Very rare highback chair by Hendrik Wouda for Pander & sons, 1924. One of the signature designs by Hendrik Wouda, also depicted in the most referenced monographs about his life and work (picture included). The chair is very famous from the picture but hardly ever one the market and hard to come by! Marked underneath with a metal plate.
The chair is all original, including the upholstery and it's constructively in very good condition. Of course there are some signs of use and patina, which adds to the character. The springs inside the seat are still in great condition. It can be perfectly used ''as is''. A more modern upholstery in the right colour will add even more value to match the interior of its new owner.
We've decided to offer the chair in the current condition. It is possible to have it re-upholstered by our restorer in any desired fabric.
Background information:
Hendrik Wouda (1885 - 1946) was a Dutch architect, interior designer and furniture designer.
According to Wouda, house interior is an inseparable part of architecture. His furniture is characterized by cubist shapes and clean lines. Wouda designed 'strict' rationalistic furniture, always with a personal signature in his designs.
The style of these chairs is called Haagse School, the style manisfested itself in The Hague during the Interbellum. It was meant to represent a luxurious and modern design style. It reflected the modernist architecture style of the time. Important influences for Wouda were the design ideas of Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as Berlage (who he worked for) and the ideas of avant-garde movement ''De Stijl''. All this resulted in modern commercial designs, targeting the upper class clientele.
Wouda was head of (modern) design at the famous furniture firm H. Pander en Zn. His students included Cor Alons and J. Brunott.
Biography
After training at the Academy of Visual Arts and Technical Sciences in Rotterdam and the Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague, Wouda worked from 1910 to 1912 at the Amsterdam office of architect H.P. Berlage, but he didn't enjoy it very much: "My ears were ringing with those heavy arguments and I was caught in obligatory principles" (freely translated).
From 1912 - 1914 he worked in Munich worked for the Pössenbacher Werkstätte for architect Eduard Pfeiffer. There he became acquainted with a much more luxurious and, above all, more commercial modernism than Berlage's strict, principled design.
In 1917 he started working for Pander
Creator
Hendrik Wouda
Design Period
1924
Production Period
1924
Country of Manufacture
Netherlands
Identifying Marks
Yes (metal plate 'Pander'' underneath)
Style
Modernist, Rationalist, Dutch Art Deco, Haagse School
Detailed Condition
Good — This antique chair is constructively in perfect condition. Traces of ageing and patina, small chips in wood. Vintage upholstery. Original springs in seat, original filling.
