Finn Juhl 'the Poet' Sofa for Niels Vodder, 1941
View Similar Items
Finn Juhl 'the Poet' Sofa for Niels Vodder, 1941
About the Item
- Creator:Finn Juhl (Designer),Niels Vodder (Cabinetmaker)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.86 in (86 cm)Width: 53.15 in (135 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1941
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Copenhagen, DK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU100826148013
Finn Juhl
Along with Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl was one of the great masters of mid-20th-century Danish design. Juhl was the first among that group to have his work promoted overseas, bringing the character of the nation’s furnishings — and the inherent principles of grace, craftsmanship and utility on which they were based — to an international audience. A stylistic maverick, Juhl embraced expressive, free-flowing shapes in chair and sofa designs much earlier than his colleagues, yet even his quietest pieces incorporate supple, curving forms that are at once elegant and ergonomic.
As a young man, Juhl hoped to become an art historian, but his father steered him into a more practical course of study in architecture. He began designing furniture in the late 1930s, a discipline in which, despite his education, Juhl was self-taught, and quite proud of the fact. His earliest works, designed in the late 1930s, are perhaps his most idiosyncratic. The influence of contemporary art is clear in Juhl's 1939 Pelican chair: an almost Surrealist take on the classic wing chair. Critics reviled the piece, however; one said it looked like a "tired walrus." Juhl had tempered his creativity by 1945, when the Danish furniture-making firm Niels Vodder began to issue his designs. Yet his now-classic NV 45 armchair still demonstrates panache, with a seat that floats above the chair’s teak frame.
Juhl first exhibited his work in the United States in 1950, championed by Edgar Kaufmann Jr., an influential design critic and scion of America’s most prominent family of modern architecture and design patrons. (Kaufmann’s father commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the house “Fallingwater.”) Juhl quickly won a following for such signature designs as the supremely comfortable Chieftan lounge chair, the biomorphic Baker sofa, and the Judas table, a piece ornamented with stylish inlaid silver plaquettes.
As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, Finn Juhl’s furniture — as well as his lighting, ceramics, tableware and accessories — has an air of relaxed sophistication and elegance that is unique in the realm of mid-20th-century design.
Niels Vodder
One of the greatest cabinetmakers in Denmark, Niels Vodder had an illustrious career in Danish furniture. And just as like-minded duos Kaare Klint and Rudolph Rasmussen or Hans Wegner and Johannes Hansen had, Vodder — in partnership with Finn Juhl for more than 20 years — set a high standard for Scandinavian modernism.
Vodder had already established his position as an in-demand cabinetmaker by the time Juhl came into his small workshop in 1937. Juhl — a pioneer of 20th-century Danish design and a pivotal figure in the introduction of Danish modern in the United States — had often authored technically complicated designs that other woodworkers found impossible to execute. Vodder, however, would prove otherwise through his skill and ingenuity. Together, the two ushered in an era of innovative Danish design to an international audience at annual Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibitions in Copenhagen.
Some of Juhl’s most iconic lounge chairs, such as the NV 45 chair and the Chieftain chair, were first built by Vodder. Most of the seating executed by Vodder was done in teak, although some chairs were handcrafted in mahogany, rosewood and other attractive woods. The Chieftain, formally the FJ 49 A, won the Danish Design Award in the “Classic” category, while the NV 45 can be found in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Juhl’s FJ 51 chair was featured in the United Nations Trusteeship Council chamber — designing and furnishing the chamber was one of Juhl’s notable accomplishments in the early 1950s.
One of the keys to the pair’s success lay in the combination of Juhl’s self-taught approach and Vodder’s progressive outlook on his trade. The latter's workshop was modest in size and he was a pioneer with respect to the use of subcontractors in manufacturing, while Juhl had no formal training in furniture design. Juhl's early ambition was to pursue art history; instead, at his father’s request, he earned a degree in architecture. His studies and enthusiasm for art resulted in inspired pieces that were free from traditional norms, while Vodder possessed the technical prowess to refine and bring these ideas to fruition.
