Jean Prouve for Vitra Germany Cite Canvas and Leather Armchairs Lounges
View Similar Items
Jean Prouve for Vitra Germany Cite Canvas and Leather Armchairs Lounges
About the Item
- Creator:Vitra (Manufacturer),Jean Prouvé (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 26.75 in (67.95 cm)Depth: 37.5 in (95.25 cm)Seat Height: 8.25 in (20.96 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1990-1999
- Date of Manufacture:20th Century
- Condition:
- Seller Location:West Hartford, CT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3072310627611
Jean Prouvé
Engineer and metalsmith, self-taught designer and architect, manufacturer and teacher, Jean Prouvé was a key force in the evolution of 20th-century French design, introducing a style that combined economy of means and stylistic chic. Along with his frequent client and collaborator Le Corbusier and others, Prouvé, using his practical skills and his understanding of industrial materials, steered French modernism onto a path that fostered principled, democratic approaches to architecture and design.
Prouvé was born in Nancy, a city with a deep association with the decorative arts. (It is home, for example, to the famed Daum crystal manufactory.) His father, Victor Prouvé, was a ceramist and a friend and co-worker of such stars of the Art Nouveau era as glass artist Émile Gallé and furniture maker Louis Majorelle. Jean Prouvé apprenticed to a blacksmith, studied engineering, and produced ironwork for such greats of French modernism as the architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. In 1931, he opened the firm Atelier Prouvé. There, he perfected techniques in folded metal that resulted in his Standard chair (1934) and other designs aimed at institutions such as schools and hospitals.
During World War II, Prouvé was a member of the French Resistance, and his first postwar efforts were devoted to designing metal pre-fab housing for those left homeless by the conflict. In the 1950s, Prouvé would unite with Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret (Le Corbusier’s cousin) on numerous design projects. In 1952, he and Perriand and artist Sonia Delaunay created pieces for the Cité Internationale Universitaire foundation in Paris, which included the colorful, segmented bookshelves that are likely Prouvé’s and Perriand’s best-known designs. The pair also collaborated on 1954’s Antony line of furniture, which again, like the works on 1stDibs, demonstrated a facility for combining material strength with lightness of form.
Prouvé spent his latter decades mostly as a teacher. His work has recently won new appreciation: in 2008 the hotelier Andre Balazs purchased at auction (hammer price: just under $5 million) the Maison Tropicale, a 1951 architectural prototype house that could be shipped flat-packed, and was meant for use by Air France employees in the Congo. Other current Prouvé collectors include Brad Pitt, Larry Gagosian, Martha Stewart and the fashion designer Marc Jacobs. The rediscovery of Jean Prouvé — given not only the aesthetic and practical power of his designs, but also the social conscience his work represents — marks one of the signal “good” aspects of collecting vintage 20th century design. An appreciation of Jean Prouvé is an appreciation of human decency.
Vitra
Design house Vitra has garnered international recognition for more than 70 years — the Swiss family-owned furniture company has outfitted public spaces as well as residential properties and offices worldwide. It has been a proponent of modernist design since the 1950s. While the brand is heralded for its collaborations with mid-century modern icons such as Verner Panton, Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and others, Vitra’s German campus is also home to buildings designed by legendary architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Among them is the Vitra Design Museum, an independent cultural institution that displays two centuries of design today.
Vitra was established in Weil Am Rhein, Germany, in 1950 by husband and wife team Willi and Erika Fehlbaum. On a trip to New York several years later, Willi Fehlbaum encountered the work of design polymaths Ray and Charles Eames in a furniture store and immediately knew that he had found his bliss.
In 1957, Vitra entered into a licensing agreement with Herman Miller, which saw the company producing designs by George Nelson, the Eameses and others. Later, Vitra partnered with Verner Panton and created the Panton chair, which was the first chair ever crafted from a single piece of molded plastic (it was also the first piece to be independently developed by Vitra). After 27 years of establishing the Vitra brand, the Fehlbaums passed control to their two sons, Rolf and Raymond Fehlbaum.
When a fire destroyed the factory in 1981, the brothers developed the Vitra Factory Campus, subsequently taking the opportunity to redirect the architectural landscape of the company. They created a masterplan with Nicholas Grimshaw, and together they erected four buildings in just a few short years.
