Modern Chairs Photos

Modern chairs & designers of the 20thC in the collections of various museums. Dates give the approximate range of furniture design. For pre-20thC designs, see antique chairs link under see also.

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Herter Brothers / New York City (~1864-1906) Side chair with marquetry by Herter Brothers at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL Ebonized cherry side chair attrib. Herter Brothers of New York at de Young Museum. San Francisco, CA Side chair by Herter Brothers Decorating Co. of Brooklyn, NY at Currier Museum of Art. Manchester, NH
Art Nouveau Furniture (~1899-1910) Art Nouveau armchair at Maxim's Art Nouveau Collection 1900. Paris, France Art Nouveau stool at Maxim's Art Nouveau Collection 1900. Paris, France Art Nouveau side chair by Louis Hestaux at Chrysler Museum of Art. Norfolk, VA
Hector Guimard / French Art Nouveau (~1900-1912) Bench by Hector Guimard at Musée d'Orsay. Paris, France Side chair no. 371 by Hector Guimard of France at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL Side chair by Hector Guimard of Paris at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA
Antoni Gaudí / Catalan Spanish (~1900-1914) Modernista armchair replica from Casa Calvet in Barcelona by Antoni Gaudí at Casa Milà. Barcelona, Spain Modernista corner chair designed for Casa Calvet in Barcelona by Antoni Gaudí at Gaudi House Museum in Parc Güell. Barcelona, Spain Bench designed for Casa Calvet by Antoni Gaudí at Casa Batlló. Barcelona, Spain
Otto Wagner / Austrian (~1898-1910) Armchair no. 8 by Otto Wagner of Vienna, Austria at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL Chair for mayor Dr, Karl Lueger by Otto Wagner at Historical Museum of City of Vienna. Vienna, Austria Side chair by Otto Wagner & made by Gebrüder Thonet of Vienna, Austria at Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, MI
Josef Hoffmann / Austrian chairs & Sitzmaschine (~1900-1920s) Sitzmaschine no. 670 by Josef Hoffmann for Jacob & Josef Kohn of Vienna at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Side chair by Josef Hoffmann & made by J.&J. Kohn of Vienna, Austria at Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, MI Armchair by Josef Hoffmann at Hamburg Decorative Arts Museum. Hamburg, Germany
Peter Behrens / German modernist (~1900-1910) Dining chair by Peter Behrens for Anton Blüggel of Berlin at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Chair from Schröder House, Hagen by Peter Behrens at Hamburg Decorative Arts Museum. Hamburg, Germany Chair from Schröder House, Hagen by Peter Behrens at Hamburg Decorative Arts Museum. Hamburg, Germany
Henry van de Velde / Dutch (~1897-1920s) Desk & chair by Henry van de Velde at Musée d'Orsay. Paris, France Chair by Henry van de Velde for Fritz Scheidemantel of Weimar at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Triangular table, sofa & 2 armchairs by Henry van de Velde at Schleswig Holstein State Museum. Schleswig, Germany
Gerrit Thomas Rietveld / Dutch zig-zag (~1917-1930s) Armchair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Gerard van de Groenekan of Utrecht, NL at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Child's chair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld of The Netherlands at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA Zig-Zag Chair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for Gerard van de Groenekan of Utrecht, NL at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany
Charles Rennie Mackintosh / Scottish (~1895-1914) Oak armchair for Argyle Street Tea Rooms & silver-painted side chair for Willow Tea Rooms both by Charles Rennie Mackintosh & made by Francis Smith of Glasgow at National Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland Side chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh of Scotland at MoMA. New York, NY Music room table & chairs at House for an Art Lover. Glasgow, Scotland
Le Corbusier / French (~1928-1950s) Leather armchair with tubular steel, chrome plated frame by Le Corbusier & Charlotte Perriand, Paris at Hamburg Decorative Arts Museum. Hamburg, Germany Steel & leather chaise lounge by Le Corbusier; Pierre Jeanneret & Charlotte Perriand for Heidi Weber of Zurich at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Chaie longue by Le Corbusier at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA
Frank Lloyd Wright / American
(~1890S-1950s)
