End Table
Design Date 1923
Designer Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964, Dutch)
Manufacturer Gerard van de Groenekan, de Bilt, Netherlands
Media painted wood
Dimensions 23 3/4 x 20 1/4 x 19 5/8 inches
Gerrit Rietveld’s Red/Blue chair, which embodies the harmony of the De Stijl movement, was so popular upon its design in 1918 that Rietveld was later asked to build a house based on the same principles. This end table was designed for that house, the Schröder Huis in the Dutch city of Utrecht. The table incorporates the signatures of the De Stijl movement: a basic palette of black and white accented with red, yellow and blue; the use of rectangular flat planes; and a sparse construction that could be easily manufactured. The separate pieces of the table seem to float independent of one another. The rectangles of primary colors (a De Stijl characteristic) also seem to float against the black and white wood. This harmonious form created by autonomous parts was Rietveld’s goal and is an integral element of De Stijl theory. The emphasis on the relationship between the straight vertical and horizontal lines of the table is another characteristic of De Stijl art and design.
ON VIEW in Bauhaus Gallery 5
Markings Bottom branded, "H.G.M. / G.A.v.d. GROENEKAN / DE BILT NEDERLAND" with some additional design sketches in pencil
Credit Line Collection Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Accession Number 2012.0350