As Ejnar Pedersen — founder of P.P. Møbler — once said, “ (I)f we had no Niels Vodder, we would not have had the Finn Juhl we know today.” Vodder passed away in 1982.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Niels Vodder seating, tables and case pieces.
- Finn Juhl 'Poet' Sofa for Niels Vodder, 1941By Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Copenhagen, DKRare Finn Juhl 'The Poet' sofa upholstered with two-tone fabric. Legs of stained beech. Designed by Finn Juhl 1941, manufactured by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, Denmark. Very fine ...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsBeech, Fabric
Sold$43,947 - A pair of Finn Juhl NV53 easy chairs for Niels Vodder, 1953By Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Copenhagen, DKA pair of NV-53 teak easy chairs upholstered with blue fabric. Designed 1953, executed and marked by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, Denmark. Upholstered with new fabric and in overal...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Finn Juhl 'Judas' table in Brazilian Rosewood, Niels Vodder 1948.By Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Copenhagen, DKRare Finn Juhl 'Judas' table in Brazilian rosewood. Including two extension leaves in very fine original condition. This is the version without silver coin inlays. Only one owner s...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBeech, Rosewood
- Finn Juhl BO46 Sofa for Bovirke, 1946By Finn JuhlLocated in Copenhagen, DKFinn Juhl two person BO46 sofa upholstered with off-white wool, tapering legs of stained beech. Designed by Finn Juhl, 1946 and manufactured by Bovirke,...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
- Finn Juhl NV46 Chair in Rosewood for Niels VodderBy Finn JuhlLocated in Copenhagen, DKFinn Juhl NV-46 armchair with frame of Brazilian rosewood, upholstered with Nigerian leather. Designed 1946, executed and burn marked by cabinetmaker ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
- Finn Juhl Coffee Table for Bovirke, 1948By Bovirke, Finn JuhlLocated in Copenhagen, DKFinn Juhl coffee table. Tabletop with raised edges and leg ends of teak, frame of oak. Designed by Finn Juhl 1948 and executed by Bovirke, Denmark. Fine condition.Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsOak, Teak
- Danish Curved Mid Century Poet Sofa by Finn Juhl Produced by Niels Vodder, 1941By Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Stockholm, SEVery rare, fine and early example of the iconic "Poet" sofa by Finn Juhl produced by cabinet maker Niels Vodder Denmark, 1941. In good condition and fully restored and upholstered in...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsSheepskin, Beech
- Finn Juhl Poet SofaBy Bovirke, Finn JuhlLocated in London, GBAn early example of the "Poet" sofa designed by Finn Juhl in 1946 and produced by cabinetmakers Bovirke in the 1950s. The essentialness of the lines in this piece result in a shape ...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Beech
$24,149 - “Poet” Chair by Finn Juhl for Niels Vodder in Denmark, 1950By Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Amsterdam, NLA stunning lounge chair model “Poet”, designed by Finn Juhl and manufactured by Niels Vodder in Denmark around 1950. The chair is upholstered in high quality yellow ochre fabric, a ...Category
Vintage 1950s European Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Finn Juhl Poet Sofa in Hallingdal FabricBy Finn JuhlLocated in Herlev, 84Finn Juhl 2. seater Poet sofa in grey and black Hallingdal fabric. The sofa is from around the 90's but has been reupholstered around 3 years ago, so...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Finn Juhl NV-45 Teak Armchair for Niels VodderBy Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in Philadelphia, PAFinn Juhl all original NV45 armchair. Black leather with it's original black suede seat cushion. Often said the most beautiful chair ever designed and probably Juhl's masterpiece! Ch...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- NV53 Two Seater Sofa by Finn JuhlBy Finn Juhl, Niels VodderLocated in London, GBAn NV53 two-seater sofa designed by Finn Juhl in 1953 and made by master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, Denmark, shortly after 1953. The frame is carved out of the highest quality teak w...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Settees
MaterialsTeak