Bruno Mathsson Pernilla 69 Lounge Chair and Ottoman
About the Item
- Creator:Bruno Mathsson (Maker)
- Design:Pernilla Chaise LonguePernilla Series
- Dimensions:Height: 38.25 in (97.16 cm)Width: 35 in (88.9 cm)Depth: 37 in (93.98 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1969
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU986434042722
Bruno Mathsson
As the descendant of four generations of Swedish master cabinetmakers, Bruno Mathsson was born to design furniture. Mathsson was known as a methodical perfectionist who made usefulness the fundamental attribute of his iconic lounge chairs, tables, armchairs and other works, yet he was also a ceaseless experimenter, who constantly searched for improvements in form, materials and methods of design.
Like the Finnish designer Alvar Aalto, Mathsson was one of the first Scandinavians to embrace undulating, biomorphic forms in furniture. His early pieces such as the Eva and Pernilla series of chairs incorporate dramatically flowing bent beechwood frames, making them some of the most instantly recognizable works of 20th-century design.
Mathsson was also a pioneer of ergonomics — he is said to have based the contours of his chairs on the impression his body made when he sat in a snow bank — and used supple, accommodating woven webbing for seats. His concern for practicality is shown by pieces such as the Maria table. An elegant design with gate legs and hinged leaves, the table measures more than nine feet long when fully extended, but folds down to just nine inches in thickness.
From the mid-1940s through the 1950s, Mathsson focused on architecture, designing and building houses with insulated, triple-glazed window walls and heated floors — construction that flew in the face of traditional wood-clad Swedish residential design, and consequently met with some skepticism. He returned to furniture in the 1960s, employing an entirely new suite of materials: Stainless-steel framing and mesh seats feature in pieces like the Jetson chair; with the mathematician Piet Hein, Mathsson designed the Super-Elliptical table, which has a laminate top and four-part tubular steel legs that sprout like flower stems from a single base.
Bruno Mathsson’s stylistic flexibility as a designer made him a creator whose pieces meet all tastes and needs.
Find vintage Bruno Mathsson dining tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
You May Also Like
Early 2000s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Cotton, Birch
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Fur, Birch
Vintage 1950s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Leather, Sheepskin, Beech, Birch
Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Wood
Vintage 1940s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Beech
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Papercord, Birch
Mid-20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Leather, Beech
Vintage 1940s Swedish Chaise Longues
Canvas, Birch
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Leather, Sheepskin, Beech
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Leather, Sheepskin
More From This Seller
View AllMid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Masonite, Paper
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Chaise Longues
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Chrome
Mid-20th Century English Chaise Longues
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Cement
