Gerrit Th. Rietveld (1888-1964)
A pair of identical Beugel Stoelen,
lounge chairs Model A, 1927.
Molded plywood seating/backrest mounted with bolts and nuts on two identical tubular frames of steel; lacquered black and silver. Dimensions: 59 x 41 x 57 cm./23,2 x 16 x 22,4 Inch.
Executed by: The Dutch avant-garde warehouse Metz & Co., under Rietveld’s control, Amsterdam/The Hague The Netherlands, 1931-1935.
This revolutionary design is a prime example of Rietveld’s ongoing attempt to create products that could be easily assembled with machine-made prefabricated parts. Two identical steel frames are connected by a seat and backrest made from a single piece of molded plywood. By extending the plywood both front and back with a curve around the frames, he created stability without using crossbars. The prefab parts are light, stackable, and easy to transport and store before mounting. All these features made the ‘Beugel Stoel’ very suitable for mass production, but the design was too far ahead of its time, and production remained very limited. Therefore, a pair of identical chairs is very rare.
Provenance:
Private Dutch collection; Sotheby’s Paris, 2024.
Literature:
M. Küper, I. van Zijl, Gerrit Th. Rietveld 1888-1964, The Complete Works, Centraal Museum Utrecht 1992, p. 117-118; P. Vöge, The complete Rietveld Furniture, 010 Publishers Rotterdam 1993, p. 74-75.; P. Timmer, Metz & Co de creatieve jaren, 010 Publishers Rotterdam 1995, p.77-94.
