A study in "space, form, and metal," this conspicuously sculptural side chair by Harry Bertoia for KNOLL INTERNATIONAL is a genuine icon of mid-century America. First designed in 1951, its deceptively delicate appearance (Bertoia described the chair as "mostly air") belies its strength and durability. The chair works beautifully in every room and can complement virtually any décor. The back of the frame bears the authentic KNOLL stamp, and KNOLL is printed on the underside of the seat pad. Famously comfortable.

Two chairs available; offered/priced individually.

HARRY BERTOIA (1915–1978) was an Italian-born American sculptor, printmaker, and jewelry and furniture designer. He was born in the village of San Lorenzo d'Arzene in the province of Pordenone and immigrated to the U.S. at age 15 to live with his brother in Detroit. After high school, he attended the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, founded in 1906 to promote ideals of beauty and craftsmanship in an industrialized world. In 1937, he received a scholarship to the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., where he taught metalworking and graphics, keeping company with such future luminaries as Charles (1907–1978) & Ray (1912–1988) Eames, Eero Saarinen (1915–1978), and Florence Knoll (1917–2019).

In 1946, Bertoia moved to Venice, California, to assist Charles Eames in developing processes for laminating and bending plywood. His contributions to the famous Eames chairs were crucial, although never much advertised. In 1950, Florence Knoll invited Bertoia to join her newly established factory in East Greenville, Penn. Knoll was confident that he would produce something extraordinary if allowed to experiment.

The resulting Bertoia Collection, introduced by KNOLL in 1952, consisted of five light and airy seating elements made from grids of welded steel wire. It is recognized worldwide as one of the outstanding achievements of 20^th-century furniture design. (A sixth design, the Asymmetric Lounge, was only realized by KNOLL in 2005.) The chairs were produced with varying degrees of upholstery. Initially made by hand, a suitable mass-production process was hit upon relatively early. The commercial success of the collection was immediate, and it has been in continuous production worldwide since its introduction.

Bertoia ended his relationship with KNOLL in 1953 to concentrate on his true passion: sculpture. His prolific output included over 50 major public works and thousands of smaller pieces. From the late 1960s until his death, Bertoia's exclusive focus was on creating sculptures that produced sound. He created hundreds of such "Sonambient" sculptures—arrays of thin metal rods that chimed when swayed or touched. He recorded their unique musical "songs" and released eleven albums under a dedicated label.

Harry Bertoia died from lung cancer in 1978 at the age of 63, likely caused by inhaling toxic metal fumes during his work. He is buried beneath one of his sculptures, a large gong suspended from a massive tripod.

The urge for good design is the same as the urge to go on living. – HARRY BERTOIA

KNOLL was founded eponymously in 1938 in a small space on East 72nd Street in New York City as the Hans G. Knoll Furniture Company. Hans Knoll (1914–1955) was born in Stuttgart, Germany, into the successful furniture-making family behind Walter Knoll & Co. Early 20th-century Germany was a nexus of modernist design theory, which held that design should be rooted in the principles of rationality, functionalism, and mass production. This was notably expressed in the products and practices of the Deutscher Werkbund, an association of artists and industrialists, and the influential Bauhaus school. This milieu had a lasting influence on Knoll, inspiring him to produce furniture for the new age.

In 1937, after a stint in London, he moved to the U.S., bringing the modernist vision with him. Launched as an import business, the Hans Knoll Furniture Company soon pivoted to manufacturing. Its first plant was opened in a former dance hall in East Greenville, Penn., in 1941, the year that Danish designer Jens Risom (1916–2016) was hired. Risom would help with the development of the first original KNOLL designs. Also in 1941, Hans met Florence Schust (1917–2019) on an interior design project and, recognizing her exceptional taste and eye, hired her to court business with architects and interior designers and, later, to provide in-house planning and interior design expertise for a corporate clientele. In 1946, they were married, and the company became KNOLL ASSOCIATES.

That same year, the Knoll Planning Unit was established to solidify the company's role in the field of interior design. In 1951, the company name was changed to KNOLL INTERNATIONAL, and its German and French subsidiaries were launched, producing designs especially for European markets. In 1955, Hans died in a tragic car crash; his widow remained actively involved in the company until her 1965 retirement ten years later.

KNOLL's signature pieces include Marcel Breuer's Wassily chair (1925), Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair (1929/1948), Harry Bertoia's Diamond chair (1952), and Eero Saarinen's Tulip armchair (1957); as well as Florence's own furniture collection, developed through the 1950s. The impressive KNOLL catalog includes a who's who list of midcentury and contemporary design figures. Today, KNOLL is primarily focused on meeting the changing needs of the 21st-century workplace.

Hans Knoll was given the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement by NYC's Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in 2011, in recognition of his legacy in American modern design and the emphasis of his work on the connection between design and quality of life. KNOLL pieces can be found in the permanent collections of institutions around the world; New York's MoMA has acquired over thirty.

DETAILS

Designer – HARRY BERTOIA

Design Period/Year – 1951

Maker – KNOLL INTERNATIONAL

Production Period/Year – 1970s

Origin – U.S.A.

Styles/Movements – MID-CENTURY MODERN

Materials – STEEL, CHROME, FABRIC

Colors – SILVER, INK BLUE

Condition – Excellent vintage condition. May show minor signs of previous ownership and use.

Dimensions – 21 ¾" W × 19 ¾" D × 28 ¾" H

Seat Dimensions – 18" D × 17 ¾" H

Number of Seats – 1