Marcel BREUER (1902-1981), after - Lot 182

Marcel BREUER (1902-1981), after "Wassily Chair Red lacquered metal armchair Contemporary work 73.5 x 76 x 65.5 cm (Wear, minor loss of material) A fine example, ideal for outdoor use around a swimming pool or on a terrace. NOTICE Marcel Breuer (1902-1981) was a Hungarian architect and designer, an emblematic figure of modernism and one of the pioneers of functional furniture in the 20th century. Trained at the Bauhaus in Weimar under Walter Gropius, Breuer quickly established himself as one of the most influential designers of his time. His design work is marked by a minimalist, utilitarian approach, combining industrial aesthetics with great attention to materials. Among his most famous creations is the Wassily chair (1925), which revolutionized design by incorporating curved steel tubes inspired by bicycle frames, a technical innovation that was to become a central element of modernist furniture. As an architect, Breuer's major works include the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York (now the Met Breuer), which bears witness to his Brutalist approach, characterized by massive volumes in raw concrete. Throughout his career, Breuer sought to create buildings and objects that combined functionality, purity of form and integration with the environment, while at the same time being accessible to a broad public. His architectural legacy and influence on contemporary design remain considerable. Breuer was part of a network of leading artists and architects. Among them was Walter Gropius, his mentor at the Bauhaus, with whom he collaborated closely throughout his career. László Moholy-Nagy, another central Bauhaus figure, shared Breuer's avant-garde approach to design, experimenting with materials and forms. Mies van der Rohe, with whom he shared a pure, functional vision of architecture, and Le Corbusier, who had a profound influence on his ideas on urbanism and the integration of art and technology into everyday life, also had an impact on his work. In furniture design, Breuer was close to Charlotte Perriand and Jean Prouvé, two major figures of French modernism. Perriand and Prouvé, like Breuer, were fascinated by the use of new industrial materials to create furniture that was both elegant and functional. These artists all contributed to making modernist design a global movement, influencing generations of architects and designers to come.