Piano Chair by Gerrit Rietveld, De Stijl
View Similar Items
Piano Chair by Gerrit Rietveld, De Stijl
About the Item
- Creator:Gerrit Rietveld (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 13.78 in (35 cm)Seat Height: 18.9 in (48 cm)
- Style:De Stijl (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Wood,Ebonized
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1923
- Condition:the leather has been renewed.
- Seller Location:Amsterdam, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU120222329092
Gerrit Rietveld
Best known for his Red and Blue chair, a modernist icon created using only two plywood plates and 15 connecting bars, Dutch designer Gerrit Thomas Rietveld trained as a cabinetmaker, and his bold vision for furniture was supported by his expertise in construction and craftsmanship.
Born in Utrecht, Rietveld learned goldsmithing in addition to the cabinetry apprenticeship he had in his carpenter father’s workshop. He studied draftsmanship with architect Piet Klaarhamer at the Utrecht Museum of Applied Arts and opened his own furniture workshop in 1917. In the 1930s, Rietveld began to experiment with then-unusual materials like plywood and aluminum, and he pursued intellectual concepts through his design, even considering a seat as a resting place for the body and the soul.
Designed in 1918, the minimalist Red and Blue chair is widely coveted by collectors and gained admirers in the likes of legendary American sculptor and designer Donald Judd over the years. (Examples of Rietveld’s designs can be found in Judd’s restored home-museum in New York City.) The Red and Blue chair is so stunning in its geometric simplicity that it is one of the most important symbols of the Dutch art and design movement of the early 20th century called De Stijl, of which Rietveld was an important part. De Stijl means “the Style” and was an effort to express utopian values through pure abstraction in design and the use of primary colors.
Another example of Rietveld’s celebrated seating furniture is the Zig-Zag chair, which was commissioned by the Dutch department store Metz & Co. and intended to be mass-produced. The resulting design — to which the rights to manufacture were bought by Cassina in 1971 — is the essence of the De Stijl movement and an example of Rietveld’s experiments with jointless chairs made from a single material, wood. The Zig-Zag chair’s armless, legless, elegant form is pure abstraction, yet it is also sturdy and comfortable.
Later in his career, Rietveld worked more often as an architect, designing buildings in prestigious settings like the Venice Biennale. He was a pioneer in more ways than one: The first building he designed, Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht in 1924, is a radically modern space and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
Find vintage Gerrit Rietveld furniture on 1stDibs.
- Gerrit Rietveld, Berlin Chair / AuthenticBy Gerrit Rietveld Jr.Located in Zürich, CHIconic “Berlin chair” was designed in 1923 by Gerrit Rietveld, and manufactured by G.A.v.d. Groenekan De Bilt Nederland in between 1972-1974. Beside the "Red and Blue chair", this is...Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch De Stijl Chairs
MaterialsOak
- Gerrit Rietveld, Steltman Chair / AuthenticBy Gerrit Rietveld Jr.Located in Zürich, CH"Steltman Stoel" was designed by Gerrit Rietveld in 1963 and produced by Gerard van de Groenekan, Utrecht, before 1971. It is right-handed version. Signed by hand "G.A.v.d.Groenekan"...Category
Antique 1860s Dutch De Stijl Chairs
MaterialsOak
- De Stijl Movement Dutch Design Pine CRATE Chair by Gerrit RietveldBy Gerrit RietveldLocated in Oud-Turnhout, VANVintage De Stijl Movement Dutch Design Pine Crate chair by Gerrit Rietveld. Made in the Netherlands, circa 1960. Solid Pine constructed lounge /arm chair. This chair is a testament t...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch De Stijl Lounge Chairs
MaterialsPine
- Red & Blue De Stijl Armchair by Gerrit Rietveld, vintage 1970-80sBy Gerrit RietveldLocated in Vorst, BEThe icon of the "De Stijl" movement, created in 1917 by Gerrit Rietveld. This chair is a one off piece, made by a German engineer in the 1970s for his private use. This is a very w...Category
Mid-20th Century German De Stijl Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak, Plywood
- Gerrit Rietveld De Stijl Red Blue ChairLocated in New York, NYGerrit Rietveld (Dutch, 1888-1964) De Stijl Red Blue Chair, originally designed in 1918 with red, blue, yellow, and black colors applied in 1923, this e...Category
20th Century Modern Side Chairs
MaterialsWood, Paint
$2,350 Sale Price27% Off - Red Blue Chair by Gerrit Rietveld for Cassina, Italy, De Stijl Modern, 1918By Gerrit Rietveld, CassinaLocated in Brooklyn, NYGerrit rietveld Bauhaus red blue chair by Cassina. Early production. Authorized by Rietveld estate. Made in Italy. Labelled and numbered 556. In the red blue chair, Rietveld manipula...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
$3,740 Sale Price44% Off