More than any other piece of furniture, the chair has been subjected to the wildest dreams of the designer. The particular curve of a backrest, or the twist of a leg, the angle of a seat or the color of the entire artifact; each element reflects the stylistic consciousness of an era.
From Gerrit Rietveld and Alvar Aalto to Verner Panton and Eva Zeisel, from Art Nouveau to International Style, from Pop Art to Postmodernism, the history of the chair is so complex that it requires a comprehensive encyclopedic work to do it full justice. They are all here: Thonet’s bentwood chairs and Hoffmann’s sitting-machines, Marcel Breuer’s Wassily chair and Ron Arad’s avant-garde armchairs. Early designers and pioneers of the modern chair are presented alongside the most recent innovations in seating.
This dedicated compendium displays each chair as pure form, along with biographical and historical information about the pieces and their designers. An illuminating tome for design aficionados and an essential reference for collectors!
About the series
Bibliotheca Universalis — Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe!
About the Author
Charlotte and Peter Fiell are well-known design authors having written over sixty books on the subject. Among their various areas of specialization is the realm of luxury goods in all its diverse forms. The Fiells have lectured widely, guest taught courses, curated exhibitions, and consulted manufacturing companies, museums, salerooms, and major private collectors around the world. Together, they have written numerous TASCHEN books.
