Gerrit Thomas Rietveld - The Architect London Monday, April 28, 2014 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Bertus Mulder, Utrecht

  • Exhibited

    '50 jaar Rietveld Schröder Huis', Centraal Museum, Utrecht, 6 March, 1975

  • Literature

    Daniele Baroni, The Furniture of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, New York, 1978, pp. 49, 58-59 for early examples
    Carsten-Peter Warncke, De Stijl 1917-1931, Cologne, 1990, p. 128, p. 129 for a similar example
    Marijke Küper and Ida van Zijl, Gerrit Th. Rietveld 1888-1964, The Complete Works, Utrecht, 1992, p. 246
    Peter Vöge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, Rotterdam, 1993, p. 31, fig. 33, p. 35, fig. 42 for early examples
    Ida van Zijl, Gerrit Rietveld, London, 2010, pp. 41, 51, 62, 64, 66, 162, 190, 223 for early examples

  • Catalogue Essay

    Rietveld first conceived and realised a ceiling light with two vertical and two horizontal tubes for the clinic of Dr. Hartog in Maarssen, the Netherlands. He recreated the lamp with one vertical and two horizontal tubes for use in the Schröder house in Utrecht. The present lot is an example of the second design, production of which began again in the early 1950s during a period of renewed interest in Rietveld's work and exhibitions at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

  • Artist Biography

    Gerrit Thomas Rietveld

    Dutch • 1888 - 1964

    Gerrit Thomas Rietveld began as an apprentice in his father's cabinetmaking workshop, going on to train and work as a draftsman. In 1917 he started his own furniture-making workshop in Utrecht. Positive critical review by Theo van Doesburg in his journal De Stijl resulted in near-instantaneous influence on broader developments in European modernism. This connection to the De Stijl movement also inspired him to introduce color to the posts, rails and terminals of his furniture. His resulting "Red-blue" armchair is among the most iconic chair designs of the twentieth century.

    From the beginning, Rietveld embraced modernist principles of functionalism, simplicity of form and mass-production, and eventually moved away from De Stijl to become a member of the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM). Rietveld worked through the post-war years, completing a number of private residences, housing developments and institutions. He continued to design furniture for these commissions as well as for retailers like Metz & Co.

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324

Hanging lamp

designed 1922, produced 1975
Painted wood, glass.
97 x 40 x 40 cm (38 1/4 x 15 3/4 x 15 3/4 in.)
Produced by Gerard van de Groenekan, the Netherlands.

Estimate
£15,000 - 25,000 

Sold for £18,750

Contact Specialist
Alexander Payne
Senior Director & Worldwide Head, Design
apayne@phillips.com
+44 207 318 4052

The Architect

Created by Lee F. Mindel, London Auction 29 April 2014 6pm