Alvar Aalto Wingback Lounge Chair, circa 1950
About the Item
- Creator:Alvar Aalto (Designer),Artek (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 26.38 in (67 cm)Width: 24.41 in (62 cm)Depth: 38.98 in (99 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Amsterdam, NL
- Reference Number:
Alvar Aalto
An architect and designer, Alvar Aalto deserves an immense share of the credit for bringing Scandinavian modernism to a prominent place in the global arena. In both his buildings and in his vintage furniture — which ranges from chairs, tables and lighting to table- and glassware — Aalto’s sensitivity to the natural world and to organic forms and materials tempered the hardness of rationalist design.
Relatively few Aalto buildings exist outside Finland. (Just four exist in the United States, and only one — the sinuous 1945 Baker House dormitory at M.I.T. — is easily visited.) International attention came to Aalto, whose surname translates to English as “wave,” primarily through his furnishings.
Instead of the tubular metal framing favored by the Bauhaus designers and Le Corbusier, Aalto insisted on wood. His aesthetic is best represented by the Paimio armchair, developed in 1930 as part of his overall design of a Finnish tuberculosis sanatorium. Comfortable, yet light enough to be easily moved by patients, the chair’s frame is composed of two laminated birch loops; the seat and back are formed from a single sheet of plywood that scrolls under at the headrest and beneath the knees, creating a sort of pillow effect. Aalto’s use of plywood had enormous influence on Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Marcel Breuer and others who later came to the material.
Concerned with keeping up standards of quality in the production of his designs, Aalto formed the still-extant company Artek in 1935, along with his wife, Aino Aalto, whose glass designs were made by the firm. In the latter medium, in 1936 the Aaltos together created the iconic, undulating Savoy vase, so-called for the luxe Helsinki restaurant for which the piece was designed.
Artek also produced Aalto pendants and other lighting designs, many of which — such as the Angel’s Wing floor lamp and the Beehive pendant — incorporate a signature Aalto detail: shades made of concentric enameled-metal rings graduated down in diameter. The effect of the technique is essential Alvar Aalto: at once precise, simple, and somehow poetic.
Find a collection of vintage Alvar Aalto stools, vases, dining tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Wilnis, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Alvar Aalto “X602” Stool for Artek, Finland 1960By Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Amsterdam, NLA beautiful and rare stool, model “X602”, designed by Alvar Aalto and manufactured by Artek in Finland around 1960. This is an exceptional piece of mid-century Scandinavian design! ...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Stools
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Pair of Frantisek Jirak Lounge Chairs from Czech, 1950By Frantisek JirakLocated in Amsterdam, NLA fantastic pair of lounge chairs designed by Frantisek Jirak, manufactured in the Czech Repulbic around 1950. These eye-catching chairs have high quality beech wooden bases in a ...Category
Vintage 1950s Czech Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Rare Pierre Paulin Lounge Chair for Artifort, Netherlands 1950By Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in Amsterdam, NLA rare model lounge chair designed by Pierre Paulin, manufactured by Artifort in the Netherlands around 1960. This eye-catching piece has a beautiful elegant style. The seat is ni...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Børge Mogensen Wingback Chair for Fredericia, Denmark, 1960By Børge Mogensen, FredericiaLocated in Amsterdam, NLHigh back wingchair designed by Børge Mogensen, manufactured by Fredericia in Denmark, circa 1960. This beautiful seat has a sharply defined outline and a soft, inviting interior....Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Martingala Chair by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, Italy, circa 1950By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Amsterdam, NLStunning early edition martingala chair by Marco Zanuso, manufactured by Arflex, Italy, circa 1950. The chair is newly upholstered in high quality ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Jorgen Kastholm Lounge Chair, Denmark 1960By Jørgen KastholmLocated in Amsterdam, NLA beautiful lounge chair designed by Jorgen Kastholm, manufactured in Denmark around 1960. This elegant piece has a tubular, chrome plated metal fra...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Birch Wingback Lounge Chair by Alvar Aalto for ArtekBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Sagaponack, NYA rare and sculptural wingback lounge chair having a cantilevered laminated birch frame and retaining its original handstitched textured linen upholstery.Category
Vintage 1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Upholstery
- Alvar Aalto, Padded Paimio 44 Lounge chair, Artek 1950sBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIThe famous Paimio lounge chair model 41, designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimio Sanitarium. Manufactured by Huonekalu-ja Rakennustyötehdas Oy in t...Category
Vintage 1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Alvar Aalto, Paimio 41 Lounge chair, ArtekBy Huonekalu-Ja Rakennustyötedas Oy, Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Helsinki, FIThe famous Paimio lounge chair model 41, designed by Alvar Aalto for the Paimion Parantola. Manufactured by Artek in the 1960s, stamped "Artek, Aal...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBirch, Plywood
- Alvar Aalto Lounge ChairBy ICF Group, Alvar AaltoLocated in Philadelphia, PAAlvar Aalto Linen and Beech Lounge Chair in very good original condition! 2nd one available with more wear showing on the seat area of the linen. Later photos are showing the 2nd c...Category
1990s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsCotton, Beech
- 1930's Wingback Lounge ChairBy Queen AnneLocated in Burbank, CAVintage wingback lounge chair for sale. From the 1930's, and has an amazing frame and design. It has a silk upholstery with a floral linen backrest and cushion. It's a solid and well...Category
Vintage 1930s American Queen Anne Wingback Chairs
MaterialsMahogany
- Alvar Aalto Cantilevered Leather Lounge Chair for ArtekBy Artek, Alvar AaltoLocated in Los Angeles, CAArtek’s Model 406 lounge chair designed by Alvar Aalto. The cantilevered frame is a bent birch wood that gives the seat a floating effect. The chair's seat and seatback is finished i...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Birch
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The Very Modern Love Story of Mid-Century Design Duo Alvar and Aino Aalto
A power couple before the term existed, the influential pair made work that still resonates today.
What Makes Scandinavian Modernism and Nordic Design So Irresistible?
Andrew Duncanson, founder of the Stockholm- and London-based gallery Modernity, weighs in on the masters of mid-century furniture and decorative arts.