The b5 chair cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum. Range s 285 thonet chairs, armchairs, sofas, classics. Breuer was greatly inspired by the form and shape of the bicycle hand bars. The chair, based on a 1920s design by marcel breuer, has a tubularsteel frame and a caned seat and back.
The 1928 steelandchrome cesca chair named after breuers daughter is in almost every breakfast room today, as the thonet chair was in every cafe at the turn of the century. During the 1920s, breuer studied and taught at the bauhaus in germany, where his curriculum was equally focused on visual art as it was concerned with technology and industrial production. Three years after designing his iconic wassily chair, which is believed to be the first bent tubular steel chair design, marcel breuer created the cesca chair 1928. The wassily chair, also known as the model b3 chair, was designed by marcel breuer in 19251926 while he was the head of the cabinetmaking workshop at the bauhaus, in dessau, germany. Marcel breuer holds a legacy as an accomplished architect, furniture designer, and master of modernism who pioneered the design of tubular steel furniture. Apr 14, 2014 when designer and architect marcel breuer left europe in the 1930s to teach architecture at harvard and start his own practice, it served as a catalyst for the spread of modernist design, a bend in the road as fortuitous and influential as the curved steel joints in his famous tubular steel furniture. The breuer wood frames are made from beechwood and come in four finishes, natural, honey oak, walnut, black lacquered or white with natural cane inset panel. Marcel breuer conceived the first tubular steel chair, in 1925, based on the tubed frame of a bicycle. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Marcel breuer trained at the bauhaus under walter gropius. In 1925, he invented the tubular metal chair also known as the wassily chair.
Marcel breuer, seated at right, at a meeting during the design of st. Made of leather and cantilevered steel, the wassily chair has become one of the worlds most enduring and iconic pieces of furniture. Mar 30, 2015 marcel breuer designed and built the chair cesca chair in 1928 working with the steel tubes with the intention of creating a session that would ensure both comfort and elegance. The many lives of a very common chair the new york times. Marcel lajos breuer was a hungarianborn modernist architect, and furniture designer. The wassily chair was designed in 1925 and inspired by the curved tubular steel handlebars on breuer s adler bicycle. It was the first such chair massproduced, starting in 1928.
Armchair, tubular steel with red canvas, designed by marcel breuer 19251926 and manufactured by either standard mobel or thonet mobel in 19271928. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Marcel breuer s most recognized furniture design was the first bent tubular steel chair, known as the wassily chair. The frame of the chair was made from polished, bent, nickelled tubular steel. The below artworks are the most important by marcel breuer that both overview the major creative periods, and highlight the greatest achievements by the artist. Here is how robert mccarter puts it in our new breuer book. The breuer chair generally refers into this cesca chair which he named after his daughter francesca, and later generated in 1928 although breuer established putting up with seat designs. He designed his famous wassily chair for painter wassily kandinsky, breuer s colleague on the bauhaus. Our cesca cane seat chairs are available in multiple finish options so you can create a custom look for your home, office. The gleaming chromefinished tubular steel frame was inspired by the graceful, curving handlebars of the adler bicycle and is seamless in its. Breuer, marcel lajos, born 1902 died 1981 designer thonet manufacturer object history note. Still, there are certain designs that are simple and so functional that we still find them beautiful even these days. Our reproduction marcel breuer wassily style chair features seamless tubular steel frame with thick leather on seat, back, and arms. The wassily chair was designed in 1925 and inspired by the curved tubular steel handlebars on breuers adler bicycle.
The decade was dominated by the race to design the first cantilevered chair, eventually won by the dutch architect mart stam, and by the experiments in tubular steel of marcel breuer and. With the flexible tubular steel, the first swinging cantilever chair was born. Until then, rietveld had worked almost exclusively with. At the bauhaus he designed the wassily chair and the cesca chair which is among the 10 most important chairs of the 20 th century. Considered the inventor of tubular steel furniture, the designer and architect marcel breuer 19021981 is one of the most influential designers of. The trained joiner combined his knowledge about tubular steel as a material with his experience in interior design. The use of tubular steel was intended to define sleek, polished lines through space, a concept that is exhibited beautifully in his collection of elementary nesting tables. Marcel breuer cesca chair replacement cane back in natural made in. B 55 cantilever chair and b 8 stool by marcel breuer for thonet. The mb118 chair is manufactured to this day, from one piece of steel tube.
