The Chair Design Of Arne Jacobsen, Like Ant and Serie 7

Online, October 7, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Though Arne Jacobsen was part of a movement that's best remembered as Danish Modern, the ultimate underlying inspiration comes from a German art school. The Staatliches Bauhaus (1919-1933) encouraged a radically new form of design that created a stir in every aspect of the craft. Jacobsen was heavily influenced by elements of both Bauhaus architecture and interior design. The Bauhaus was supposed to be modern, radical and totally apolitical. It stripped out unnecessary ornamentation and all aspects that were associated with it. These influences are clearly seen in designs such as the Serie 7 chair, which is sometimes also referred to as the Model 3107.

This chair has become the most copied chair in history, and this is perhaps ironic as Jacobsen claimed that the Serie 7 was a copy of a design from the husband and wife team of Charles and Ray Eames. It was the ultimate expression of the modernist idea that a single design should be used in any situation. It was equally at home in an office or tavern, and had a chic appeal. Since it's introduction in 1955, approximately 5 million units have been manufactured.

Like the Serie 7, Jacobsen claimed that the Eames team had inspired the Ant chair's design. The 1952 piece was created for the canteen at a Danish pharmaceutical firm. It's therefore light and easy to stack. In many ways, in fact, the Ant might be called the most modernist chair ever made.

Despite the extremely high production numbers of the Serie 7 and the universal appeal of the Ant chair, Arne Jacobsen's designs are notoriously expensive. However, www.merlinfurniture.com offers them at a fair price in the new online store, without the gouging that is so common among companies that sell these fine pieces of furniture. In fact, some of their replicas are as much as 70% less than the original price.