Best known for his chairs and other seating pieces — though a master of many furniture types like sofas and tables — Hans Wegner was a prolific designer whose elegant, often ebullient, forms and devotion to the finest methods in joinery made "Danish Modern" a popular byword for stylish, well-made furniture in the mid-20th century.
Wegner considered himself a carpenter first and a furniture designer second. Like his peers Arne Jacobsen and Finn Juhl, Wegner believed that striking aesthetics in furniture were based on a foundation of practicality: a chair must be comfortable and sturdy before it is chic.
In keeping with that tenet, several of Hans Wegner’s best chair designs have their roots in traditional seating forms. The Peacock chair (designed in 1947) is a throne-like adaptation of the Windsor chair; pieces from the China chair series (begun in 1944) as well as the 1949 Wishbone chair, with its distinctive Y-shaped back splat, are derived from 17th-century Ming seating pieces, as is the upholstered Ox chair (1960). Wegner’s comfy Papa Bear chair (1951) is an almost surreally re-scaled English wingback chair.
Wegner’s most representative piece, the Round chair (1949), gained a footnote in political history when it was used on the TV stage of the first Kennedy-Nixon debate of 1960. That chair, along with Wegner’s more bravura designs — for example, the 1963 Shell chair, with its curved surfboard-shaped seat — bring a quietly sculptural presence to a room.
Wegner was a designer who revered his primary material — wood — and it shows. His wood gathers patina and character with age; every Hans Wegner piece testifies to the life it has led.
Find vintage Hans Wegner lounge chairs, armchairs, daybeds and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Danish Hans J. Wegner City Hall Oak Dining Chair
By Plan Møbler, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Knebel, DK
Danish Hans J. Wegner "City Hall" dining chair The "City Hall chair" is one of Hans J. Wegners earliest designs made for the new iconic city hall in Aarhus that was finished in 194...
Oak
$1,340Sale Price|20% Off
H 28.75 in W 20.5 in D 17.25 in
1950s Hans Wegner CH23 chair for Carl Hansen & Søn, Denmark.
By Hans J. Wegner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The CH23 was one of the first chairs Hans J. Wegner designed exclusively for Carl Hansen & Søn back in 1950. At first glance it’s simple and understated, but the chair is full of tho...
Beech, Oak, Teak
$799
H 33.86 in W 19.69 in D 17.33 in
1941 Fully Restored Danish Hans J. Wegner Oak Dining Chair "City Hall Chair"
By Plan Møbler, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Knebel, DK
1941 Fully Restored Danish Hans J. Wegner Oak Dining Chair "City Hall Chair reupholstered in white fabric. The chair was one of Hans J. Weg...
Oak
W2 - Dining chair by Hans J. Wegner
By C.M. Madsen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
W2 dining chair in oak with patinated wicker. Designed by Hans J. Wegner and made by cabinetmaker C.M. Madsen. The wicker differs from each chair - contact for individual pictures.
Wicker, Oak
$950Sale Price|47% Off
H 29.75 in W 19.5 in D 18 in
Vintage Hans Wegner for C.M. Madsens 'W2' Chair in Oak; Denmark, 1950s
By C.M. Madsen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lovely example of the early work of the 20th century's master of seating design, Hans J. Wegner. The sculpted oak backrest or top-rail employed here was developed as part of a fami...
Oak
Hans J. Wegner Chinese Chair for Fritz Hansen
By Hans J. Wegner, Fritz Hansen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Chinese chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1944. Executed by Fritz Hansen, 1980. Cherrywood and leather cushion.
Leather, Cherry
Oak and Leather Dining Chairs by Hans J. Wegner, 1950s
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A dining chair having exposed oiled white oak frames with gently curved backs, tapered dowel legs, and natural leather upholstery.
Leather
Dining Chairs by Hans J. Wegner for C.M. Madsens Fabriker
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A side chair in oak with sculpted backrests and woven papercord seats.
Rope
Hans Wegner 1942 oak chair by Mikael Laursen all original
Located in Forest, BE
Hans Wegner oak chair, produced by Mikael Laursen in Denmark in 1942. This early example reflects Wegner’s approach to combining sculptural woodworking with functional seating, with ...
Faux Leather, Oak
Hans J. Wegner Chinese Chair for Fritz Hansen
By Fritz Hansen, Hans J. Wegner
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Chinese chair by Hans J. Wegner, 1944. Executed by Fritz Hansen, 1979. Cherrywood and leather cushion.
Leather, Cherry
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.
