Modern Furniture
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Paint
1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1990s American Modern Furniture
Bouclé, Lucite
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Other
20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
1990s Italian Modern Furniture
Wood, Fabric
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Paper
1950s Austrian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Wood
1970s Japanese Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Gold, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Persian Modern Furniture
Wool
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Plastic
1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Paper
1980s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Glass, Mirror
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Fabric
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Carrara Marble
20th Century American Modern Furniture
Marble, Aluminum
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Crystal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Fabric, Silk
1980s Danish Vintage Modern Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Furniture
Glass, Ash
1970s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Onyx
Late 20th Century French Modern Furniture
Crystal
1990s American Modern Furniture
Paper
1930s South American Vintage Modern Furniture
Birch
1940s Swedish Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
20th Century German Modern Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century German Modern Furniture
Metal
1990s American Modern Furniture
Glass
1960s Swiss Vintage Modern Furniture
Concrete
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
1960s French Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic, Wood
1960s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Silver Plate, Metal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Murano Glass
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Aluminum, Brass
Late 20th Century Modern Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1970s American Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Chrome
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Modern Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal, Silver Plate
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Chinese Modern Furniture
Coral
Late 20th Century Chinese Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
1980s Unknown Vintage Modern Furniture
Metal
1980s Vintage Modern Furniture
Ceramic
1970s Maltese Vintage Modern Furniture
Blown Glass
1990s Austrian Modern Furniture
Art Glass





