GR-RED AND BLUE CHAIR

GR-RED AND BLUE CHAIR

It was designed by architect Gerrit Rietveld in 1917 and manufactured under his supervision before 1951 by his craftsmen Gerald van de Groenekan, De Bilt from Netherlands. It represents one of the first designs done by the De Stijl art movement.

Chair was originally designed in 1917 but variant painted in primary colors (red, blue, yellow) was applied later around 1923. Rietveld aimed for simplicity in his design. He designed furniture expected to be mass produced, not just handcrafted. With Red and Blue Chair Rietveld manipulated with vertical and horizontal planes in the same way he did in architecture. He hoped that the simple rectangular design would allow mass production and free the craftsmen from hard manual labor. Some of the first chair productions were made for the “Rietveld Schröder House” in Utrecht, Netherlands, also designed by Rietveld in 1924. The house is one of the best known examples of De Stijl architecture. Later it was converted into museum and listed as UNESCO World Heritage.

The De Stijl art movement was founded in Netherlands as the reaction against the horrors of World War I. The visual language of the movement was consisted of geometric forms and primary colours, which were used to find harmony and balance against the chaotic world events of that time.

The chair has its original colour and has never been repainted. It it one of the few original once which are existing.

Price

on request

Dimensions:

86 x 66 x 78 cm

34 x 26 x 31 in

Material:

Painted wood, aluminium

Condition:

Original paint, no restoration

Provenance:

Acquired directly from Gerrit Rietveld by Mr. and Mrs. Engels, Curaçao; private collection; auction in 2022.

Literature:

The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Vöge, p. 58-59; Gerrit Rietveld: The Complete Works 1888-1964, Kuper and van Zijl, p. 74-76.

 

GR-ELLING SIDEBOARD

GR-ELLING SIDEBOARD

‘Elling’sideboard was designed 1919 and executed in ca. 1974, just two years after the introduction of Gerrit Rietveld’s famous Red-Blue chair. He debuted this extraordinary table in oak. It was displayed in 1920 at the Voor de Kunst in Utrecht and purchased there by the Dutch architect Piet Elling (1897-1962). This early example was tragically destroyed by fire. The model was re-introduced in 1958 and made in a very limited quantity by one of Rietveld’s most trusted cabinetmakers, Gerard van de Groenekan (1904-1994). Groenekan began working for Rietveld as a sixteen-year old and eventually took over the woodworking facility in 1928 when Rietveld decided to focus on a career in architecture.

Price

on request

Dimensions:

104 x 200 x 45 cm
41 x 78.75 x 17.75 in

Material:

Painted and stained beech

Provenance:

Gerard van de Groenekan, de Bilt, Netherlands; collection of Frederieke Sanders Taylor, circa 1974; auction 2023.

Literature:

M. Kuper, I. van Zijl, Gerrit Th. Rietveld 1888-1964, Utrecht, 1992, p. 78-79; P. Voge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Rotterdam, 1993, p. 10, 15, 52-53; A. Dosi Delfini, The Furniture Collection Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Rotterdam/Amsterdam, 2004, p. 296, no. 448; I. van Zijl, Gerrit Rietveld, New York, 2010, p. 33-34.

PJ-L-12-B

PJ-L-12-B

Price:

on request

Dimensions:

32 x 198 x 79 cm
12.5 x 78 x 31 in

Materials:

Solid teak, upholstery
PJ-L-02-A

GR-STELTMAN CHAIR

GR-STELTMAN CHAIR

“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”.

This chair design was commissioned by Steltman, a jeweller in The Hague, for whom Rietveld designed a new shop interior in 1963. The original chair was completely upholstered with rubber foam and covered with white imitation leather, the seams of which ran along the edges of the wood. The version with the wooden seat was only produced after Rietveld’s death in 1964. With this last and more simple version, the 75-year-old created one of the most striking pieces of furniture in the history of design.

