Brazilian Modern Armchair in Black Leather by Jorge Zalszupin, 1973, Brazil

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Brazilian Modern Armchair in Black Leather by Jorge Zalszupin, 1973, Brazil

About the Item

Available today, the Commander armchair was conceived to attend Brazil’s growing market of office furniture. The first model (with casters) was developed in 1973 and later, a fixed model. The seat and backs are composed of a single curved volume made of fiberglass, with black leather cushions and the armrests are made of a well-made solid aluminum piece. Not only beautiful and well designed, but this piece is also known for its comfort, with a reclining mechanism and a swivel base. The piece has been refinished and re-upholstered in black leather This armchair effortlessly flexes into any Mid-Century Modern, modern, Danish modern or contemporary environment. This armchair is currently displayed in the gallery with a Jorge Zalszupin desk and it looks awesome. Dimensions: H100, W65, D70 (cm) H31.5, W25.6, D27.6 (in) Literature (last images) · L’Atelier spec sheet from the 70’s · Product catalogs from the 70’s About Jorge Zalszupin a native of Warsaw, Poland, studied architecture at Bucharest’s Ecole des Beaux Arts. While working as an architect in Paris, he found inspiration in articles about Brazilians Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx and immigrated to Brazil. His work as an architect created a demand for decoration and furniture proposals that suited the style of his projects and, for many years, Zalszupin designed and executed them for his clients. The demand was as great as the desire to grow and expand his business, and he then decided to found Atelier Móveis in November 1959. A significant part of Zalszupin's furniture production is tributary to his architecture. He used new design language and tendencies, while maintaining a functional view of ambience for internal spaces. L’Atelier was a design collective of architects, engineers, craftsmen, and a full-scale team of professionals that did everything from researching materials to finalizing the product.

Creator:
Jorge Zalszupin (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 39.38 in (100 cm)Width: 27.56 in (70 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Aluminum,Metalwork
Place of Origin:
Brazil
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1970s
Condition:
Reupholstered. Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: 151stDibs: LU7095233300202

Shop All Jorge Zalszupin

Jorge Zalszupin

Just as emigrant Europeans — from Kem Weber and Paul Frankl to Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe — helped establish modernist design and architecture in the United States, so too did many of their peers foster the new design aesthetic in Brazil in the middle decades of the 20th century. Along with architect Lina Bo Bardi (from Italy) and Joaquim Tenreiro (from Portugal) — both of whom helped popularize Brazilian modern design and influenced today's generation of Brazilian designers — there was Jorge Zalszupin, who arrived from Poland in 1949 and created consistently sleek and elegant chairs, tables and case pieces using the South American country’s vibrantly grained tropical hardwoods.

Zalszupin was born in Warsaw (his given first name is Jerzy) and went on to study architecture at the École des Beaux Arts in Bucharest, Romania, graduating in 1945. Zalszupin moved to Paris but found few opportunities in the postwar City of Light. He was impressed by articles on the work of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer that he saw in the André Bloc–edited magazine L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui (Architecture Today). And after sailing to South America, Zalszupin went to work with his fellow Pole and architect Luciano Korngold in São Paulo. Zalszupin began designing furniture as part of his architectural commissions and created several pieces for Niemeyer for use in the new capital city, Brasília. He opened his own design and manufacturing firm, L’Atelier, in 1959.

While Zalszupin cannot be said to have had a signature style, his furniture designs all share a characteristic simplicity and purity of line and form. His work is often compared to that of Danish designers, most especially in their shared commitment to quality construction. He was a master of many materials: travertine marble for tabletops, slung leather for seating, man-made fabrics for upholstery and — his forte — highly figured woods such as jacaranda and rosewood. The latter plays prominently in two of Zalszupin’s best-known lounge chairs: the Brasiliana, with its austere, angular wood frame, and the Presidencial, with its curved seating shell and slatted backrest. Both chairs feature deep cushions and generous proportions in deference to the Brazilian proclivity for long and languid conversations. Yet both pieces — like all Zalszupin designs — possess a striking, tailored grace that would be perfect in any environment.

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