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Bauhaus Drawings

BAUHAUS STYLE

The Bauhaus was a progressive German art and design school founded by the architect Walter Gropius that operated from 1919 to 1933. Authentic Bauhaus furnituresofas, dining chairs, tables and more — and the school’s followers married industrial and natural materials in simple, geometric forms. The goal of the Bauhaus was to erase the distinction between art and craft while embracing the use of new technologies and materials.

ORIGINS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Emphasis on craft
  • Simplicity, order, clarity and a prioritization of functionalism
  • Incorporation of geometric shapes
  • Minimalist and refined, little to no ornamentation
  • Use of industrial materials such as tubular chrome, steel and plastic as well as leather, cane and molded plywood in furniture and other products

BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGNERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

AUTHENTIC BAUHAUS FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The name Bauhaus is derived from the German verb bauen, “to build.” Under the school’s innovative curriculum, students were taught the fine arts, such as painting and sculpture, as well as practical skills like carpentry and metalworking. 

The school moved from Weimar in 1925 to the city of Dessau, where it enjoyed its heyday under Gropius, then Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The period from 1932 to 1933 when it operated in Berlin under Mies was its final chapter. Despite its brief existence, the Bauhaus has had an enduring impact on art and design in the United States and elsewhere, and is regarded by many as the 20th century’s chief crucible of modernism

The faculty roster at the Bauhaus reads like a who’s who of modernist creative genius — it included such artists as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and László Moholy-Nagy along with architects and designers like Mies and Marcel Breuer, who became known for his muscular brutalist-style concrete buildings in the postwar years. In 1925, while he was head of the Bauhaus carpentry workshop, Breuer gave form to his signature innovation: the use of lightweight tubular-steel frames for chairs, side tables and sofas — a technique soon adopted by Mies and others. Breuer’s Cesca chair was the first-ever tubular steel frame chair with a caned seat to be mass produced, while the inspiration for his legendary Wassily chair, a timeless design and part of the collection crafted to furnish the Dessau school, was the bike he rode around campus.

Bauhaus design style reflects the tenets by which these creators worked: simplicity, clarity and function. They disdained superfluous ornament in favor of precise construction. Seating pieces such as side chairs, armchairs or club chairs for example, were made with tubular metal or molded plywood frames, and upholstery was made from leather or cane. Above all, designs in the Bauhaus style offer aesthetic flexibility. They can be the elements of a wholly spare, minimalist space, the quiet foundation of an environment in which color and pattern come from one’s own collection of art and artifacts.

Today, from textiles to typefaces, architecture, furniture and decorative objects for the home, Bauhaus creations continue to have an outsize influence on modern design.

Find a collection of authentic Bauhaus furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Bauhaus
Paul Citroen Nude
Paul Citroen Nude

Paul Citroen Nude

By Paul Citroen

Located in Tilburg, NL

Bauhaus trained artist Paul Citroen (1896-1983) is famous for his graphic works and photographs. This drawing of a nude woman is fantastic in its simple form and warm colors. The ...

Category

Mid-20th Century European Bauhaus Drawings

Materials

Paper

Set of Two Studies in the Bauhaus Style Typography, Gouache from 1920s
Set of Two Studies in the Bauhaus Style Typography, Gouache from 1920s

Set of Two Studies in the Bauhaus Style Typography, Gouache from 1920s

Located in Vienna, Austria

Two decorative studies in typography, painted in gouache on paper with influences from the Bauhaus. The studies were made in the master class for graphic design in Pressburg. Both ...

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1920s Czech Vintage Bauhaus Drawings

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Paper

Drawing on Paper Nature Morte Still Life Attributed to Amédée Ozenfant
Drawing on Paper Nature Morte Still Life Attributed to Amédée Ozenfant

Drawing on Paper Nature Morte Still Life Attributed to Amédée Ozenfant

Located in Atlanta, GA

A graphite and pastel color drawing “Nature Morte” on paper attributed to French artist Amédée Ozenfant (1886-1966). The drawing was discovered in a collector’s estate in US. It is a...

Category

1920s French Vintage Bauhaus Drawings

Materials

Paper

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1920s Academic Study Drawing of a Male Nude Model by Luigi Lobito, Italy 1927
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Male Nude in Art Deco-Cubist Manner by Lenoir, 1920s
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Male Nude Charcoal by Sigismund de Ivanowski American
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Located in Hudson, NY

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Pair of Italian Academic Charcoal Drawings of Male Nude Figures from 1880
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Located in Los Angeles, CA

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20th Century Signed Still Life Pencil Drawing
20th Century Signed Still Life Pencil Drawing

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Located in Roma, IT

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Drawing Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Pillement
Drawing Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Pillement

Drawing Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Pillement

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Drawing Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Pillement

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Charcoal Drawing on Ingrès Paper Signed Marceau Constantin Original, F113
Charcoal Drawing on Ingrès Paper Signed Marceau Constantin Original, F113

Charcoal Drawing on Ingrès Paper Signed Marceau Constantin Original, F113

By Marceau Constantin

Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

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1960s French Vintage Bauhaus Drawings

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English 1920s Large Charcoal Life Drawing
English 1920s Large Charcoal Life Drawing

English 1920s Large Charcoal Life Drawing

$1,650

H 37.13 in W 50.5 in D 0.75 in

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Located in Baton Rouge, LA

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Black Man Pastel Painting Signed Paul Colin, 1925
Black Man Pastel Painting Signed Paul Colin, 1925

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H 13.78 in W 11.82 in D 0.4 in

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By Paul Colin

Located in Marbella, ES

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WALTER SPIES Insect Studies WATERCOLORS – Set of 4
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WALTER SPIES Insect Studies WATERCOLORS – Set of 4

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WALTER SPIES Insect Studies WATERCOLORS – Set of 4

Located in Hawthorne, CA

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Previously Available Items
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Wood Cut Entry Ticket Grand Bal Des Artistes 1923 by Michel Larionov

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Located in Kelkheim (Taunus), HE

Artist Mikhail Fyodorovich Larionow* (1881-1964) Signed in the stone “Larionow” Date 1923 Numbered 3143 Size 27,6cm x 22,3cm Condition Museum-quality, collectible condition Pr...

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Printed Illustration by Joseph Krush 1946 San Francisco Cable Car
Printed Illustration by Joseph Krush 1946 San Francisco Cable Car

Printed Illustration by Joseph Krush 1946 San Francisco Cable Car

Located in Malibu, CA

Contim Framed image of the streets perspective.Print of illustration by Joe Krush. Joe Krush (May 18, 1918 – March 8, 2022) The perspective & details of this piece is what makes it ...

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Mid-20th Century American Bauhaus Drawings

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Print of the Original Christian Dell Drawing for Kaiser Idell, Bauhaus Lamp
Print of the Original Christian Dell Drawing for Kaiser Idell, Bauhaus Lamp

Print of the Original Christian Dell Drawing for Kaiser Idell, Bauhaus Lamp

By Kaiser Idell, Christian Dell

Located in Munster, NRW

High quality print of the original Christian Dell drawing for Kaiser Idell and its famous Bauhaus lamp. 598mm x 455mm, stamped with original Kaiser Idell "Werksstempel".         

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Bauhaus drawings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Bauhaus drawings for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage drawings created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Bauhaus drawings made in a specific country, there are Europe, Czech Republic, and Germany pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original drawings, popular names associated with this style include Christian Dell, Paul Citroen, and Kaiser Idell. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for drawings differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $206 and tops out at $1,963 while the average work can sell for $1,550.