Pedro Friedeberg Hands Feet Surrealist Gold Leafed Occasional Table. 1960s.
About the Item
- Creator:Pedro Friedeberg (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)Diameter: 23.25 in (59.06 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Kansas City, MO
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1057042674222
Pedro Friedeberg
The sculptor and painter Pedro Friedeberg works in a richly detailed, Surrealist and eccentric artistic style that blends influences from neoclassical art, M.C. Escher and native Mesoamerican symbolism. He is best known for his Hand chair — a functional sculpture that is an icon of design-as-art.
Friedeberg was born in Florence to German parents and moved with his mother to Mexico at the outset of World War II. As a university student in Mexico City in the 1950s, he initially studied architecture, but his designs for fantastical buildings ran afoul of his rationalist, Bauhaus-oriented teachers.
By chance, Friedeberg’s drawings came to the attention of Mathias Goeritz, the German-born Dadaist painter and sculptor. He encouraged Friedeberg and made him a protégé. Friedeberg credits his mentor for instilling in him a fanatical attention to detail in his work. Friedeberg produced his first Hand chair in 1961, and has since created numerous iterations. He has also made several variants using other human limbs in different functional forms such as tables and clocks.
While Friedeberg’s sculptures have a gentle character that is sometimes described as spiritual, his paintings and prints are something entirely different. He employs deep perspective to create hypnotic, painstakingly rendered canvases that suggest rooms and cityscapes.
Whatever the medium, Friedeberg’s work is arresting and instantly recognizable. The Hand chair, though familiar, remains a captivating piece — both furniture and artwork — that stands apart in any interior. Examples are often priced between $20,000 and $30,000, depending on formal variations (such as a foot-shaped pedestal), material and condition. Smaller functional items such as tabletop clocks bring about $9,000. His paintings and drawings require space; they are meant to be contemplated. Prices on original examples start at about $30,000; prints generally sell in the region of $900.
As you will see on 1stDibs, the art and design of Pedro Friedeberg is singular and memorable.
You May Also Like
20th Century Mexican Side Tables
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1960s Mexican Tables
Mahogany
Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Mahogany
20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Glass, Walnut
Late 20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Hardwood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Stone, Gold, Copper
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Rattan
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Art Deco Side Tables
Marble
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1960s Mexican Modern Tables
Gold Leaf
2010s Mexican Modern Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Brass
Vintage 1970s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Walnut, Giltwood
Vintage 1970s Mexican Post-Modern Dry Bars
Glass, Wood
Early 2000s Mexican Post-Modern Chairs
Gold Leaf
