Pinakothek der Moderne - Part 2

[Derek Cohen]

I was very much looking forward to visiting the Bauhaus Museum. This has been a long-standing area of inspiration. Bauhaus was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was arguably the single most influential modernist art school of the 20th century.

I arrived to discover that the Museum was closed for refurbishment, and would not re-open for a few years. In its place it had a temporary exhibition. I was very disappointed, to say the least. But this was to be made up by the exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne. Here are a few images from the Bauhaus exhibition as an introduction.

The Throst Carpet by Gertrud Arndt (1927)

https://i.postimg.cc/brCwTdnS/12_Bau_Haus_3_-_Throst_Carpet.jpg

The first Wassilly chair by Marcel Breuer. Originally named the 'B3 Chair', it was inspired by the use of tubular steel in the bicycle and Breuer's subsequent application of this material and technique to furniture revolutionised modern design and production ...

https://i.postimg.cc/7Yh6LMv3/12_Marcel_Breuer1.jpg

.. and a few more ...

https://i.postimg.cc/cHcHvF4m/12_Bau_Haus1.jpg

This chair was the first I saw at the Pinakothek, and there were so many, many others. I shall limit my selection to ones which I think were important and you may enjoy ...

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1917)

https://i.postimg.cc/1zw4Q9kb/14_Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh__(1917).jpg

and again (1903) ..

https://i.postimg.cc/Y0qSYQvw/15_Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh_(1903).jpg

Here's a stool he did in 1897 with his wife (?) Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh ..

https://i.postimg.cc/66YqwbP6/16_Charles_and_Margaret_MacDonald_Mackintosh_1_(18 98).jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/zXQfHb59/17_Charles_and_Margaret_MacDonald_Mackintosh_2_(18 98).jpg

So "modern" in 1898 ... Richard Riemerschmid

https://i.postimg.cc/ncXFxF7T/18_Richard_Riemerschmid_1_(1898).jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/0Q9517dJ/19_Richard_Riemerschmid_2.jpg

Everyone's favourite ... Gerrit Thomas Rietveld's Zig-Zag chair, which dates to 1932 ...

https://i.postimg.cc/5tB9rsvV/20-Gerrit-Thomas-Rietveld-Zig-Zag-1932.jpg

Not exactly fine woodworking for the joinery :)

https://i.postimg.cc/SsVSSjD1/21_Gerrit_Thomas_Rietveld_zig-zag_details.jpg

This chair comes from 1924 (Lynndy in the background) ..

https://i.postimg.cc/RhDvtyrc/22_Rietveld_(1924).jpg

.. and the sideboard from 1919 ...

https://i.postimg.cc/NGJsZ9y5/23_Rietveld_sideboard_1919.jpg

The chair that is so well-known is his Red and Blue Chair from 1918 ...

https://i.postimg.cc/k53Xw02s/25_Rietveld_red_and_blue_chair_1918.jpg

[Derek Cohen]

This appears to precede it, from 1917 ...

https://i.postimg.cc/Y09phkPr/24_Rietveld_1917.jpg

The joinery looks to be dowels ...

https://i.postimg.cc/VkMzSKKC/26_details_-_dowelled.jpg

This is by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt (ca 1930) ...

https://i.postimg.cc/sDbVDk4z/27_Hans_and_Wassili_Luckhardt_(ca_1930).jpg

The S-Chair by Eileen Gray (1932) ...

https://i.postimg.cc/257mGVRj/28_Eileen_Gray_S_chair_1932.jpg

.. and of course THE chaise loungue by Le Corbusier (1928) ...

https://i.postimg.cc/26jYKrrQ/29_Le_Corbusier_chaise_loungue_1928.jpg

A sideboard by Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann (1928) ...
https://i.postimg.cc/9Mx23KQv/30_Jacques-Emile_Ruhlmann_1928.jpg

Not one of his more fancy pieces, and the photo does not do it justice (too many reflections). The cabinet doors are smoked glass.

The Eames brothers - Ray and Charles - were there, naturally. I use one of their office chairs at my desk in my office. This one was not on display ...

https://i.postimg.cc/6QFj7Npr/31_eames_management_chair.jpg

... but this one was:

https://i.postimg.cc/43Y2N3s4/31_Charles_and_Ray_Eames_1958.jpg

Lastly, there was Hans Wegner. I have one of his Round Chairs at home, and built a replica of this a few years back. Mine on the left and Hans' on the right ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/WeavingSeatCompletingTheChair_html_m1a3cedf0.jpg

... so you will understand I am a fan. Here is his Egg Chair (left) and Shell Chair (right) ..

https://i.postimg.cc/PxZ6YFCB/32_Hans_Wegner_Egg_Chair_and_Shell_Chair.jpg

Thanks for joining me on this journey. But stick around - there is a Part 3 coming.

Regards from Munich

Derek

[Mel Fulks]

Well ,the next guy going to an "electric chair" can be glad it's prettier, and probably more comfortable ,than the first one shown here.
Makes me think of a term not used much now but popular when I was a kid..."publicity stunt".

[mike stenson]

I always really liked how the modernists, and probably for me more the bauhaus school, pushed design. Even if it didn't always work, it's wonderful seeing someone push.

[David Silverson]

We’re not the Eames husband and wife?

[Brian Holcombe]

The Egg Chair is Arne Jacobsen.

Eames is husband and wife.

keep it coming, great series.

[Brian Holcombe]

Sorry for the nitpicks, the LC4 Chaise is designed by Charlotte Perriand who designed it while working for Le Corbusier. Perriand also did the Tokyo chaise which is that same design but in wood.

[Christopher Charles]

Thanks Derek, that Ruhlmann is quite surprising. Please keep them coming!

[Joshua Lucas]

Yes, Ray Eames (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Eames) was the wife of Charles.

[Steve Voigt]

Great stuff Derek, thanks for posting.

[Christopher Charles]

Thanks for these-I'm learning a ton. Had no idea the Eames were married. Here's a recent story on their house:

https://www.npr.org/2019/08/02/738083070/charles-and-ray-eames-made-life-better-by-design-their-home-was-no-exception

[David Eisenhauer]

Good stuff Derek. Thanks.