PIERRE PAULIN, F444 LOUNGE CHAIR, c. 1960
View Similar Items
PIERRE PAULIN, F444 LOUNGE CHAIR, c. 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Artifort (Manufacturer),Pierre Paulin (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 38.5 in (97.79 cm)Width: 32 in (81.28 cm)Depth: 31 in (78.74 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1963
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: FURN5741stDibs: 1406068860307
Pierre Paulin
Pierre Paulin introduced a fresh breeze into French furniture design in the 1960s and ’70s, fostering a sleek new space-age aesthetic. Along with Olivier Mourgue, Paulin developed furnishings with flowing lines and almost surreal naturalistic forms. And his work became such a byword for chic, forward-looking design and emerging technologies that two French presidents commissioned him to create environments in the Élysée Palace in Paris.
Paulin was born in Paris to a family of artists and designers. He initially sought to become a ceramist and sculptor and was studying in the town of Vallauris near the Côte d'Azur — a center for pottery making, where Pablo Picasso spent his postwar summers crafting ceramics — but broke his hand in a fight. He enrolled at the École Camondo, the Paris interior design school. There, Paulin was strongly influenced by the work of Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Arne Jacobsen, as was reflected in his early creations for the manufacturer Thonet-France. It was at the Dutch firm Artifort, which he joined in 1958, where Paulin blossomed. In a few years, he produced several of his signature designs based on abstract organic shapes. These include the Butterfly chair (1963), which features a tubular steel frame and slung leather, and a group of striking seating pieces made with steel frames covered in polyurethane foam and tight jersey fabric: the Mushroom (1960), Ribbon (1966) and Tongue (1967) chairs.
In 1971, the Mobilier National — a department of France’s Ministry of Culture in charge of furnishing top-tier government offices and embassies — commissioned Paulin to redesign President Georges Pompidou’s private apartment in the Élysée Palace. In three years, Paulin transformed the staid rooms into futuristic environments with curved, fabric-clad walls and furnishings such as bookcases made from an arrangement of smoked-glass U shapes, flower-like pedestal chairs and pumpkin-esque loungers. Ten years later, the Mobilier National called on Paulin again, this time to furnish the private office of President François Mitterand. Paulin responded with an angular, postmodern take on neoclassical furniture, pieces that looked surprisingly at home in the paneled, Savonnerie-carpeted Louis XVI rooms. As those two Élysée Palace projects show, Paulin furniture works well both in a total decor or when used as a counterpoint to traditional pieces. You will see on 1stDibs that Pierre Paulin’s creations have a unique personality: bright and playful yet sophisticated and suave.
Artifort
The sterling reputation that Artifort enjoys isn’t limited to the innovative upholstery and fluid, organic shapes for which its products are widely known — the legendary Dutch brand’s vintage seating and other furniture is also celebrated for its embodiment of functionality, comfort and quality. These are among the principles that underpin the philosophy toward modern furniture design at Artifort, which has been at the crossroads of furniture and art for over 125 years.
Prior to 1928, the year Artifort officially became a brand, Jules Wagemans had a small upholstery business in Maastricht, the Netherlands. After setting up in 1890, his son, Henricus Wagemans, broadened the scope of the company to include furniture production. By the end of the 1920s, their showroom in Amsterdam had made them a recognizable brand across the Netherlands.
Then named H. Wagemans & Van Tuien, the company changed its name to Artifort after the economic recession. Artifort came from two Latin words meaning “art” and “strong” — a perfect description for the style of each design and the manufacturer’s intention to create sturdy furnishings. Artifort’s reputation for durable armchairs and sofas endures, and vintage editions of this seating are now family heirlooms in many homes.
Artifort became a magnet for high-profile and up-and-coming designers alike. Many furniture designers’ careers began thanks to collaborations with Artifort, such as Dutch industrial and jewelry designer Gijs Bakker and Indonesian-born designer Kho Liang Ie. Also known for designing the interiors at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, Kho Liang Ie was an aesthetic consultant at Artifort and used his expertise to turn the company into a world-class brand. Perhaps his largest contribution, however, was attracting the talents of French furniture and interior designer Pierre Paulin and English furniture designer Geoffrey D. Harcourt.
Paulin’s bright and colorful lounge chairs, such as his Orange Slice chair and Mushroom chair, are still central to the Artifort identity. The revered designer not only introduced new construction techniques to Artifort furniture, but contributed fresh materials, Pop art colors and dazzling shapes to the mid-century modern era as a whole, while Harcourt deserves credit for popularizing Artifort internationally and extending their reach into foreign markets.
Another talent boom in the 1990s at Artifort yielded collaborations with Jasper Morrison, Wolfgang Mezger and René Holten. Iranian designer Khodi Feiz was named art director in 2014 and has continued the tradition of recruiting top designers such as Claesson Koivisto Rune, Ilse Crawford and Luca Nichetto.
Find a collection of vintage Artifort lounge chairs, tables and more on 1stDibs.
- Pierre Paulin F444 lounge chair, 1960sBy Pierre Paulin, ArtifortLocated in HEVERLEE, BEBeautifully patinated F444 lounge chair by Pierre Paulin. Pierre Paulin designed this lounge in the 1960s for the well-known manufacturer Artifort. These chairs are becoming increasi...Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Pierre Paulin F444 lounge chairs pair Artifort 1963By Pierre Paulin, ArtifortLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantStunning and original pair of F444 lounge chairs designed by Pierre Paulin and manufactured by Artifort in 1963. Back in the 1960s, when this chair was born, designers were all about...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Stainless Steel
$8,182 / item - Model F444 Lounge Chair by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1960sBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLStunning model "F444" Chair. This comfortable model is designed by the famous French designer Pierre Paulin (1927-2009). It is manufactured by Artifort in the 60's. This chair show...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- F-444 Lounge Chair by Pierre Paulin for ArtifortBy Pierre Paulin, ArtifortLocated in Dronten, NLEasy chair by Pierre Paulin, metal and mesh, F444, the Netherlands, circa 1965. This mesh F-444 chair is designed by Pierre Paulin for Artifort in 1962. This chair shows sharp lines...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pierre Paulin F444 lounge chair Artifort 1963, 1st editionBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in AMSTERDAM, NLThis exquisite example of the iconic of F444 lounge chair, designed by Pierre Paulin and produced by Artifort in 1963, embodying the innovative spirit of the 1960s. During this era...Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCanvas, Wood
- Set of 2 Model F444 Lounge Chairs by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, 1960sBy Pierre Paulin, ArtifortLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLStunning set of 2 model "F444" Chairs. This model is designed by the famous French designer Pierre Paulin (1927-2009). It is manufactured by Artifort, Holland 1960s. This origi...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
At Château La Coste, Pierre Paulin’s Visionary Home Concept Finally Comes to Life
Now synonymous with 1960s and ’70s French chic, the designer conceived his modular modernist furnishings to change the way we decorate.
Exploring Our Current Obsession with Sixties Style
A new exhibition in Philadelphia stars a complex decade that continues to inspire.