Sense of form - Juhl & Thommesen

Sense of form Juhl & Thommesen

Architect Finn Juhl (1912-1989) was one of the most prominent furniture designers of the 20th century. An innovative furniture sculptor, who broke with the established traditions by exploring a more liberal interpretation of the relationship between form and function. Juhl followed his artistic intuition and developed an independent expression where form was considered equally important as function. Juhl’s devotion to form, inarguably came from his lifelong interest in fine arts, which led him to a close personal relationship with artists Erik and Anna Thommesen.

Erik Thommesen (1916-2008) was a celebrated sculptor working primarily in wood. His work is characterized by soft, rounded shapes and abstract motifs with the human figure as his primary inspiration. Like Juhl, he distanced himself from the traditional methods of his field, insisting on the importance of the simple form, thus challenging the artistic narrative of his time. Textile artist Anna Thommesen (1908-2004) applied a strict constructivist approach to her tapestry and rug compositions. Her work is characterized by clearly defined, abstract-geometric motifs, countered by a calm and harmonious color scheme.

Finn Juhl envisioned his furniture as part of a larger spatial concept where furniture, applied and fine arts created a conceptual harmony. The works of the Thommesen couple were frequently incorporated in his work to achieve this vision – both professionally and privately. Despite their different oeuvres, they all shared an exceptional sense of form.

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 A pair of rare easy chairs, 1944 ’The Westermann fireplace chair’ Cuban mahogny, Oregon pine and textile Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

ANNA THOMMESEN, 1908-2004 Tapestry, 1960’s Pure wool, flatweave 200 x 300 cm

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Pair of ’NV46’ armchairs, 1946 Brazilian rosewood and niger leather Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Work table, 1945 Maple, teak and brass Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Rare sofa, 1947 Designed for the Bing & Grøndahl showroom, Copenhagen Teak, brass and textile Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Pair of ’NV45’ easy chairs, 1945 Teak and textile Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

Erik Thommesen was one of the 20th century’s most important Danish sculptors. He originally studied zoology, before turning towards art and making his debut as a sculptor in 1937. Thommesen’s sculptures are at the same time both gentle and majestic; free of pathos, but not without a dramatic, grandiose vision. They emerge as concentrated expressions of life and you are inclined to approach them with an instinctive respect. Finn Juhl was a great admirer of Thommesen’s work and when he exhibited at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibitions, he often had a sculpture by Thommesen in his stand. Juhl also had several of Thommesen’s sculptures in his own house and the present sculpture, ’Mother and Child’ from 1949, is from Juhl’s private collection. Juhl’s designs and Thommesen’s art have the organic lines in common and their work shares the human body as its foundation, motive and intention.

ERIK THOMMESEN, 1916-2008 Mother and child, 1949 Oak Provenance: Finn Juhl

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 ’Chieftan chair’, 1949 Teak and leather Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

Anna Thommesen was married to the Danish sculptor Erik Thommesen and although the pair undoubtedly had a special complicity through their artistic practice, they also represented quite different approaches within modernist art; Erik an organic modernism with his softly rounded wooden sculptures and Anna a more constructivist approach with her clearly defined, abstract-geometric compositions. Considering the precision and clarity of her motifs, it might seem surprising that she did not work out detailed templates, opting instead for a more intuitive process. Each new composition began with a small gouache and the colors - rather than the lines and contours— were always the point of departure in her work.

The composition of the present tapestry is symmetric both horizontally and vertically and the lively surface is balanced by the calm and harmonious color scale and the accentuation of the central, vertical axis. As is often the case in Anna Thommesen’s motifs, the colour of the contours and the frame is also found elsewhere in the motif in a lighter hue. The motif relates to the patterns of Inka textiles but also to cubist paintings and collages by Picasso and Braque.

Anna Thommesen received the honorable Eckersberg’s Medal in 1972 and was commissioned to decorate The Cathedral of Roskilde, Denmark in 1975.

ANNA THOMMESEN, 1908-2004 Tapestry, 1970’s Pure wool, flatweave 140 x 240 cm

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Rare four-seater sofa, 1956 Textile, gun-metal and teak Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

ANNA THOMMESEN, 1908-2004 Tapestry, 1973 Pure wool, flat-weave 121 x 178 cm

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Table bench, 1953 Brazillian rosewood, brass, gun-metal and textile Made by Bovirke

The inspiration from fine art is clearly manifested in Juhl’s sculptural form but the delicate silhouette of his furniture challenged the technical abilities of the cabinetmaker. A man who mastered Juhl’s complex designs was master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder. Together they constituted the perfect match where Juhl’s visionary design was accomplished by Vodder’s excellent craftsmanship. Their public debut came in 1937 at the annual Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibition and their fruitful partnership lasted for more than twenty years.

