The B35 by Marcel Breuer features a continuous tube of chrome-plated steel that forms the seat, backrest and armrests of the chair. The separate armrests and cantilevered seat yield a surprising amount of flexibility and comfort in use. Breuer incorporated woven cane and lacquered wood armrests so that the sitter is never in contact with the metal.
Marcel Breuer 1902–1981
Marcel Breuer’s parents encouraged their children to take interest in culture and the arts from an early age, and when the Hungarian born designer turned eighteen he secured a scholarship to the prestigious Fine Arts Academy in Vienna. Uninterested in the lengthy discussions about aesthetic tradition and eager for a more practical education, he took a job in an architectural firm. When a friend told him about a new art school in Weimar Germany called the Bauhaus, Breuer promptly enrolled. Under the guidance of director Walter Gropius, Breuer became one of six apprentices to join the furniture workshop, producing his earliest known design in 1921, the African Chair. Breuer graduated in 1924 and after a brief time in Paris, returned to the school as the head of the of the carpentry worship in 1925. Inspired by his first bicycle, Breuer began working on designs for a chair made of tubular steel. The revolutionary steel club armchair, known as the Wassily, remains one of his most well-known designs to date.
Auction Results Marcel Breuer
Rare chaise lounge
estimate: $30,000–50,000
result: $81,250
Delfi table from the Ultrarazionale collection
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $23,750
dining table
estimate: $15,000–20,000
result: $15,600
desk for Rufus Stillman
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $15,000
desk chair from Bryn Mawr college, Pennsylvania
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $12,500
furniture set for Bryn Mawr college, Philadelphia
estimate: $6,000–7,000
result: $11,400
Balance tapestry
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $11,250
Long chair
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $10,800
candlesticks, pair
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $9,600
adjustable armchair, model B7A
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $9,375
desk
estimate: $3,000–4,000
result: $9,000
lounge chair
estimate: $5,000–7,000
result: $8,750
