It has been more than 100 years since the founding of the Dutch art and design movement known as De Stijl.
It was in October of 1917 that artist, architect and critic Theo van Doesburg released the first issue of De Stijl magazine. A platform for artists, designers and architects to express their revolutionary new ideas, the journal was a launching point for what would become an international movement. Meaning “the Style,” De Stijl was an attempt at pure abstraction — one centered on the use of primary colors and perpendicular lines as a utopian expression of a harmonious world.
Along with van Doesburg, the group’s most integral members were Bart van der Leck, Gerrit Rietveld and Piet Mondrian, whose geometric red, yellow, blue and black “Composition” paintings remain the most recognizable work of the movement. Mondrian used the term “neoplasticism” to describe the abstract art that he and his friends produced.
Not just an art movement, however, De Stijl also had a profound impact on modern design and architecture. It would go on to influence Bauhaus and the International Style of architecture. Although it was disbanded in 1931, De Stijl continues to inspire the popular imagination today, and De Stijl creators and their ilk are responsible for timeless works (some of which can be found on 1stDibs).
Made from two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, the Red and Blue chair is a calling card of the De Stijl movement. Designed by architect Gerrit Rietveld, the chair is most often referred to as the Rietveld chair, likely because it didn’t actually get its signature De Stijl colors until the early 1920s.
Also designed by Rietveld, this asymmetrical side table was constructed for his first residential commission, the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht, which is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Mondrian is the De Stijl group’s most well-known member. His familiar black lines with red, yellow and blue blocks are still reproduced in artworks and products today.
Russian-American artist Ilya Bolotowsky was highly interested in the work of Piet Mondrian. A founding member of the New York–based American Abstract Artists — other founders included Ray Kaiser (later Eames) and Josef Albers — Bolotowsky was smitten with Mondrian’s pure geometric abstractions from the period when lived in New York. In this signed, untitled silkscreen print from around 1970, you can see Bolotowsky’s use of hard-edge vertical and horizontal lines, as well as primary colors, although he didn’t limit himself to this palette.
Mondrian is the De Stijl group’s most well-known member. His familiar black lines with red, yellow and blue blocks are still reproduced in artworks and products today. In the 1960s, Yves Saint Laurent designed the Mondrian Collection of cocktail dresses. This wall mirror by Italian manufacturer Rimadesio is among the many decor pieces created in the likeness of Mondrian.
On 1stDibs, find De Stijl lighting, De Stijl decorative objects and more.
ZIG ZAG Wooden Modernist Chair(s) / Gerrit Rietveld (NL) De Stijl 1930's
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
The Zig-Zag chair (1934) by Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld is one of the earliest examples of a cantilevered solid wood chair. Its four wood boards are connected end to end, g...
Cherry
Red and blue chair by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina
Located in LYON, FR
Red and blue chair Gerrit Rietveld Cassina edition Vintage Red and blue chair by Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld. Produced since 1973 by Italian manufacturer Cassina. Stamped on the...
Beech, Birch
Gerrit Rietveld, Berlin Chair / Authentic
Located in Zürich, CH
The relationship between the different shapes ensures a balanced composition. The careful alignment and proportions create an equilibrium, giving a sense of coherent design. Both ten...
Oak
Gerrit Rietveld, Steltman Chair / Authentic
Located in Zürich, CH
The relationship between the different shapes ensures a balanced composition. The careful alignment and proportions create an equilibrium, giving a sense of coherent design. Both ten...
Oak
Unique Large Gerrit Thomas Rietveld "Aluminum Stoel" Model
Located in Dronten, NL
Exceptionally well executed handmade large scale model of this very rare chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld. Unmarked. If you are desperately looking for the perfect gift for an archi...
Aluminum
Red and Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld
Located in Toronto, CA
Designed in 1918 by Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld, the "Red and Blue Chair" is part of the Dutch De Stijl movement, a rigorous abstraction of lines and colours. An outlook shared by...
Wood
Pavel Janák Cubist Wood Chair, Flat Back
By Pavel Janák
Located in Toronto, CA
Cubist side chair by Czech architect and designer Pavel Janák (1881 – 1956), a pioneer in stripping away ornament. Don’t let the expressive angles fool you. This piece is very comfor...
