and seating pieces — though a master of many furniture types like sofas and tables — Hans Wegner was a prolific designer whose elegant, often ebullient, forms and devotion to the finest methods in joinery made "Danish Modern" a popular byword for stylish, well-made furniture in the mid-20th century.
Wegner considered himself a carpenter first and a furniture designer second. Like his peers Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl, Wegner believed that striking aesthetics in furniture were based on a foundation of practicality: a chair must be comfortable and sturdy before it is chic.
In keeping with that tenet, several of Wegner’s best chair designs, seen in dealer listings below, have their roots in traditional seating forms. The Peacock chair (designed in 1947) is a throne-like adaptation of the Windsor chair; pieces from the China chair series (begun in 1944) as well as the 1949 Wishbone chair, with its distinctive Y-shaped back splat, are derived from 17th-century Ming seating pieces, as is the upholstered Ox chair (1960). Wegner’s comfy Papa Bear chair (1951) is an almost surreally re-scaled English wingback chair.
Wegner’s most representative piece, the Round chair (1949), gained a footnote in political history when it was used on the TV stage of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960. That chair, along with Wegner’s more bravura designs, for example the 1963 Shell chair, with its curved surfboard-shaped seat, bring a quietly sculptural presence to a room. Wegner was a designer who revered his primary material — wood — and it shows. His wood gathers patina and character with age; every Hans Wegner piece testifies to the life it has led.
Johannes Andersen
Denmark has a long tradition of producing some of the most acclaimed furniture designers of the 20th century. Johannes Andersen is no exception — his name is synonymous with mid-century modern design. He elevated Scandinavian modernism’s prioritization of practicality and space conservation to new heights and worked with luxurious woods like teak, mahogany and rosewood for a range of designs that merged grace and function.
After completing his cabinetmaker apprenticeship in his early 20s, Andersen began to design for several furniture makers, including CFC Silkeborg and Trensum. A few years later, he opened his own workshop and enjoyed success from the outset. Free of the constraints of working under another studio, Andersen quickly developed his own, distinctive style that drew on Danish functionalism and human-centered design.
After the end of World War II, Andersen noticed the worldwide postwar consumption boom and the burgeoning interest in Scandinavian modern design. He took full advantage of this and began to sell his shapely and eye-pleasing tables, chairs and sideboards to markets outside of Denmark. Other Scandinavian manufacturers took notice of Andersen’s work, which led to many successful, career-long collaborations for the furniture maker.
Like Finn Juhl and Alvar Aalto, Andersen was deeply drawn to organic shapes and flowing lines. He transformed furniture’s traditionally square or rectangular panels and surfaces — like the tops of coffee tables and seat-backs of dining room chairs — into imaginative half-moons with rounded corners, beveled edges and fluid contours. His unexpected use of curves is the highlight of his sleek Capri line for Trensum and can be found in his comfortable saddle-shaped Allegra bar stool and playful but elegant Smile coffee table, which sports an anthropomorphic grin in the slot intended to hold magazines.
Andersen wanted his furniture to be compact — he experimented with reducing the footprints of bulky furniture, and his simple, iconic credenzas, sideboards and folding bar cabinets were born. These and other vintage Johannes Andersen furnishings are in high demand today by collectors and mid-century modern enthusiasts all over the world.
On 1stDibs, find a wide range of Johannes Andersen tables, seating, cabinets and other furniture.
- Hans J. Wegner 'The Chair' in Teak for Johannes HansenBy Johannes Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Copenhagen, DKHans J. Wegner model JH503 in teak. Seat upholstered with black leather. Executed by Johannes Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark.Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
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- Hans J. Wegner Peacock Chair for Johannes HansenBy Johannes Hansen, Hans J. WegnerLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigned in 1947, this fully restored Hans Wegner peacock chair features Windsor chair styling and characteristic attention to detail. The solid oak and teak frame has a high, arched...Category
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Sold$19,500 - Hans J Wegner, the Chair/Round Chair, Design 1949, for Johannes Hansen, DenmarkBy Hans J. Wegner, Johannes HansenLocated in Wargrave, BerkshireHans J Wegner, the chair or round chair, model JH503, designed 1949, manufactured by Johannes Hansen, Denmark Teak frame with curved back, upholstered black leather seat Stampe...Category
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