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249
1258240

Gunnar Asplund

(Sweden, 1885-1940)
Estimate
150 000 - 200 000 SEK
13 400 - 17 900 EUR
13 600 - 18 100 USD
Hammer price
150 000 SEK
Purchasing info
For condition report contact specialist
Eva Seeman
Stockholm
Eva Seeman
Chief Specialist Modern and Contemporary Decorative art and design
+46 (0)708 92 19 69
Gunnar Asplund
(Sweden, 1885-1940)

a pair of Swedish Grace chairs, Nordiska Kompaniet, Sweden ca 1924, from the cinema "Skandia-Teatern" Stockholm.

The black lacquered wooden base with curved front legs and armrests, secondary upholstery with velvet. Height 92 cm, seat height ca 45 cm.

Wear, recently reupholstered.

Literature

Holmdahl, Lind, Ödeen (ed), "Gunnar Asplund Arkitekt 1885-1940", Tidskriften Byggmästaren, Stockholm 1943, se pp 48-49.
Skandia-Teatern on Drottninggatan 83, in Warondellska huset, was opened on the 13th September 1923.
In the literature, the cinema designed by Gunnar Asplund has been mentioned in only positive terms. The cinema room is referred to as "pure poetry", "rich in radiant and beautiful details". The armchairs stood in the cinema room, in the lodges on the balcony.

Architect Gunnar Asplund's drawing for these cinema chairs is dated January 4th 1923, revised Jan. 19th (see enclosed drawing from Ark Des). In the Nordiska Kompaniet's archives the drawing for this model is probably the one dated October 7th 1924 and called what translates into "Freestanding Cinema easy chair".

More information

The drawing (now in the archives of ArkDes, Stockholm) for these chairs by Gunnar Asplund is dated Jan 4th 1923, revised on Jan 19th.
In the Nordiska Kompaniet's archives, where the chairs were manufactured, the drawing is dated Oct 7th 1924 and the model is called "Biograffåtölj fristående" (Cinema Easy Chair- freestanding).

Designer

Gunnar Asplund is considered one of the most significant and leading architects during the interwar period, both in Sweden and internationally. Asplund is seen as one of the foremost representatives of 1920s Nordic classicism, with the Skandia Theatre (1922) and the Stockholm Public Library (1928) as prominent examples. He was also one of the pioneers of functionalism, which he introduced in Sweden with the Stockholm Exhibition in 1930, where he was the chief architect.

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