DESIGNED BY GERRIT THOMAS RIETVELD, EXECUTED BY G. VAN DE GROENEKAN, 1923 OR 1924

Details

'BILLET CHAIR', AN EBONIZED AND WHITE-PAINTED EASY CHAIR
Designed by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, Executed by G. van de Groenekan, 1923 or 1924
33in. (83.8cm.) high, 27½in. (69.9cm.) wide, 23¾in. (60.3cm.) deep

Provenance

The Dutch painter, Constant, original owner
Mrs. Riemens
Christie's Amsterdam, European Ceramics, Delftware, Glass, Art Nouveau and Art Deco Including an Important Collection of Rietveld Furniture, November 6, 1986, lot 483
Barry Friedman, Ltd., New York

Sale room notice

Please note the Christie's Amsterdam sale of "European Ceramics, Delftware, Glass, Art Nouveau and Art Deco Including an Important Collection of Rietveld Furniture" referred to under the Provenance portion of the catalogue entry was held on November 6, 1986.

Lot Essay

Originally designed by Rietveld for the Schröderhuis, one of his earliest and most significant commissions, this chair model is closely related to his revolutionary "Red/Blue" chair. Here, however, he has made an attempt to soften the angular quality of the earlier model by using rounded billets and a gently curved back and seat. This chair is distinguished by the white edging around the back and seat which provides a sense of weightlessness and further definition to the form. According to van de Groenekan, a maximum of five of these chairs were made -- each by him.
cf. Daniele Barroni: The Furniture of Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, 1978, p. 67; Peter Vöge, The Complete Rietveld Furniture, 1993, p. 65 for illustrations of ebonized billet chairs.

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