By Knoll, Marcel Breuer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of B33 cantilever chairs designed by Marcel Breuer, featuring polished chrome-plated tubular steel frames with natural canvas seats and backrests. One chair retains its Knoll International label dated 1992.
Originally designed by Breuer in the late 1920s, the B33 is an important example of Bauhaus and International Style furniture design, reflecting the period's experimentation with tubular steel and the elimination of conventional rear chair legs. The continuous cantilevered frame creates a remarkably light architectural profile while providing the subtle flexibility characteristic of this type of construction.
The natural canvas upholstery provides a warm contrast to the polished chrome frames. Particularly distinctive are the backs, where the canvas panels are secured with exposed corset-style lacing, emphasizing the functional construction of the chairs.
Breuer's tubular steel furniture helped define the vocabulary of early European Modernism, and the B33 shares its design lineage with the cantilever furniture of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Mart Stam, as well as Modernist works by Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand. The clean geometry makes the pair equally appropriate for Bauhaus, Mid-Century Modern, International Style, minimalist, contemporary, and industrial interiors.
The chairs retain their vintage canvas upholstery, which shows discoloration, staining, marks, and wear from age and use. The chrome-plated tubular steel frames show scratches, oxidation, finish losses, and other age-related wear. Please refer to the detailed photographs for condition.
Measurements: 31 in. H × 18.50 in. W × 24 in. D
Seat height: 18 in.
Designer: Marcel Breuer
Model: B33
Manufacturer: Knoll International
Date: circa 1992
Materials: Chrome-plated tubular steel and canvas
Origin: Knoll International, Italy / USA
A highly recognizable Marcel Breuer cantilever chair...
Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Canvas Seating