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 ’NV48’ bench and armchair, 1948 Teak and leather Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Set of ’NV53’ easy chairs and sofa, 1953 Brazillian rosewood, brass and textile Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

Furniture for Kokfelt’s villa In 1953 Finn Juhl was commissioned to design the interior for procurator K. Kokfelt’s villa just outside Copenhagen. The villa was designed in 1943 by fellow modernist architect Arne Jacobsen. Juhl had an impeccable spatial sense and believed that all objects should contribute to a complete visual coherence. This led him to the position as head teacher at the School of Interior design in 1945, where he conveyed his passion for creating aesthetic interiors until 1955.

One of the pieces he installed in the Kokfelt villa was a large version of his sculptural wall-mounted sofa. The sofa was originally designed in 1950 for an exhibition at the museum of Decorative Arts and Design in Trondheim, Norway and was later produced only on commission. It is one of Juhl’s most expressive pieces, as close to pure sculpture as you can get without compromising functionality.

The provenance of the present sofa is the Kokfelt villa, for where it was made in a long version to suit the rectangular living room. The sofa clearly demonstrates Juhl’s general theme of separating the upholstered from the constructional elements. The seat and back are furthermore mounted on an almost invisible steel base, giving it an nearly gravity defying appearance and providing a lightness to an otherwise substantial piece of furniture.

In the exhibition, the sofa is accompanied by another unique piece from the Kokfelt villa - a drop-leaf table designed for the dinning room. The tabletop is made of formica – a practical and durable material, not typically used by Finn Juhl. The choice of this material is likely a reflection of Kokfelt’s need for a functional table, suitable for everyday family life. However, the table still articulates the aesthetic standard of Juhl with the underside made in exclusive Brazilian rosewood. The combination of an industrial material and a refined, sumptuous wood, creates an appealing visual contrast, imbuing it with a minimalist elegance that testifies to Juhl´s philosophy that function should never compromise aesthetics.

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Wall-mounted sofa, 1953 Laquered metal and textile Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder Provinance: Procurator K. Kokfelt’s villa

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Set of eight chairs, 1953 Brazilian rosewood, beech and brass Made by Bovirke

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Drop-leaf table, 1953 Brazilian Rosewood, formica and metal Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder Provenance: Kokfeldt’s villa, Hellerup

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Bowl, 1951 Teak Made by Kay Bojesen

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Side table, 1948 Teak and beech Made by Bovirke

The Poet sofa In 1941, Finn Juhl presented a two-seater sofa at the annual Cabinetmaker’s Guild Exhibition in Copenhagen. The present example is one of the two examples exhibited and later used in his own house on Kratvænget, north of Copenhagen, a house that to this day stands as a testimony to his unparalleled interior aesthetic. The prototype differs significantly from the later edition by its significant club-shaped legs and a much more distinct curve of the sides and back. The sofa represents a perfect balance between form, expression and function. Its sculptural outline and enclosed shape create an intimate sphere for two people.

When the sofa was presented in 1941, it was considered controversial and widely criticized. It was conceived during the second world war and in a small, occupied country, Juhl’s embrace of organic modernism was not yet fully understood. Since then, the attitude towards the sofa has changed dramatically, and today it stands as one of his most iconic pieces.

The name ‘The Poet’ hails from the popular Danish cartoon ’Poeten og Lillemor’ (The Poet and Lillemor). The cartoonist took inspiration from the sofa, depicting it as the perfect place for a young Poet to sit and contemplate the complexities of life.

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 ’Poet sofa’, 1941 Cuban mahogany and textile Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Set of six chairs, 1946 Brazilian rosewood and leather Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 A pair of adjustable pendants, 1960’s Laquered metal Made by Lyfa

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Wall-mounted library, 1953 Mahogany, pine and brass Made by Bovirke

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 ’Nyhavn desk’, 1953 Teak and gun-metal Made by Bovirke

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 Wall-mounted cabinet, 1950’s Teak and maple Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 A pair of ’BO77’ easy chairs, 1953 Textile, gun-metal and teak Made by Bovirke

ANNA THOMMESEN, 1908-2004 Tapestry, 1970’s Pure wool, flatweave 122 x 178 cm

FINN JUHL, 1912-1989 ’Egyptian chair’, 1949 Brazilian rosewood and leather Made by cabinetmaker Niels Vodder

Dansk Møbelkunst Gallery Bredgade 5 DK - 1260 Copenhagen Denmark Aldersrogade 6C DK - 2100 Copenhagen Denmark +45 3332 3837 info@dmk.dk www.dmk.dk photography: Dansk Møbelkunst Brahl Fotografi p. 7, 8, 10, 12, 16, 37 copyright: Dansk Møbelkunst 2022