Jean Prouvé, Cité Armchair by Vitra 2002 Chair, 1930 Cité Universitaire Nancy
View Similar Items
Jean Prouvé, Cité Armchair by Vitra 2002 Chair, 1930 Cité Universitaire Nancy
About the Item
- Creator:Jean Prouvé (Designer),Vitra (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.08 in (84 cm)Width: 26.78 in (68 cm)Depth: 37.41 in (95 cm)Seat Height: 13 in (33 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2002
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:Munster, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1391221628082
Jean Prouvé
Engineer and metalsmith, self-taught designer and architect, manufacturer and teacher, Jean Prouvé was a key force in the evolution of 20th-century French design, introducing a style that combined economy of means and stylistic chic. Along with his frequent client and collaborator Le Corbusier and others, Prouvé, using his practical skills and his understanding of industrial materials, steered French modernism onto a path that fostered principled, democratic approaches to architecture and design.
Prouvé was born in Nancy, a city with a deep association with the decorative arts. (It is home, for example, to the famed Daum crystal manufactory.) His father, Victor Prouvé, was a ceramist and a friend and co-worker of such stars of the Art Nouveau era as glass artist Émile Gallé and furniture maker Louis Majorelle. Jean Prouvé apprenticed to a blacksmith, studied engineering, and produced ironwork for such greats of French modernism as the architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. In 1931, he opened the firm Atelier Prouvé. There, he perfected techniques in folded metal that resulted in his Standard chair (1934) and other designs aimed at institutions such as schools and hospitals.
During World War II, Prouvé was a member of the French Resistance, and his first postwar efforts were devoted to designing metal pre-fab housing for those left homeless by the conflict. In the 1950s, Prouvé would unite with Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret (Le Corbusier’s cousin) on numerous design projects. In 1952, he and Perriand and artist Sonia Delaunay created pieces for the Cité Internationale Universitaire foundation in Paris, which included the colorful, segmented bookshelves that are likely Prouvé’s and Perriand’s best-known designs. The pair also collaborated on 1954’s Antony line of furniture, which again, like the works on 1stDibs, demonstrated a facility for combining material strength with lightness of form.
Prouvé spent his latter decades mostly as a teacher. His work has recently won new appreciation: in 2008 the hotelier Andre Balazs purchased at auction (hammer price: just under $5 million) the Maison Tropicale, a 1951 architectural prototype house that could be shipped flat-packed, and was meant for use by Air France employees in the Congo. Other current Prouvé collectors include Brad Pitt, Larry Gagosian, Martha Stewart and the fashion designer Marc Jacobs. The rediscovery of Jean Prouvé — given not only the aesthetic and practical power of his designs, but also the social conscience his work represents — marks one of the signal “good” aspects of collecting vintage 20th century design. An appreciation of Jean Prouvé is an appreciation of human decency.
Vitra
Design house Vitra has garnered international recognition for more than 70 years — the Swiss family-owned furniture company has outfitted public spaces as well as residential properties and offices worldwide. It has been a proponent of modernist design since the 1950s. While the brand is heralded for its collaborations with mid-century modern icons such as Verner Panton, Charles and Ray Eames, Alexander Girard and others, Vitra’s German campus is also home to buildings designed by legendary architects Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. Among them is the Vitra Design Museum, an independent cultural institution that displays two centuries of design today.
Vitra was established in Weil Am Rhein, Germany, in 1950 by husband and wife team Willi and Erika Fehlbaum. On a trip to New York several years later, Willi Fehlbaum encountered the work of design polymaths Ray and Charles Eames in a furniture store and immediately knew that he had found his bliss.
In 1957, Vitra entered into a licensing agreement with Herman Miller, which saw the company producing designs by George Nelson, the Eameses and others. Later, Vitra partnered with Verner Panton and created the Panton chair, which was the first chair ever crafted from a single piece of molded plastic (it was also the first piece to be independently developed by Vitra). After 27 years of establishing the Vitra brand, the Fehlbaums passed control to their two sons, Rolf and Raymond Fehlbaum.
When a fire destroyed the factory in 1981, the brothers developed the Vitra Factory Campus, subsequently taking the opportunity to redirect the architectural landscape of the company. They created a masterplan with Nicholas Grimshaw, and together they erected four buildings in just a few short years.
In 1988, with the passing of Ray Eames and the disbandment of the Los Angeles Eames office, Rolf and Raymond acquired the furniture design portion of her estate, including the Eames prototypes and experimental models, housed today in the Vitra Design Museum.
