Gerrit Rietveld - Dutch Furniture Designer and Member of the De Stijl Movement

He designed furniture that fit into the new architecture. He used the cheap simple modular approach. He was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright and a Dutch group called De Stijl, using the theory of using only Primary Colors and the Neutrals.

In 1919 Rietveld became one of the first members of the de Stijl movement. His Red Blue Chair design was published in the de Stijl Magazine in 1923 and exhibited at the Bauhaus.

He moved into experimenting his furniture designs with different materials, fibre board and plywood.

The depression created a design hurdle which he tackeled and succeeded with designing low cost furniture made from packing crate components.

In 1942 he designed a stamped aluminium chair and 1957 produced a series of bent metal chairs.

Red/Blue Chair 1917-18

Schroeder Table 1923

Zig Zag Chair 1934

Utrech Chair 1935

Utrech Sofa 1956

End Table 1923

More Gerrit Rietveld Resources

Gerrit Rietveld books and web sites

Zig Zag Chair - Gerrit Rietveld

End Table - Gerrit Rietveld

Red Blue Chair - Gerrit Rietveld