Chaise Longue
1928-1929 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Le Corbusier designed this adjustable chaise longue as a flexible piece of furniture for reading and relaxation. The design was inspired by his interest in seating postures and French patent furniture. He may also have been influenced by a curving bentwood rocking chair made about 1880 by the firm of Thonet, in Vienna, Austria.
The construction is complex and expensive, demanding three types of metal and numerous welded joints. This explains why the chair was never made in large quantities. Several European furniture manufacturers, including the Italian firm Cassina, reproduced the design from the late 1950s onwards. These later versions, however, are constructed differently and do not look like the originals.
The construction is complex and expensive, demanding three types of metal and numerous welded joints. This explains why the chair was never made in large quantities. Several European furniture manufacturers, including the Italian firm Cassina, reproduced the design from the late 1950s onwards. These later versions, however, are constructed differently and do not look like the originals.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Chrome-plated tubular steel, painted sheet metal, metal springs, rubber and horse-hide upholstery |
| Brief description | Chaise longue, designers Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand; manufacturer Gebruder Thonet, Germany, 1928-1929 |
| Physical description | Chrome-plated tubular steel frame, long, formed of geometric shapes; rests on painted sheet metal base; covered by black hide upholstery. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Given by Barry Friedman Ltd, New York |
| Object history | The construction of the chair is complex and expensive, using different types of metal and many more welds than bends. This chair was never manufactured in large quantities. |
| Summary | Le Corbusier designed this adjustable chaise longue as a flexible piece of furniture for reading and relaxation. The design was inspired by his interest in seating postures and French patent furniture. He may also have been influenced by a curving bentwood rocking chair made about 1880 by the firm of Thonet, in Vienna, Austria. The construction is complex and expensive, demanding three types of metal and numerous welded joints. This explains why the chair was never made in large quantities. Several European furniture manufacturers, including the Italian firm Cassina, reproduced the design from the late 1950s onwards. These later versions, however, are constructed differently and do not look like the originals. |
| Bibliographic reference | Wilk, Christopher, ed. . Western Furniture 1350 to the Present Day. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996. 230p., ill. ISBN 085667463X. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.11:1 to 3-1989 |
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| Record created | March 20, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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