Frank Lloyd Wright designed office chair for Johnson Wax Co. of Racine, WI, at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL Side chair for Imperial Hotel, Tokyo by Frank Lloyd Wright at Yale University Art Gallery. New Haven, CT Cast aluminum armchair made for Price Tower by Frank Lloyd Wright at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA
Charles Greene & Henry Greene / American Craftsman (~1890s-WWI) Side chair by Charles Sumner Greene of Pasadena, CA made by Peter Hall Manuf. Co. at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL Side chair by Greene & Greene of Pasadena, CA at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA Louise C Bentz house. Pasadena, CA
Marcel Breuer / Hungarian-German Bauhaus modernist (1920s-1960s) Bauhaus wood slat chair ti 1a by Marcel Breuer at Musée des Monuments Français. Paris, France Tubular steel chairs & armchair B5 by Marcel Breuer with Standard-Möbel, Berlin at Musée des Monuments Français. Paris, France Plywood stacking chairs & table by Marcel Breuer with Isokon Furniture of London at Musée des Monuments Français. Paris, France
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe / German-American Architect (~1920s-1960s) Armchair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA Barcelona chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe made by Knoll International, New York at MoMA. New York, NY The Commons at Illinois Institute of Technology. Chicago, IL
Charles and Ray Eames / American (~1940s-1970s) Lounge Chair Wood by Charles & Ray Eames made by Herman Miller USA at National Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland Lounge chair & stool by Charles Eames & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Furniture Co. of Zeeland, MI at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Fiberglass rocking chair by Charles Eames & Ray Eames at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL
Eero Saarinen / Finnish-American Tulip chair (1950s) Chairs by Vladimir Kagan & Eero Saarinen in modern art display at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA Polyester tulip chair by Eero Saarinen at Georges Pompidou Center. Paris, France Architect Eero Saarinen on builders of Gateway Arch sculpture. St Louis, MO
Thonet Chairs / Cafe Bentwood (~1860s-1920s) Golden bentwood chair by Michael Thonet of Vienna at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Bentwood armchairs by Thonet Brothers of Vienna at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany Bentwood sleeping sofa by Thonet Brothers of Vienna at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany
Other 20th C Chairs Gondola chair by Joseph Urban & made by Wiener Werkstätte of Vienna, Austria at Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit, MI Dining table & chairs of Kandinsky from Dessau by Otto Bedelind at Georges Pompidou Center. Paris, France Leather easy chair model Elda by Joe Colombo for Comfort, Meda of Milan, Italy at Pinakothek der Moderne. Munich, Germany
20th C Sofas Modernista bench from Casa Amatller in Barcelona by Josep Puig i Cadafalch at Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Barcelona, Spain Albuquerque style bench by Chris M. Sandoval in NM State Capitol Art Collection. Santa Fe, NM Questa style bench by Roberto Vigil in NM State Capitol Art Collection. Santa Fe, NM
Museum Displays of Chairs Collection of modern chairs at Museum of Decorative Arts. Paris, France Collection of antique chairs at de Young Museum. San Francisco, CA Collection of chairs at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA
Museum Benches Lobby with four-sided bench at New Britain Museum of American Art. New Britain, CT Visitor bench in Jefferson Davis presidential library at Beauvoir. Biloxi, MS Bench with four animal heads, part of collection of modern chairs for visitor use at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA
Public Benches Bench & formal garden at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA Lloyd Wright style benches & garden lamps of Wayfarers Chapel. Rancho Palos Verdes, CA Park bench made from wagon wheel in Coulterville Park. Coulterville, CA
Modern Settles Hall settle by Charles Francis Annesley Voysey & made by J.S. Henry of England at Carnegie Museum of Art. Pittsburgh, PA Arts & Crafts cabinet settle by Frederick H. Meyer at Oakland Museum of California. Oakland, CA Oak settle by Wylie & Lochhead displayed during Glasgow International Exhibition at National Museum of Scotland. Edinburgh, Scotland

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All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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