Gerard A. van de Groenekan began working in Gerrit Rietveld’s workshop in Utrecht in 1917 at the age of fourteen. In 1924, Rietveld decided to concentrate on architecture and left furniture production in the hands of van de Groenekan, who then continued to build many of Rietveld’s models, including older ones, under his own name. Van de Groenekan played a decisive role in the development of many designs, including this version of the Steltman chair with its wooden seat.

Price

on request

Dimensions:

70 x 45.5 x 48.5 cm
25.5 x 18 x 19 in

Material:

White painted oak

Condition:

Original paint, no restoration

Provenance:

Acquired directly from Gerard van de Groenekan by the current owner in 1982; auction 2023.

Literature:

Cf. Baroni, The Furniture of Gerrit Rietveld, New York 1978, p. 158, no. 68;
Cf. Barry Friedman Gallery Ltd (ed.), Gerrit Rietveld: A Centenary Exhibition, New York 1988, p. 60;
Cf. Kuper/van Zijl, The Complete Works of Gerrit Rietveld, Utrecht 1992, pp. 332 and 341, no. 646;
Cf. Vöge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Rotterdam 1993, p. 166, no. 371;
Cf. von Zijl, Gerrit Rietveld. Die Revolution des Raums, Weil am Rhein 2012.

GR-BERLIN CHAIR

GR-BERLIN CHAIR

Iconic “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 the one of the most famous Rietveld designs. The first chair design was made for the ‘Juryfreie Kunstschau’ in Berlin and two following variations were made for the boardroom of the Rijksacademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam. The second version of the chair had a cushion and higher backrest.

It is made in oak wood planks and lacquered in white, black and grey colour. The armrests of the chair can be moved both to the left or right position.

 

Price

on request

Dimensions:

106 x 73 x 57 cm

41.75 x 28.75 x 22.50 in

Material:

Painted oak, laminated wood

Condition:

Original paint, no restoration

Provenance:

Private Collection, Christie’s, Amsterdam, 20th Century Decorative Arts, 18 November 2003, Lot 332, Collection of Michael and Gabrielle Boyd.

Literature:

Gerrit Th. Rietveld – The Complete Works, Kuper and van Zijl, p. 92 The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Voge, p. 60.

PJ-R-07-A

PJ-R-07-A

Very rare magazine holder so called “Portable book rack” created by Pierre Jeanneret ca. 1960-1961. Authentic Mid Century item created in series up to 30 pices.

Price

on request

Dimensions:

84 x 59 x 65 cm
33 x 23.2 x 25.6 in

Material:

Solid teak

 

BR-PLANTER

BR – PLANTER

Price

on request

Dimensions:

47 x 51 x 52 cm
18.5 x 20 x 20.5 in

Material:

Eternit

PJ-L-02-A

PJ-L-02-A

Price:

on request

Dimensions:

104 x 209 x 82 cm
41 x 82.3 x 32.3 in

Materials:

Teak, cotton
PJ-L-02-A

LC-14

LC-14

This is a rare collector item. Originally designed by Le Corbusier in 1959 for the Maison du Brésil in Paris, later used in other projects like for Chandigarh and for his own holiday house „Petit Cabenon“.

Price:

on request

Dimensions:

25 x 43 x 33 cm
9.8 x 16.9 x 13 in

Materials:

Solid teak

Provenance:

Student hostels, Chandigarh, India.

Literature:

Le Corbusier: Furniture and Interiors, 1905-1965, Rüegg, p. 337-338; Domus IV, 1955-1959, Fiell and Fiell, p.107-111; CH-DSGN, Ed. Scala, 2023.

JP-Scal-450

JP-Scal-450

Daybed produced by Les Ateliers Jean Prouvé, Nancy, France, circa 1951

Price:

on request

Dimensions:

47 x 189 x 90 cm
18.5 x 74.4 x 35.4 in

Materials:

Steel, upholstery