TWO DINING-ROOM CHAIRS, designed by W.M. Dudok for his home 'De Wikke', Hilversum, circa 1925, black-painted beechwood, the rectangular top rail joined by rectangular section stiles curving towards the seat and extending into the backlegs, with five vertical splats extending to the rectangular stretcher near the base, flaring rectangular padded seat above plain frieze, upholstered in liver-coloured velvet

WILLEM MARINUS DUDOK (1884-1974) Lot numbers 313 to 315 are dining-room chairs which were designed by Willem Marinus Dudok for his home 'De Wikke' in Hilversum in circa 1925. Willem Marinus Dudok, who initially followed the ideas put forth by the Amsterdam School movement, developed his own personal matter-of-fact architectural and interior style which can be related to the work of the Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Americain architect and designer Frank Lloyd Wright. He is considered a mediater between the traditional and the modern. It was Dudok who maintained the tradition of Dutch brick-architecture whilst combining the elements of Romantic form influenced by the "Nieuwe Zakelijkheid". In 1915 Dudok was appointed director of the "Publieke Werken" (Public Works) in the city of Hilversum. Later, he became town-architect of the city. His design for the Hilversum Town-Hall, which was built between 1927 and 1931 is widely considered to be his masterpiece. For his home "De Wikke" in Hilversum, which he designed in the same period and which was completed in 1926, Dudok designed a set of, at most, nine chairs of which six are being offered in this sale. These are the only chairs that Dudok ever designed for private use. The interior of 'De Wikke' was extensively described and illustrated at the time in various publications such as Binnenhuis, issue 24, 1927, Wendingen, issue 2, 1927 and Nederlandsche Bouwmeesters, in 1928. The original colour-scheme of the interior of 'De Wikke' - sadly dismantled in the mid-1970s - consisted of black, yellow, brown, green and grey with the emphasiss on the colour red contrasting with black chairs. The characteristics of his architecture, being horizontal bloc-compositions contrasting with vertical lines, are reflected in his interior design of 'De Wikke'. The form of these chairs highly resemble many characteristics of not only 'De Wikke', such as the chimeny, but much of his work in architecture. Using open high backs with the stiles extending from the top rial to below the seat as designed by Dudok, originated during the Modern Movement at the end of the 19th Century. Compare: Frank Lloyd Wright, 'Frank Lloyd Wright House' - the dining-room, Oak Park, Illinois, 1895; Frank Lloyd Wright, 'Susan Lawrence Dana House' - the dining-room, Springfield, Illinois, 1903; Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 'Haus eines Kunstfreundes' - the musci-room (competition), 1901; Charles Rennie Mackintosh, House Hill - the music-room, for Miss Cranston, Glasgow, 1906; and H.P. Berlage, 'De Schipborg', for A.G. Kröller Jr., The Hague, 1915 Dudok was a great admirer of the architecture and furniture of both Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Both his architecture and his interior design can be linked to these two mayor 20th Century designers. LITERATURE: Wendingen, issue 8, vol. 1924, J.M. Luthman & H.Th. Wijdeveld, "Raadhuisontwerp voor de Gemeente Hilversum en uitgevoerde werken van de Architect Dudok". Wendingen, issue 1, vol. 1928, J. Boterenbrood, "Ontwerp en uitgevoerde projecten van architect W.M. Dudok te Hilversum". Wendingen, issue 8, vol. 1930, "Het gebouw van de Bijenkorf te Rotterdam van architect Dudok"; and issue 11/12, H.T. Zwiers, "H.P. Berlage, J. Gratema e.a., "W.M. Dudok". W. Retera, Nederlandsche Bouwmeesters, 1928, Ir. G. Friedhoff, "W.M. Dudok". H.P. Berlage, J. Gratema e.a., W.M. Dudok Wasmuths Monatshefte für Boukunst und Städebau, 1933, "Eine holländische Schule: Architekt W.M. Dudok". Werke, 1922, K. Moser, "Nieuw holländische Architektur, Bauten von W.M. Dudok, Hilversum". Architecture d'Aujourd'hui, 1936, no. 10, "Urbanisme et architecture de notre temps". Batir, 1936, "Le magasin de Bijenkorf à Rotterdam, arch. Dudok". Urbanisme, 1936, "La leçon d'Hilversum". Architectural Review, 1954, Jordan R. Furneaux, "Dudok and the repercussions of his European influence". History of modern architecture, Vol. II, 1960/1971, L. Denevolo, "The Modern Movement", pp. 456-470, "The Dutch heritage: J.J.P. Oud and W.H. Dudok". Cahiers van het Nederlands Documentatiecentrum voor Bouwkunst, Part 2, 1970, G. Fanelli, "Moderne architectuur in Nederland 1900-1940", pp. 128-130. Americana, Catalogue Nederlandse architectuur 1830-1930, Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, 1975. Max Cramer, Hans van Grieken, Heleen Pronk, W.H. Dudok: 1884-1974, 1981. Yolanda Michon in cooperation with the Dudok Stichting Hilversum, Willem Marinus Dudok: architect 1884-1974 - Stadsbouwmeester van wereldallure, 1993. We are grateful to Mr. Robert M.H. Magnée from the Dudok Stichting, Hilversum for his help and information in cataloguing these lots

Details

TWO DINING-ROOM CHAIRS, designed by W.M. Dudok for his home 'De Wikke', Hilversum, circa 1925, black-painted beechwood, the rectangular top rail joined by rectangular section stiles curving towards the seat and extending into the backlegs, with five vertical splats extending to the rectangular stretcher near the base, flaring rectangular padded seat above plain frieze, upholstered in liver-coloured velvet
109cm. high x 50cm. wide x 50cm. deep (2)

Provenance

The Estate of the architect W.M. Dudok and purchased by the present owner in 1976

Lot Essay

NOTE:
Wendingen, issue 2, vol. 1927, W.H. Dudok, "Interiors", pp. 8-10 for an illustration of the chairs in situ.
W. Retera, Nederlandsche Bouwmeesters, 1928: Ir. G. Friedhoff, "W.M. Dudok", no. 24 for an illustration of 'De Wikke' and no. 25, for an illustration of the chairs in situ.
Yolanda Michon, Willem Marinus Dudok: architect 1884-1974, 1993; R. Magnée, Dudok, organisator van ruimte, p. 87, for an illustration of the chairs in situ reproduced from Wendingen.

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