Wood
Czech Cubist Side Chair, Open Back by Pavel Janák
By Pavel Janák
Located in Toronto, CA
Cubist side chair by Czech architect and designer Pavel Janák (1881 – 1956), a pioneer in stripping away ornament. Don’t let the expressive angles fool you - this piece is very comfortable to sit on. Among the most distinctive and most frequently published pieces of early Czech Cubist...
Wood
Red and White Painted "Fischel" Chair, France, circa 1920s-1930s
By Fischel
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Lovely design and colors for this chair by Fischel, a company launched in the late 19th century and following in the same vein as Thonet and Köhn. The style here is reminiscent of Du...
Oak
$4,214 / item
H 29.14 in W 14.57 in D 16.93 in
Gerrit Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of a ...
Wood
$5,431
H 29.14 in W 21.86 in D 19.89 in
Crate Chair by Gerrit Rietveld, Designed in 1930s The Netherlands
Located in Hellouw, NL
Nice Gerrit Rietveld 'Crate' chair. This chair is designed in 1934, however, we think this is a Cassina edition from the 1970s. This chair is made out of ash wood and has a colorless lacquer. 'Gerrit Rietveld designed the 'crate' series of furniture built from standardized pine boards – cheap material for packing crates – which were soon well-known as ‘crate furniture’. 'From 1935 on the progressive designs appeared at Metz & Co, where furniture by Rietveld had already been sold since 1930. The crate desk...
Pine
Gerrit Rietveld Steltman Chair - Oak
Located in Toronto, CA
Manufactured by Spectrum. The Steltman chair is part of the Rietveld Originals collection, which is exclusively and globally managed by Spectrum. Gerrit Rietveld designed his last ...
Oak
$16,987 / set
H 27.56 in W 17.72 in D 19.69 in
Pair of Gerrit Rietveld Steltman chairs - Netherlands, 1963
Located in London, GB
Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964) was a key figure in the De Stijl movement, known for his radical use of geometry, line, and primary colour. A trained cabinetmaker, he brought a sculptura...
Pine
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld "Utrecht" Armchair for Cassina, 1935
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld "Utrecht" armchairs for Cassina, wool and steel, Netherlands, 1935. The designer came up with the idea of the “Utrecht” armchair in 1935 while working for t...
Wool
Zig Zag Chair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
Located in Doral, FL
Zig Zag Chair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld 1932 / 2022 Cassina Open pore ashwood lacquered black. Feet in black plastic. Produced and numbered by Cassina.
Ash, Lacquer
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Materials: Wood Dimensions: D 43 cm x W 37 cm x H 74 cm (SH ...
Wood
Italian 1950s Sculptural Single Chair
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Milan, IT
Italian 1950s beautifully sculpted single chair.
Upholstery, Wood
$4,214 / item
H 29.14 in W 14.57 in D 16.93 in
Gerrit Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of...
Wood
$1,795Sale Price|28% Off
H 31 in W 15.75 in D 16.25 in
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld Zig Zag Chair By Cassina c.1983
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Instantly iconic, the Zig-Zag chair (1934) by Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld is one of the earliest examples of a cantilevered solid wood chair. Its four wood boards are...
Wood
$4,214 / item
H 29.14 in W 14.57 in D 16.93 in
Gerrit Rietveld Zig Zag Chair by Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld in 1934. Relaunched in 1973/ 2011. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Designed by Gerrit Rietveld, this chair provided an early example of...
Wood
$35,200Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 29.25 in W 14.75 in D 17 in
Set of Eight Early 'Zig Zag' Chairs by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, 1973, Signed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This set of eight early year 'Zig Zag' chairs by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina are the holy grail of collectors pieces. Extremely rare and coveted, original 'Zig Zag' chairs are a part...
Wood
Sold
H 29.53 in W 19.3 in D 17.33 in
Manner Of Gerrit Rietveld - Steltman Chair - 1970s Dutch interpretation
Located in Hasselt, VLI
This 1970s Dutch interpretation of the Steltman chair pays tribute to Rietveld's vision. Crafted from solid oak, it features a very nice natural wood grain, signifying both beauty an...
Wood, Oak
Josef Hoffmann's rare set of four chairs in curved wood
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2072 Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956) Rare set of four chairs in curved polished wood and upholstered seat. Manufactured by JJ.Kohn, Vienna, 1907. 42x42xh46/75
Wood
Sold
H 29.25 in W 14.75 in D 17 in
Gerrit Rietveld "Zig-Zag" Chairs by Cassina, Italy 1973 'Four Available'
Located in Sacile, PN
Four Gerrit Rietveld "ZIG-ZAG" chairs by Cassina, Italy 1970s. N°853 -854 -873-874 Provenance: Private collection Milan This set early year 'Zig Zag' chairs by Gerrit Rietveld for ...