The 26yearold breuer was one of the first six apprentices in the bauhaus furniture workshop in 1921, and by 1924 he. In 1928, breuer developed the tubular steel, wood and cane side chair, now widely known as the cesca chair, a beautifully patinaed version of which is included in the museums show. Characteristics of the mb118 chair minimalist in design. Marcel breuer, experimenting with tubular steel, designed the wassily chair, reducing the form of the classic club chair to its elemental lines and planes. Marcel breuer introduced his first cantilever chair in 1928. Marcel lajos breuer, international style and modernism. Marcel breuer bauhaus chair, retro chair, chair design. He designed his famous wassily chair for painter wassily kandinsky, breuers colleague on the bauhaus. The cantilevered chair was his greatest commercial success, and its design continued to evolve, the frame becoming lighter, the seat and back more pliant and the lines softer. Feb 07, 1991 the chair, based on a 1920s design by marcel breuer, has a tubular steel frame and a caned seat and back. Like the cesca and wassily chairs, the laccio tables sculpted by marcel breuer are an essential part of the tale of midcentury modern design. Tubular steel furniture, 1928 1929 f 41 lounge chair on wheels. As one of the bestknown chairs in the world, the marcel breuer s cantilever chair designed in 1927 is another example of his fondness for tubular steel. In this case, he molded the material into a single, snaking outline onto which he attached two beechwood frames covered in caning.
Nov 08, 2011 when it comes to furniture these things are usually antiques. Breuer and mart stam used nonreinforced tubular steel to pretty much invent the 20th. Marcel breuer eminent bauhaus furniture designer aram store. Marcel breuer, thonet dining table, model b18 1928 artsy. Our version of the classic 1928 marcel breuer cane cesca chair sports a cantilevered style frame crafted from tubular steel, making it functional, lightweight, and comfortable. Marcel breuer married traditional craftsmanship with industrial methods and materials to help make tubular steel furniture an international sensation and a modern institution.
It was created in 1928 while he was teaching at the bauhaus school of art in dessau germany. Marcel breuer, tubular steel desk highly influenced by the bauhaus philosophy meaning objects should be designed according to the function they have to perform. Marcel breuer attended the bauhaus from 1920 to 1924 and became head of its carpentry workshop in 1925. Marcel breuer s revolutionary 1928 cesca chair marries userfriendly caning and wood with the industrialage aesthetic of cantilevered tubular steel. Following the success of his wassily chair, breuer continued to experiment with tubular steel furniture. The most comprehensive book on architect and designer marcel breuer 19021981, looking in detail at all the houses, furniture. The marcel breuer cesca chair was invented in 1928 by marcel breuer, who named it after his daughter francesca. Thanks to the innovative aluminium, tubular steel and plywood pieces he designed first at the bauhaus in 1920s germany and then as an emigre in 1930s switzerland and england, marcel breuer 19021981 is best known as one of the early 20th centurys. This chair in particular is the wassily chair by marcel breuer. The success of marcel breuer s frst experiments with tubular steel furniture in 19251926 inspired various architectdesigners to have a go at this alluring new material.
It was named cesca as a tribute to breuers adopted daughter francesca. With their versatility, they became bestselling cantilever chairs and still are today. The cantilevered form exploits the possibilities unique to the material and gives the chair. Many forms influenced his design but it was primarily the tubular steel on bikes that made him opt for tubular steel throughout. The genesis of the first tubular steel chair started from breuers inspiration of. Samuel hogaboom marcel breuer wassily chair analysis. Chair of tubular steel, with seat and back panels of bent beechwood, filled with caning.
The design of the chair was novel for the time as it used standard pieces of chromeplated steel tubing commonly used for bicycle frames. It was the dutch designer mart stam who was the first to do so. Seat and backrest made of bent solid wood with wickerwork represent tradition, and the frame represents the present and future. He was a renowned architect and master of modernism who pioneered the design of tubular steel. Soon after arriving in dessau, breuer had purchased his first bicycle, mccarter writes. Knoll marcel breuer cesca chair marcel breuer married traditional craftsmanship with industrial methods and materials to help make tubular steel furniture an international sensation. Its design was hailed as a modern feat in furniture design and it is considered among the ten most important chairs of the 20 th century. Chromeplated tubular steel, wood, lacquer arm rests, and canvas.
Marcel breuer, cantilever chair b64, germany, 1928tubular. Aug 31, 2017 these are the 12 most iconic chairs of all time. Originally designed by marcel breuer in 1928, the cesca chair is made using durable tubular steel as its frame which is a newly invented material at that time. View this item and discover similar for sale at 1stdibs original bauhaus tubular steel typewriter table model b 21 designed by marcel breuer and manufactured by thonet, germany, 1928. Designed in 1928, marcel breuer s cesca chair married traditional craftsmanship with industrial methods and materials to help make tubular steel furniture an international sensation and a modern institution. Tubular metal chair chromeplated steel and wood and cane 1928.
Bauhaus tubular steel typewriter table by marcel breuer. Model b32 chair by breuer, marcel lajos, 1928 designed after 1930 manufactured. Protege of bauhaus founder walter gropius, marcel breuer embodied many of the schools distinctive concepts and was and one of the schools most famous. His revolutionary cesca chair, named after his daughter francesca, marries userfriendly caning and hardwood beech with the industrialage aesthetic of cantilevered tubular steel. Marcel breuer armchair 1936 collection museum boijmans van beuningen, inv. Despite popular belief, the chair was not designed for the nonobjective painter wassily kandinsky, who was on the bauhaus faculty at the same time. In 1928, breuer developed the tubular steel, wood and cane side chair, now widely known as the cesca chair, a beautifully patinaed version. Breuer who introduced the tubular steel chair wassily in 1925 realized the opportunities this material represented and designed model b64 in 1928. All designs illustrated in this book are by marcel breuer, unless.
