Modernist oak armchair.

Made by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (1888-1964).

Circa 1915.

Height: 93 cm – Width: 60.5 cm – Depth: 62.5 cm

History:

With his preference for simple furniture with visible construction and designed from the inside out, Piet Klaarhamer (1874-1954), Dutch architect and furniture designer, influenced many of his contemporaries, including the famous Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964), who remembered him as a “craftsman, predecessor, and innovator.” Based in the city of Utrecht, Rietveld came into contact with Klaarhamer through the drawing lessons he gave him between 1904 and 1908 in a studio the architect shared with his friend Bart van der Leck (1876-1958), another important figure in the De Stijl movement. Thanks to him, Rietveld discovered the works of Berlage (1856-1937) and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1957), and was immersed in his taste for innovation. Klaarhamer passed on to him his love of concrete and inexpensive materials used in civil architecture. Thus, most of the qualities we attribute to Rietveld today seem to have been passed on by his teacher. However, 1919 marked the moment when Klaarhamer retired, feeling surpassed by his student, who was promoted to his position by Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931).

Public collection and related work: 

Centraal Museum, Utrecht – A similar armchair, with a slight variation, is kept in this institution under inventory number 10087 b.    

Bibliography:  

- Yuko Hashimoto – Gerrit Thomas Rietveld – Curators Inc. Art & Architecture, Tokyo, 2004. An identical armchair with slight variations, kept in Utrecht, reproduced on page 31. 

 - Marijke Kuper and Monique Teunissen – Piet Klaarhamer, Architect en  meubelontwerper – Nai010 Uitgevers, Rotterdam, 2014. An identical armchair  with slight variations, kept in Utrecht, reproduced on pages 111 and  115; a three-seater bench version reproduced on page 112.