Marcel Breuer & the Wassily Chair
Classic Modernist Steel, Chrome, Plywood & Leather Seating by Breuer
Examples of architect Marcel Breuer's designs for seating are sought by museums as well as private collectors.
Still fresh and relevant after 80 years, Breuer’s classic design in tubular steel and leather has an eager audience, as both museums and collectors are willing to pay substantial prices for original models.
Marcel Breuer & Modernism
Born in Hungary in 1902, Breuer joined the Weimar Bauhaus in 1920, (Bauhaus-German, Bau = building + haus = house), a school of architecture (1919-33 ) whose principles of design stressed functionalism. He studied there until 1924. In Post- World War I Europe, the widespread devastation requiring massive rebuilding efforts created a feeling of social responsibility in designers and artists, who believed that design could help build a better new world through truth, beauty and honesty. Modernists believed that all artists should work together, thus a fusion of art, design, and architecture would create a harmonious whole.
Marcel Breuer for Thonet
In 1925, Breuer became the head of the furniture workshop, then left the Bauhaus in 1928 to study architecture in Berlin, where he lived until 1935. During that time, Breuer worked with furniture manufacturer Thonet, whose founder, Michael, had developed the technology for producing bentwood dining and armchairs. While working with Thonet, Breuer developed a bentwood lounge chair known as Long Chair, fabricated from bent and laminated plywood. In 1935, Breuer moved to London, then in 1937, to the U.S. where he became a member of the faculty at Harvard. It was during his work at the furniture workshop at Bauhaus, however, that Breuer designed the chair most closely associated with both himself and modernism-the Wassily Chair.
The Wassily Chair
Designed in 1925, the Wassily Chair is perhaps Breuer’s best known work. Originally called B3, the name was changed to honor painter Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), as the chair was designed specifically for Kandinsky’s living quarters at Bauhaus. Breuer originally attempted to fabricate the chair in aluminum, a new material that had found favor with designers because it was strong, yet lightweight and inexpensive, however, due to the difficulty and expense of welding the aluminum, Breuer found bent tubular chromed steel to be a better choice.
Original Wassily Chairs
The earliest Wassily chairs were fabricated of tubular steel with chrome plating and leather, canvas or a fabric called Eisengarn (iron yarn), and available in black, green, rust, red, and blue . It was originally manufactured by Gebruder Thonet and Standard-Mobel. Original models are very rare, and mostly in museum collections. The Cooper-Hewitt bought an original Wassily Chair at a New York City auction just last spring as an addition to their permanent collection. Depending on condition these chairs can cost $25,000 or more.
Licensed Reissues of Wassily Chairs
Knoll International was given the license to produce Wassily chairs in the United States in 1948, and has been manufacturing them ever since. Versions of these chairs from the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s sell for anywhere between $300-$900 depending on condition & upholstery. New versions are available from Knoll International for about $1,600 and Design Within Reach for around $1,500.
Source:
- Miller’s Collecting Modern Design by Sally Hoban Miller, Octopus Publishing Group Ltd., 2001