Marcel breuer 1928 marcel breuer married traditional craftsmanship with industrial methods and materials to help make tubular steel furniture an international sensation and a modern institution. He began to study art in vienna in 1920, but left the academy of fine arts after just five weeks, when he heard about the new bauhaus. The thoroughly modern cesca was introduced in 1928 and was the first chair to combine tubular steel with natural fibers. Marcel breuer is famous for his tubular steel furniture, yet his real interest was architecture. Breuer was impressed by his bicycles strength and lightness, the result of its being made of tubular steel. Marcel breuer was not the inventor of the cantilevered tubular steel chair. Chromed tubular steel, wood, g toptrendpin bauhaus. The name is taken from the name of his adopted daughter francesca who was nicknamed cheska. Apr 20, 2020 this chair was designed by marcel breuer, a hungarianborn modernist architect and furniture designer. Marcel breuer 19021981 architect and designerproduction. Marcel breuer cesca chair replacement cane seat and back in natural made in italy. The frame of the chair was made from polished, bent, nickelled tubular steel, which later became chrome plated. Indeed, breuer went onto design a whole suite of steeltube furniture.
From furniture at the bauhaus, to iconic midcentury american architecture. While a number of european and american designers created versions from the late 1920s onwards, the original tubular steel chair was created by architect and designer marcel breuer in 1926. Named in tribute to his daughter francesca, the simple design pairs the industrial age aesthetic of tubular steel with leather upholstery. Jul 02, 1981 marcel breuer was born on may 21, 1902, in pecs, hungary. The design of this cesca chair was its cantilever form employing hardwood along with cane seat and the steel design. Marcel breuer designed the s 32 and s 64 during his time in berlin in 1928. He partnered with the german manufacturer thonet, designing a number of chairs, stools, and ottomans made from this lightweight, traditionally industrial material.
Marcel breuer architecture, bio, ideas theartstory. It continues to be among the most widely replicated chairs in the world. Vintage marcel breuer tan leather wassily chair chairish. The design of this cesca chair was its cantilever form employing hardwood along with cane seat and the steel design and rear. Tubular steel, chromeplated, beech, wickergermany, 1928designer. He was so impressed by its lightness and strength that he had decided to make furniture from tubular steel. The club chair was designed by josef albers in 1928, the year he was made the director of the bauhaus furniture workshop following the departure of marcel breuer. It was designed by marcel breuer and it dates back to, believe it or not, 1929. The cantilevered form features handwoven cane set in frames of solid beech.
Breuer found his inspiration for the chair in the bent form of a bicycle handlebar, available for the first time in steel due to a development in technology. In 1928 breuer left the bauhaus and moved to berlin. After world war i, progressive designers could take advantage of the emergence of new manmade materials and production techniques to create furniture in the glacially glamorous aesthetic of the machine age. The book is illustrated with photographs, drawings. Breuer was inspired by the shape and form of a bicycle handlebars when he created one of his most famous pieces, the wassily chair no b3 in 1925. It was the dutch designer mart stam who was the first to do so in 1926. Marcel breuer used tubular steel in the construction of his famous iconic cantilever chair. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. Apr 24, 2020 model b32 chair by breuer, marcel lajos, 1928 designed after 1930 manufactured. For many, breuer is immediately connected to the model b3, also known as the wassily chair.
The architect and designer marcel breuer was one the 20th centurys most influential and innovative adherents of modernism. For our bauhaus 100 series, marking 100 years of the influential school, we profile the hungarian designer who championed a rational approach to design. It was originally designed for the house of hans ludwig and marguerite oeser in berlin. Marcel breuer s tubular steel desk s 285 for thonet is a successful example of the programmatic bauhaus claim to combine art and technology into a new unity. The chair does not retain the easily removable manufacturers sticker, which is common with these chairs. Design marcel breuer, 1925 seamless chromed or plated tubular steel, cowhide leather made by knoll marcel breuer was an apprentice at the bauhaus in 1925 when he conceived the first tubular steel chair, the wassily chair, based on the tubed frame of a bicycle.
Marcel breuers wassily chair is believed to be the first bent tubular steel chair design. He is presently working on a book about the architecture. Breuer extended the sculpture vocabulary he had developed in the carpentry shop at the bauhaus into a personal. The tubular steel chair is one of the most emblematic types of modernist furniture. Designed in 1928, marcel breuers cesca chair married traditional craftsmanship with industrial methods and materials to help make tubular steel furniture an international sensation and a modern institution. How marcel breuer and his bike changed the chair design. The cesca chair was a chair design in 1928 by marcel breuer, using tubular steel. These are the 12 most iconic chairs of all time gq. Marcel breuers most recognized furniture design was the first bent tubular steel chair, known as the wassily chair. Breuer continued to perfect the armchairs design until early 1928, when he arrived at the definitive version we know today.
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