Marcel Breuer

Professor David Mowbray Balme
Origin Modernism, London
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Exh. Cat., New York, Museum of Modern Art, MARCEL BREUER: Furniture and Interiors, July - September 1981, p. 127, fig. 126, p. 132, fig. 129 for a drawing, p. 145, fig. 147
Exh. Cat., New York, IBM Gallery of Science and Art (and travelling), Bent Wood and Metal Furniture: 1850-1946, 1987, p. 159, fig. 5-67 for a technical drawing, p. 321, no. 109
Magdalena Droste, Manfred Ludewig, Eds., MARCEL BREUER DESIGN, Cologne 1992, p. 28 for an advertisement, p. 29, p. 132, p. 133, fig. 54
Exh. Cat., Weil am Rhein, Vitra Design Museum, MARCEL BREUER: DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE, September 2003 - May 2004, p. 114, 115 and 139
Jan van Adrichem, Ingeborg de Roode, Eds., The Furniture Collection Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: 1850-2000 / From Michael Thonet to Marcel Wanders, Rotterdam 2004, frontispiece, p. 116, cat no. 072

Very good condition consistent with age and gentle use. Minor scuffs and scratches throughout the frame. The frame with what appears to be water staining, concentrated to the lower sections of the runners with mild discolouration throughout. Both runners with a slight warp as visible in the printed and online catalogues. The underside of the runners with wear concentrated to the front, where the veneer has worn through in two areas and is not visible when the chair is upright. a minor loss of veneer to the rear right underside runner approximately 7.5cm long and is not visible when the chair is upright. Two hairline cracks to the top levels of veneer,upper right proper join of the seat, meets the frame, running vertically, each approximately 5 cm and appear stable. A horizontal crack across the two vertical cracks and has movement when the seat is pressed on by hand. A hairline crack and a possible replacement of the top level veneer to the upper left proper joint, running vertically, approximately 3 cm and appears stable. A hairline crack to the front right proper join where the seat meets the frame, running horizontally approximately 5 cm and appears stable. A hairline crack to the front left proper join where the seat meets the frame, running vertically approximately 3 cm and appears stable. Two minor chips to the bottom underside of the rear stretcher each approximately 1cm and 5mm respectively and are not visually distracting. One minor circular area with an older fill to the top of the backrest approximately 1cm in diameter and is not visually distracting. An older repair fo the veneer on the rear left and right runners directly next to the armrest supports and are not visually distracting.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Isokon Furniture Company was co-founded by Londoner Jack Pritchard in 1935 to promote modern furniture design within the UK. A follower and devotee of the design principles and aesthetics of the Bauhaus, Pritchard successfully invited Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus, to relocate to London in 1934, with Marcel Breuer following shortly thereafter in 1935. An employee of the Venesta Plywood Company, Pritchard envisioned executing this material on modern designs: ‘The principal material to be used in the preliminary work must be plywood…The furniture will be primarily useful and its aesthetic qualities will be due to its form rather than superimposed ornament…’.

On the suggestion of Gropius, then the Controller of Design for Isokon, the first design for the firm was to be a reclining lounge chair designed by Breuer. The initial design was based off of an earlier aluminium chaise Breuer had designed circa 1932. The transition of material from metal to wood was difficult, forcing Breuer to make multiple modifications to the design to suit the new material.

The seat of the model was executed in Estonia at one of the Venesta plants and shipped in plywood crates also produced by the firm. Once the seat arrived in London, the frame of the chair was created from the plywood of the shipping crates themselves, making efficient use of the material and minimising waste. The outbreak of the Second World War effectively severed Isokon’s connection to their Estonian producer, making early examples scarce. The model is held within the permanent collections internationally, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Museum of Modern Art, New York.