Kaare Klint Sofa Model 4118 in Leather and Mahogany
Kaare Klint sofa model 4118 for Rud.Rasmussen in cognac leather and mahogany, Designed in Denmark circa 1930's. We cannot pinpoint the production date of this sofa.
Kaare Klint originally designed this three-seat sofa, # 4118, for the office of the Prime Minister Throvald Stauning (1873-1942) in 1930 and was manufactured by Rud. Rasmussens Snedkerier.
This sofa embodies the quintessential essence of Danish design with its understated simplicity and elegant appearance. The construction is comprised of a considerably high back and armrests that are contrasted by the low-positioned seat, contributing to the unit’s grand and sophisticated look. The armrests have been contoured with smooth, rounded corners. The base consists of eight rectangular-shaped legs that are connected via cross-connections. This constructive feature brings more stability to the sofa and, subsequently, creates a dynamic rhythm.
The frame showcases its authentic new cognac leather, characterized by some patina.
Dimensions: 78.25 w x 30 d in x 34 h
About the Designer:
Recognized as the father of modern Danish design, Kaare Klint (1888-1954) designed icons such as the 1914 Faaborg Chair and the 1933 Safari Chair, as well as the design for the reception room of the Danish Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.
As the son of architect Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint, Kaare Klint was immersed in architecture from an early age, but made his mark on Danish design history as a furniture designer and educator. In 1924, he helped establish the Department of Furniture Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. As associate professor and later professor, he inspired some of the greatest Danish furniture designers and architects – including Hans J. Wegner, Mogens Koch, Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjærholm, Børge Mogensen – who would continue shaping the Golden Age of Danish design from the early 1940s. Today, Klint is regarded as a reformer: as one of the first designers to put functionalism and the practical study of architecture and furniture design principles above style, he redefined a period otherwise characterized by style-focused academic teaching. He was an outspoken critic of Hans Wegner's and Finn Juhl departure from his rational modernism.
Klint had an outstanding sense of proportion and space, and created “human furniture” based on studies of the human body. He studied an object’s uses over its form, and renewed Danish furniture design by refining tradition and developing objects perfectly in relation to their primary purpose. Klint was also aware of designs’ relationship to its environment, insisting his pieces never dominate a space, but unite form and function for a greater whole.
In all his work, he insisted on clear, logical design, clean lines, the best materials, and superb craftsmanship. Klint earned many accolades, including the Eckersberg Medal in 1928 and the C.F. Hansen Medal in 1954. In 1949, he became an Honorary Royal Designer for Industry in London.