Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Jean Gillon, Brazil, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Jean Gillon (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.32 in (77 cm)Width: 71.26 in (181 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brussels, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2265335976272
Jean Gillon
Although he was Romanian by birth, architect and designer Jean Gillon’s heart and soul belonged to his adopted country of Brazil. The country’s culture and revered architecture served as a muse for his mid-century furniture designs. Today Gillon ranks among the most interesting figures in Brazilian modernism, which is characterized by sensual forms and beautifully handcrafted chairs, tables and cabinets built from exotic hardwoods.
Gillon was born in Iasi and graduated from the city’s George Enescu National University of the Arts. He then moved to Paris, where he studied tapestry, worked at the newspaper Le Monde as a cartoonist and moonlighted as a set designer for the Paris Opera Ballet. He eventually left Paris for Vienna, where he studied architecture at the School of Industrial Arts, known today as the University of Applied Arts. In the early 1950s, Gillon was a visiting lecturer at London’s Central School of Arts and Crafts.
In 1956, Gillon moved with his wife and two daughters to São Paulo, where he developed a passion for Brazilian architecture, namely the work of modernists such as celebrated architect Lina Bo Bardi and designer José Zanine Caldas. Gillon took on interior decorating projects and formed the Fábrica de Móveis Cidam, which later became Italma Wood Art, in order to design furniture for his clients. Gillon’s furnishings, produced at Italma and also in collaboration with manufacturers such as Probel, were immensely popular and could be found in the planned capital city of Brasilia, a project launched in 1956 by Oscar Niemeyer.
Gillon designed everything from bowls and baskets to centerpieces, tables and other objects and furniture. However, he was best known for his lounge chairs and sofas, including his iconic Jangada chair. Named for the Portuguese word for traditional Brazilian fishing boats, the award-winning Jangada was framed in jacaranda in the late 1960s. The welcoming seat of Gillon’s visually striking trapezoidal lounge chair features plush leather cushions that are supported by nylon fishing rope.
Gillon continued to produce furniture for Italma Wood Art until he retired in 2003. He died in 2007, and today Gillon’s pieces remain highly covetable among interior designers and collectors of modern furniture.
On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Jean Gillon seating, decorative objects and serveware.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brussels, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern wooden desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s 4 Drawers.Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Wooden Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sCategory
Vintage 1960s Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sCategory
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk, Italy, 1960sLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Wooden Desk, Italy, 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk, Italy, 1960sLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern wooden desk, Italy, 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Wooden Desk with Drawers, Italy, 1960sLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Wooden Desk with Drawers, Italy, 1960sCategory
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Brazilian Modern Coffee Table by Jean Gillon, 1960sBy Jean GillonLocated in Antwerp, BESculptural; Brazilian; Modern; Coffee Table; Jean Gillon; 1960s; Jorge Zalszupin; Sergio Rodrigues; Joaquim Tenreiro; Lina Bo Bardi; Brazil; Brazilian Design; Wood; Architect; Design...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Desk by Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960sBy Sergio RodriguesLocated in New York, NYThe “Clara” desk is made with Brazilian rosewood, also known as jacaranda, with a rosewood veneer. The hardwood has been expertly refinished, displaying vibrant wood veins. The desk ...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsHardwood
- Rosewood Dining Table by Jean Gillon, Italma, 1960s, Brazilian MidcenturyBy Italma, Jean GillonLocated in New York, NYThis fantastic dining table was designed in the 1960s by Jean Gillon (1919-2007), a Romanian-born architect, artist, and designer who landed in Brazil in 1956. The piece has a solid Rosewood structure, with a veneered top and extensions that comfortably accommodate six to ten seats. Gillon created an extensive and varied production of furniture, drawings, paintings, sculptures, tapestries, costumes, and scenarios for theater. In 1961, he opened his own company to manufacture furniture, Cidam, a company that came to be called WoodArt. In addition to this brand, other Brazilian furniture...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsRosewood
- Solid Wood Side Table, by Jean Gillon, Brazilian Mid-Century Design ModernBy Jean GillonLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThe side table designed by Jean Gillon, a prominent figure in Brazilian mid-century modern design, showcases the elegant simplicity and innovative use of materials characteristic of ...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsHardwood
- 1960s Mid Century Modern Walnut Writing DeskLocated in North Hollywood, CAMid-century walnut executive desk designed and manufactured in the United States circa 1960s. The desk is amazing and boasts a beautiful walnut frame with a sleek formica top. The de...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsLaminate, Walnut
- Mid Century Modern Writing Table Desk, American, c.1960sLocated in Chapel Hill, NCMid Century Modern walnut writing table desk, American, c.1960s. Surfboard top & floating cabinet concealing a paper drawer & shelf. Estate of a UNC-Chapel Hill professor. Bronze fin...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood