HANS J. WEGNER (Denmark, 1914 - 2007)

HANS J. WEGNER (Denmark, 1914 - 2007)
A set at eight chairs with oak frame, newly upholstered in Vacona cognac aniline leather, model W2.
Designed in 1953.
Wear due to age and use.
Measurements: 75 x 55 x 47 cm. 46 cm. (seat height).

Hans J. Wegner was a leading figure in furniture design, whose ideas contributed to the international popularity of Danish design in the mid-20th century. His work belongs to the modern school, characterized by a special emphasis on functionality. He began his training at a very young age, as an apprentice to the cabinetmaker H. F. Stahlberg. He soon discovered a special taste for the use of wood, and his work in the cabinetmaking workshop allowed him to experiment with different types and designs. At the age of seventeen he completed his apprenticeship, although he remained in the workshop for another three years, until he joined the army. After his military service he entered a technical school, and then the Danmarks Designskole, where he was taught by O. Mølgaard Nielsen, and the Academy of Architecture in Copenhagen. In the Danish capital he came into contact with the Furniture Exhibitions of the Carpenters' Guild, where he began to show his creations in 1927. During these years Wegner collaborated with master cabinetmakers such as J. Hansen, L. Pontoppidan, N. Vodder, J. Kjær, A. J. Iversen, Moos and R. Rasmussen, as well as with the most prominent Danish architects of the time, among them K. Klint, V. Lauritzen and V. Lauritzen. Klint, V. Lauritzen. O. Wanscher and M. Voltelen. The annual exhibitions would give the young cabinetmaker experience of what could be achieved with the combination of design and craftsmanship, which led him to devote himself fully to design. Already in his early pieces, Wegner showed his interest in the concept of "stripping antique chairs of their outer style and showing them in their pure structure." Throughout his career, the designer was awarded prizes such as the Lunning Prize in 1951, the Grand Prix de Milan at the Milan Triennale of the same year, the Prince Eugene Medal in Sweden and the Danish Eckersberg Medal. In 1959 he was appointed honorary royal designer for industry by the Royal Society of Arts in London. Currently his designs are present in collections such as the MoMA in New York or Die Neue Samlung in Munich. Wegner has been referred to as the "King of Chairs" for his proliferated work designing seating. In his lifetime he designed over 500 different chairs, over 100 of which were put into mass production and many of which have become recognizable design icons.