"Zigzag" Chair

Currently not on view

"Zigzag" Chair

Designed 1932-1933; made c. 1935

Designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (Dutch, 1888–1964) Made by the firm of Gerard van de Groenekan, Utrecht, Netherlands (1924–late 1980s)

As early as 1927 Gerrit Rietveld experimented with the idea of a one-piece chair. Rietveld regarded this "Zigzag" chair as a variation on one-piece construction, although in reality the chair is made of four pieces of wood. The absence of legs reflects the influence of the cantilevered chairs that had been introduced by a number of European designers in the 1920s. Despite the handcrafted appearance of much of his furniture, including the "Zigzag" chair, Rietveld was preoccupied throughout his career with the possibilities of standardization and mass production. It was not, however, until Verner Panton's stacking chair was put into production in 1968 that the idea of a one-piece chair was realized.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Titles:

"Zigzag" Chair

Date:

Designed 1932-1933; made c. 1935

Artists:

Designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld (Dutch, 1888–1964) Made by the firm of Gerard van de Groenekan, Utrecht, Netherlands (1924–late 1980s)

Medium:

Painted plywood

Dimensions:

31 9/16 x 14 15/16 x 16 inches (80.2 x 37.9 x 40.6 cm) Seat height: 19 inches (48.3 cm)

Classification:

Furniture/Furnishings

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Fiske Kimball Fund and with funds contributed by Collab: The Group for Modern and Contemporary Design at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in honor of Eric B. Rymshaw, 1995

Accession Number:

1995-65-1

Geography:

Made in Utrecht, Netherlands, Europe

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Currently not on view