Utrecht Sofa by Gerrit Rietveld for Metz
Co, 1949
About the Item
- Creator:Gerrit Rietveld (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 71.26 in (181 cm)Depth: 33.86 in (86 cm)Seat Height: 13.78 in (35 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1949
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Original fabric slightly abraded at some corners, otherwise in great vintage condition.
- Seller Location:Dronten, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU931419526922
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.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1930s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Canvas, Wood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wool, Wood
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Canvas, Wood
1990s Italian Modern Sofas
Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Metal
1990s Italian De Stijl Armchairs
Mohair
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Spruce
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Aluminum, Steel
Mid-20th Century Dutch De Stijl Chairs
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Dutch De Stijl Dining Room Tables
Steel
1990s Dutch Post-Modern Sofas
Aluminum
