Armchairs

1902

CHARLES FRANCIS ANNESLEY VOYSEY (1857-1941)

These two armchairs, designed by Voysey in 1902, will have great success in the history of modernism and are among the most representative pieces of the designer’s production.

IN DETAIL

Dimensions

102 x 61 x 45 cm

Technique

Oak wood, with original rush padding

Description

The set of eight armchairs designed by Voysey in 1902, and probably made by carpenter FC. Nielsen, was rediscovered by Blairman in 1993. At that time, one of these was purchased by the Detroit Institute of Arts, while two entered the collections of Francesca and Massimo Valsecchi.

Voysey’s maturation as a designer and thinker took place in the immediately following years. In his first publication, Reason as a basis of art (1906), we encounter declarations of principle that are fully embodied in the armchair in question. The aim of interior design, for Voysey, consists in achieving absolute honesty and simplicity, accessible to all, without distorting the essentiality of the structure with superfluous ornaments and decorations.

Further information can be found on Blairman’s site: