Pedro Friedeberg “Hand Chair”
About the Item
- Creator:Pedro Friedeberg (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)Depth: 23 in (58.42 cm)Seat Height: 18.25 in (46.36 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1965-1969
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Hampstead, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7242241565722
Pedro Friedeberg
The sculptor and painter Pedro Friedeberg works in a richly detailed, Surrealist and eccentric artistic style that blends influences from neoclassical art, M.C. Escher and native Mesoamerican symbolism. He is best known for his Hand chair — a functional sculpture that is an icon of design-as-art.
Friedeberg was born in Florence to German parents and moved with his mother to Mexico at the outset of World War II. As a university student in Mexico City in the 1950s, he initially studied architecture, but his designs for fantastical buildings ran afoul of his rationalist, Bauhaus-oriented teachers.
By chance, Friedeberg’s drawings came to the attention of Mathias Goeritz, the German-born Dadaist painter and sculptor. He encouraged Friedeberg and made him a protégé. Friedeberg credits his mentor for instilling in him a fanatical attention to detail in his work. Friedeberg produced his first Hand chair in 1961, and has since created numerous iterations. He has also made several variants using other human limbs in different functional forms such as tables and clocks.
While Friedeberg’s sculptures have a gentle character that is sometimes described as spiritual, his paintings and prints are something entirely different. He employs deep perspective to create hypnotic, painstakingly rendered canvases that suggest rooms and cityscapes.
Whatever the medium, Friedeberg’s work is arresting and instantly recognizable. The Hand chair, though familiar, remains a captivating piece — both furniture and artwork — that stands apart in any interior. Examples are often priced between $20,000 and $30,000, depending on formal variations (such as a foot-shaped pedestal), material and condition. Smaller functional items such as tabletop clocks bring about $9,000. His paintings and drawings require space; they are meant to be contemplated. Prices on original examples start at about $30,000; prints generally sell in the region of $900.
As you will see on 1stDibs, the art and design of Pedro Friedeberg is singular and memorable.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Hampstead, Canada
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Plastic
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome
Antique Late 19th Century American Victorian Lounge Chairs
Horn, Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1970s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Oak, Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Chrome
You May Also Like
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Mahogany
Early 2000s Mexican Organic Modern Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Stools
Walnut
Vintage 1970s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Pine
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Cane, Wood
