Eva: A Chair Still Manufactured Today As A True Classic
Pertaining to interior design (inredning), the pervasive style called Swedish Modern was conceived in the Swedish and Scandinavian schools. Sometimes called Swedish modernism, one of its leading designers was the late Bruno Mathsson who was born in 1907. Bruno came from a family of woodworkers living in Varnamo, Sweden, and passed away in 1988.
Though Mathsson was a student of the craft tradition of his country, he exceeded that as he used shapes and styles that were a reflection of living things, from insects to humans. He wanted his designs to be very practical and comfortable, but his real genius came in making designs that could be both practical and also amazing for their beauty.
He is most famous for his chairs, although he made many more kinds of furniture (möbler), and he also was famous for imminently practical architecture the last half of his career. Among the chairs he is most known for are the Pernilla, the Miranda, and the Eva chairs. Nearly all of his chairs have women's names and their curves evoke the feminine figure.
The "grasshopper" was his first major chair, created in 1931. It was a failure at first but later came to be highly prized. First created in 1934, the Eva chair received much more rapid acceptance by the public, also receiving universal praise by furniture critics. It is available with both a low and high back. The version with a high back is not as typical compared to his other arm chair designs that feature standard height backs.
The Eva chair makes use of the usual Mathsson lines and curves while also making use of webbed upholstery. The originals of these chairs were most likely made out of beech, but many other types of woods were used, while the webbing material could be made from anything. The chairs made during wartime were made from scrounged material such as paper and hemp.
The Eva is still manufactured today, and it is truly a classic, with both old and new models bringing a high price, but those who own one know that it is worth the price. The upholstery is customizable to any design scheme or situation, and there are many types of wood that can be used in manufacture. Mathsson continued to produce chairs up until he passed away in 1988, and his designs continued to be innovative, while always simple and attractive.
When thinking of interior design (inredning), most people immediately think of Swedish and Scandinavian schools and their pervasive influence through the Swedish Modern style. One of the leading names of these schools is the late Bruno Mathsson, who was born in 1907 in Varnamo, Sweden, to a family of woodworkers. His first major chair design, the 'grasshopper', was a failure when it first appeared in 1931, but later became highly sought after. The Eva was first produced in 1934, and gained a much quicker general acceptance by the public, as well as universal praise from furniture (möbler) critics.
Published December 17th, 2007
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