Swivel chair
Universally regarded as one of the most innovative and prolific furniture designers in a classic modernist style, Hans Wegner designed the Swivel chair in response to a call to introduce ergonomics to the design of chairs. Wegner expanded on earlier chair designs characterized by an integrated back and armrest handcrafted in wood, and incorporated a chrome-plated steel tube armature and legs, with rubber casters—a design that enabled mobility. The wooden back responds to the curve of the human form, while the upholstered leather seat provides additional comfort. The combination of natural materials and handicraft with industrial materials and machine production is one of the hallmarks of Scandinavian modernist design, as developed and promoted by Wegner and other influential designers in the twentieth century.
Artwork Details
- Title: Swivel chair
- Designer: Hans J. Wegner (Danish, Tønder 1914–2007 Copenhagen)
- Manufacturer: Johannes Hansen Snedkermester Møbler og Inventar
- Date: ca. 1955
- Medium: Teak, leather and metal
- Dimensions: 28 7/8 × 29 1/4 × 28 in., 32 lb. (73.3 × 74.3 × 71.1 cm, 14.5 kg)
- Classification: Furniture
- Credit Line: Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 2020
- Object Number: 2021.54.53
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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Hans J. Wegner
Johannes Hansen Snedkermester Møbler og Inventar
ca. 1953
Hans J. Wegner
Carl Hansen & Søn, Gelsted, Denmark
Designed 1949; manufactured ca. 1950–79
Hans J. Wegner
Johannes Hansen Snedkermester Møbler og Inventar
ca. 1950
Hans J. Wegner
Johannes Hansen Snedkermester Møbler og Inventar
1949
Hans J. Wegner
1950
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