THE INTERIORS AUCTION - deVeres Art Auctions

107 A Set oF SiX HAnS weGneR teAK AnD cAne eLBow cHAiRS MADe
BY JoHAnneS HAnSen ciRcA 1949, with shaped back rail and arms, partially
wrapped with cane, cane seat, on tapered supports, branded Johannes Hansen,
copenhagen, Denmark.
Hans wegner’s career began with the designer and architects education being rooted in the
School of Arts and crafts in copenhagen. His chairs are primarily championed for their level of
high craftsmanship as well as their comfort. At a time when the furniture market was flooded by
imitations and pieces influenced by the Bauhaus style of Weimer, Wegner’s chairs were among
the first to reflect the new modernist movement and to exploit the opportunities provided by
increased standardization in furniture production. wegner designed furniture for manufacturers Johannes Hansen and Fritz Hansen throughout
his career and through the mass production of these firms his chairs earned the high status of classic yet comfortable chairs which helped mould
the modern design movement of the era.
the iconic design of this set of chairs gains its notoriety from its role in the Kennedy versus nixon debate of 1960. As Dara Flynn dutifully notes
this was the first ever televised live debate and so the role of the chair reached new parameters and fame through this auspicious event.
Especially imported from Denmark for the debate, the chair reflects the wider functionalist demands of the new domestic and interior sphere. Its
formal composition promotes comfort while meeting the age old demand for pleasing aesthetic in interior design. Hans wegner, a well-known
artist in the medium of furniture marries environmentalism with chic, fresh design and creates in this set an iconic and endurable style reflecting
the nixon and Kennedy era, yet remaining relevant and functional in the 21st century. interestingly the “the chair” was not so called by the
designer himself as he always allowed either the consumer or manufacturer to name his designs. the title, thus suggests the notoriety gained by
the populace and the high esteem paid to it by national popular culture.
est. €3,000 – 5,000
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