Wood, Elm
Sold
H 29.25 in W 37.47 in D 43.18 in
Set of Two Gerrit Rietveld "ZIG-ZAG" chairs by Cassina, Italy 1970s
Located in Sacile, PN
Six Gerrit Rietveld "ZIG-ZAG" chairs by Cassina, Italy 1970s. N°2812 to 2813 In the early 1930s, department store Metz & Co. asked Gerrit R...
Wood
Sold
H 29.25 in W 37.47 in D 43.18 in
Gerrit Rietveld "ZIG-ZAG" chairs by Cassina, Italy 1970s (Six available)
Located in Sacile, PN
Six Gerrit Rietveld "ZIG-ZAG" chairs by Cassina, Italy 1970s. From N°2808 to 2813 In the early 1930s, department store Metz & Co. asked Gerrit Rietveld to design a chair for mass ...
Wood
Sold
H 31.11 in W 13.78 in D 16.15 in
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, Zigzag Chair, Black, From the Rietveld Academy
Located in Hasselt, VLI
Vintage pine ZigZag chairs designed by Gerrit Rietveld - Sourced from the Rietveld Academy in The Netherlands. This set of two pieces was probably made by...
Pine, Paint
Pair of Plywood Dutch Constructivist Style Chairs
Located in Surbiton, GB
A great pair of handmade plywood prototype chairs in the Dutch constructivist style. Dimensions (cm, approx): Height: 106 Width: 49 Depth: 59 Both chairs are in fair cond...
Plywood
Gerrit Rietveld Style Lounge Chairs, a Pair
Located in Raleigh, NC
A beautiful iteration of the red and blue chair originally designed by Gerrit Rietveld. This pair realized in natural maple is a wonderful monochromatic contrast to the primary color...
Maple
Mondrian Red and Blue Style Sling Chair, a Pair
Located in Plainview, NY
A stylish and comfortable pair of Mondrian red and blue sling chairs in the manner of Gerrit T Rietveld. The iconic design was created in 1918 in Net...
Textile, Wood
Pair of Chrome-Plated and Leather Wassily Chairs, circa 1980
By Knoll, Marcel Breuer
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A lovely pair of Wassily armchairs in leather and chrome-plated frames. These chairs produced by Knoll are replicas of the original of the iconic Wassily chair, also known as Model B...
Leather
Early Constructivist Iron Swing Chair - Metz & Co., Amsterdam
By Gerrit Rietveld, Metz & Co.
Located in Rochester, NY
A rare Dutch constructivist iron and canvas sling multi position swing chair with great architectonic Rietveld like form for Metz & Co, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Direct from a private ...
Iron
Sold
H 29.34 in W 14.77 in D 17.33 in
Gerrit Rietveld Mid-Century Modern Wood Zig-Zag Chair for Metz and Co, 1968
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Zig-Zag chair designed by Gerrit Rietveld. Manufactured by Metz & Co in 1968 (Netherlands) In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (24 June 1888–25 June 1964) was a Dutch furniture designer and architect. One of the principal members of the Dutch artistic movement called De Stijl, Rietveld is famous for his red and blue chair and for the Rietveld Schro¨der House, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1934 Rietveld designed a first series of crate furniture, consisting of an armchair, a small bookcase and a small table. These were items for which the appearance was largely dictated by the application of standard lumber size planks for different parts of the furniture. The choice of using standardized Industrial products was motivated by Rietveld’s aim to make furniture production more efficient. The furniture is almost completely built from firewood planks with a width of, circa 15 cm. A constantly recurring, distinctive wide chink is left between the planks. Dry joints connect the components with brass screws, which are left visible. At this time this type of wood and construction method was used for packing crates, hence the name of the series. The radically simple crate furniture was heavily criticized by some contemporaries, because of the lack of traditional workmanship. Rietveld defended his designs by saying that traditionally produced furniture was transported in crates to avoid being damaged. It was obvious to him that the packing material was stronger, and therefore better, than its content. After 1935 much more crate furniture followed, including various chairs, tables and stools. After producing them in his own name for a while, the crate furniture was sold by Metz and Co...
Brass