In 1988, with the passing of Ray Eames and the disbandment of the Los Angeles Eames office, Rolf and Raymond acquired the furniture design portion of her estate, including the Eames prototypes and experimental models, housed today in the Vitra Design Museum.
Rolf and Roy opened the Vitra Design Museum in 1989. This began a period rich with design relationships, including collaborations with Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, Maarten van Severen, Philippe Starck, Alberto Meda and others.
In 2012, leadership passed to Nora, the third generation of the Fehlbaums. Nora Fehlbaum has, like her grandparents, expanded the company and brought it into the 21st century with the acquisition of Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek. Nora has turned the company’s focus to sustainability yet still maintains its international and cultural relevance legacy.
Find a collection of Vitra lounge chairs, tables, side chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Adrian Pearsall Craft Associates Lounge Chair OriginalBy Adrian PearsallLocated in West Hartford, CTIconic Pearsall chair, all original and still in magnificent shape, model 1534-C. The upholstery features a multi-stripe fabric that is still in great shape. There is a headrest at t...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsTextile, Walnut, Fabric
- Adrian Pearsall Craft Associates Slim Jim High-Back Lounge ChairBy Adrian Pearsall, Craft AssociatesLocated in West Hartford, CTElegant, rare, coveted Pearsall Slim Jim chair. It's height, at 55", sets this chair apart from the crowd. Iconic Pearsall design throughout. I...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Textile, Walnut
- Adrian Pearsall Craft Associates Iconic Slim Jim High-Back Lounge ChairBy Adrian Pearsall, Craft AssociatesLocated in West Hartford, CTNewly upholstered Pearsall Slim Jim chair, quite magnificent. Set apart by its height, 55" tall. One of Pearsall's most coveted pieces and, the...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Textile, Walnut
- Adrian Pearsall Newly Upholstered in Ivory Boucle Fabric Swivel ChairBy Adrian Pearsall, Craft AssociatesLocated in West Hartford, CTGorgeous newly upholstered in elegant ivory boucle fabric high back swivel chair. Designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates in PA circa 1960's. Why not own the best.Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTextile, Bouclé, Wood, Walnut
- French Louis XVI Fruitwood Arm Chair with New Herman Miller FabricLocated in West Hartford, CTIconic, vintage Herman Miller rare out of print fabric adorns this gorgeous French Louis XVI fruitwood arm chair. The juxtaposition is nothing short of riveting and this chair will i...Category
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Fruitwood
- Adrian Pearsall Craft Associates Extra Large High-back Chair Model 2139-CBy Adrian Pearsall, Craft AssociatesLocated in West Hartford, CTOne of Adrian Pearsall's larger chairs, this one is 54" tall and sits like a throne on wheels. The chair is structurally sound but will need to be reupholstered and refilled. A great...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Textile, Walnut
- Antony Chair by Jean Prouve for VitraBy Vitra, Jean ProuvéLocated in Chicago, ILc. 2002. Iconic French design, produced by frites. Metal legs with wood seat.Category
Early 2000s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Jean Prouvé Cite Lounge Chair (Prouvé RAW Edition) by G Star Raw and VitraBy Vitra, Jean ProuvéLocated in Saint Paul, MNThe Cité lounge chair is one of Prouvé's earlier furniture designs and it fits perfectly in the modern home where Prouvé himself used it. Jean Prouvé was a "constructeur" a builder a...Category
2010s European Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Japanese Red for VitraBy Vitra, Jean ProuvéLocated in Glendale, CAJean Prouvé Standard chair in natural oak and Japanese red for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designed ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Gray Metal for VitraBy Vitra, Jean ProuvéLocated in Glendale, CAJean Prouvé Standard chair in natural oak and gray metal for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designed in...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Blue Metal for VitraBy Vitra, Jean ProuvéLocated in Glendale, CAJean Prouvé Standard chair in natural oak and blue metal for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designed in...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Black Metal for VitraBy Vitra, Jean ProuvéLocated in Glendale, CAJean Prouvé standard chair in natural oak and black metal for Vitra. The standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engine...Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel