Gerrit Rietveld Utrecht chair Metz & Co Netherlands 1965

About the Item

Utrecht Lounge Chair designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld and manufactured by Metz & Co in The Netherlands 1935. This exceptional and historically important lounge chair represents a pivotal moment in Rietveld’s career, as it was his first upholstered furniture design. Introduced in 1935, it signified a clear shift away from his earlier wooden constructions toward a more comfortable and livable form of modernism. The earliest examples of this design featured wooden frames constructed by Gerard van de Groenekan, Rietveld’s trusted carpenter and close collaborator. After the war, however, Metz & Co took the production of the interior into their own hands, for unknown reasons during the later production years. This particular example has been meticulously reupholstered in chocolate brown boat canvas, a historically accurate material with a flat and tight weave, commonly used for these chairs in the 1930s and 1940s. The fabric accentuates the sharp, straight lines characteristic of Rietveld’s architectural language, giving the piece both clarity and a subtle warmth. The restrained palette and pure geometry make it an outstanding expression of his structural honesty and functional elegance. Metz & Co produced and sold this chair from 1935 until the war years interrupted production, resuming afterward and continuing until approximately 1975. In the 1970s, production rights for Rietvelds furniture were acquired by Cassina, who were required to modify every angle and measurement of the original, resulting in a version distinctly different from Rietveld’s authentic design. In 1953, a Metz & Co advertisement in the magazine Goed Wonen proudly announced the chair’s return, reaffirming its cultural and design significance at the time. This specific chair originates from the estate of Peter Vöge, an influential Dutch writer and design historian known for his authoritative works on Dutch furniture, including Complete Rietveld Furniture. It remained in private hands until recently, preserving its exceptional provenance. The interior structure has been carefully conserved, with minimal restoration to ensure durability while respecting its historical integrity. The underside has been intentionally left open, allowing the original framework to remain visible, providing a rare and honest look at its construction. This chair stands as a landmark in Rietveld’s oeuvre: a design that merges architectural clarity with tactile comfort. Both historically significant and entirely functional, it is a highly collectible work that embodies a key moment in 20th-century Dutch design. Literature; The complete Rietveld furniture, Peter Vöge, 010 publishers. Page 96-97. As with all our upholstered pieces, these can be custom reupholstered to suit your preferences. Consult with our experienced upholstery department for a personalized quote on customizing the item of your choice. We can work with fabric you provide or order specific materials to meet your needs. Throughout the reupholstery process, we prioritize preserving the originality of the piece to ensure it retains its value and is ready for many more years of use.

Creator:
Gerard van de Groenekan (Manufacturer),Gerrit Rietveld (Designer),Metz & Co. (Retailer)
Dimensions:
Height: 27.17 in (69 cm)Width: 26.38 in (67 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)Seat Height: 13.39 in (34 cm)
Style:
De Stijl (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Canvas
Place of Origin:
Netherlands
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1965
Condition:
Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Very good condition. Reupholstered according the original design.
Seller Location:
Roosendaal, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU933050847002

Shop All Gerrit Rietveld

Gerrit Rietveld

Best known for his Red and Blue chair, a modernist icon created using only two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld trained as a cabinetmaker, and his bold vision for furniture was supported by his expertise in construction and craftsmanship.

Born in Utrecht, Rietveld learned goldsmithing in addition to the cabinetry apprenticeship he had in his carpenter father’s workshop. He studied draftsmanship with architect Piet Klaarhamer at the Utrecht Museum of Applied Arts and opened his own furniture workshop in 1917. In the 1930s, Rietveld began to experiment with then-unusual materials like plywood and aluminum, and he pursued intellectual concepts through his design, even considering a seat as a resting place for the body and the soul.

Designed in 1918, the minimalist Red and Blue chair is widely coveted by collectors and gained admirers in the likes of legendary American sculptor and designer Donald Judd over the years. (Examples of Rietveld’s designs can be found in Judd’s restored home-museum in New York City.) The Red and Blue chair is so stunning in its geometric simplicity that it is one of the most important symbols of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl, of which Rietveld was an important part. De Stijl means “the Style” and was an effort to express utopian values through pure abstraction in design and the use of primary colors.

Another example of Rietveld’s celebrated seating furniture is the Zig-Zag chair, which was commissioned by the Dutch department store Metz & Co. and intended to be mass-produced. The resulting design — to which the rights to manufacture were bought by Cassina in 1971 — is the essence of the De Stijl movement and an example of Rietveld’s experiments with jointless chairs made from a single material, wood. The Zig-Zag chair’s armless, legless, elegant form is pure abstraction, yet it is also sturdy and comfortable.

Later in his career, Rietveld worked more often as an architect, designing buildings in prestigious settings like the Venice Biennale. He was a pioneer in more ways than one: The first building he designed, Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht in 1924, is a radically modern space and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

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