1940s
Denmark
Stained beech, leather
35″ high x 23″ wide x 23″ deep (seat height 17 1/2″)

Ole Wanscher studied under Kaare Klint at the Danish School of Art and Design, eventually working with Klint and assuming his professorial position once Klint retired from the school. The similarities in their aesthetics are evident. Both teacher and student rejected modernism for its own sake, welcoming the influence of older traditions. In Wanscher’s furniture one finds traces of Greek, Chinese and Egyptian design history, as well as such diverse influences as Biedermeier and Shaker.

This chair exemplifies the skill with which Wanscher boiled down his influences to their most minimal and graceful essence. His furniture, as Klint’s, is timeless. The wood frame and leather seat have attained a wonderfully warm and smooth patina.