Rolf and Roy opened the Vitra Design Museum in 1989. This began a period rich with design relationships, including collaborations with Antonio Citterio, Jasper Morrison, Maarten van Severen, Philippe Starck, Alberto Meda and others.
In 2012, leadership passed to Nora, the third generation of the Fehlbaums. Nora Fehlbaum has, like her grandparents, expanded the company and brought it into the 21st century with the acquisition of Finnish furniture manufacturer Artek. Nora has turned the company’s focus to sustainability yet still maintains its international and cultural relevance legacy.
Find a collection of Vitra lounge chairs, tables, side chairs, sofas and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Vitra Planophore Bookshelf Roomdivider Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby Jean ProuvéBy Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, VitraLocated in Munster, NRWEdward Barber and Jay Osgerby have designed Planophore 2014 for Vitra as a dual-purpose - room divider and bookshelf. Its open sides create a horizontal emphasis underscored by the solid shelves with rounded bottom edges, which are reminiscent of aircraft wings and appear to float on the vertical panels. This also explains the name of the shelf: the original Planophore made its debut in 1871 as the first stable model aeroplane...Category
2010s German Modern Sideboards
MaterialsAluminum
- Danish Mid-Century Modern Highback Lounge Chair in Hallingdal ca. 1965, DenmarkBy Helge Vestergaard-Jensen, Peder PedersenLocated in Munster, NRWHighback lounge chair in Hallingdal, bought in 1965, Denmark Incredibly comfortable and very well preserved Highback Lounge Chair - it was bought in Denmark in 1965. The chair c...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Soriana Lounge Chair + Ottoman by Tobia + Afra Scarpa 1969 by Cassina, ItalyBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Munster, NRWLounge chair 'Soriana' with ottoman, designed in 1969 by Afra & Tobia Scarpa and manufactured by Cassina, Italy. The chrome-plated metal structure holds the foam structure firmly in...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Dieter Rams Lounge Chair + Ottoman Swivel Base by Vitsœ Leather 1962 MinimalBy Dieter Rams, VitsoeLocated in Munster, NRWLounge Chair + Ottoman from the chair program 620 - designed by Dieter Rams for Vitsoe, Germany in 1962. The pictured Lounge Chair and its Ottoman were purchased around 2000 and ha...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Steen Ostergaard Lounge Chair, Meteor for CadoBy Cado, Steen OstergaardLocated in Munster, NRWIn good condition, this is one of the most Iconic pieces from the 1970s.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPlastic
- Eero Aarnio 1st Series Pastil Chair Bright Orange 1967 by Asko Finland Pop ArtBy Asko, Eero AarnioLocated in Munster, NRWEero Aarnio - 1st series Pastil Chair in bright orange, 1967 by Asko, Finland. Eero Aarnio made the first prototype of the Pastil chair out of polystyrene, which helped him to verif...Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Space Age Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFiberglass
- Matched Pair Modernist Jean Prouve Style Plywood Arm Chairs by BrunswickBy Jean Prouvé, Brunswick Co.Located in Buffalo, NYModern molded maple plywood and steel tube armchairs by Brunswick from the 1950's. This is a wonderful example of how cutting edge mid century mode...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Antony Chair by Jean Prouve for VitraBy Jean Prouvé, VitraLocated in Chicago, ILc. 2002. Iconic French design, produced by frites. Metal legs with wood seat.Category
Early 2000s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Fauteuil Direction by Jean Prouvé for VITRABy Jean ProuvéLocated in Centreville, VAThe chair was intended for offices, but also for classrooms, which earned it the sobriquet of “teacher’s chair”. Fauteuil Direction is especially suited for dining room seating or a...Category
Vintage 1950s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
$2,500 / item - Jean Prouvé Antony Chairs, 2002 Vitra edition. with original tags, Set of 2By Jean Prouvé, VitraLocated in Denver, COThese chairs are a very sought after set of Antony Chairs originally designed in 1950 by French Architect Jean Prouvé, released via license by Vitra USA on behalf of the Prouvé famil...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Matched Pair of French Modernist Lounge Chairs in Red Mohair Jean Prouve StyleBy Jean ProuvéLocated in Buffalo, NYElegance meets industrial. Pair of lounge chairs, metal frames, walnut arm rests and stunning red mohair seat and back. Extremely comfortable, superior quality and construction, amaz...Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Vitra by Jasper Morrison Park Brown Leather ArmchairsBy Jasper Morrison, VitraLocated in London, GBDesigned by Jasper Morrison for Vitra in 2004, the park armchair has a sleek and modern aesthetic. The chairs have a cubic silhouette, with a solid wood frame and sits on four pol...Category
Early 2000s German Armchairs
MaterialsLeather