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Price category: 500 - 2,500 usd / eur

Josef Frank’s present  “model 2570” ceiling lamp was famously created by Swedish Tenn from chrome-plated and white lacquered metal with three light points, and with a modern terminal block.

Josef Frank began working at Svenskt Tenn as early as in 1934 and just a few years later, the Frank-Ericson duo made their international breakthrough at Svenskt Tenn’s exhibition room at the World Expositions in Paris in 1937 and later in New York in 1939 both occasions were completely contrary to the ideal of the time with their rather bold contrasts in materials, colours, and prints. The duo received a great deal of attention and famously became, somewhat paradoxically, the model for the expression “Swedish Modern”.

The ‘Firma Svenskt Tenn’ was a very highly renowned Swedish design company, and stood as a testament to the timeless elegance and innovative vision embodied by Josef Frank, the prolific Swedish architect and designer. One of Frank's noteworthy creations under the Svenskt Tenn umbrella is this model "2570" ceiling light, a piece that seamlessly combines functionality with his signature whimsical design aesthetic. This ceiling light reflects Josef Frank's distinctive design philosophy, characterized by a harmonious fusion of form, colour, with Terminal Block materials, and functionality. Frank was a pioneer in rejecting the stark minimalism of the early 20th century in favour of a more organic and playful aesthetic. The "2570" exemplifies this approach with its three light points and dynamic geometry. The delicate interplay of shapes and lines in the design creates an inviting and visually stimulating ambiance. This example of the “2570” model was manufactured towards the end of the 20th century.

Firma Svenskt Tenn, the manufacturer behind this luminary piece, has been a stalwart in the Swedish design scene since its founding in 1924. Collaborating with visionaries like Josef Frank, the company has been at the forefront of bringing avant-garde design to the masses. The craftsmanship of Svenskt Tenn, coupled with Frank's innovative designs, has elevated the "2570" ceiling light beyond mere illumination, transforming it into a statement piece that transcends trends and stands as an enduring testament to the marriage of art, form, and function.

Josef Frank has had an enormous impact on the history of Swedish design. Despite the fact that he was already 50 years old when he fled the burgeoning antisemitism for Sweden and Svenskt Tenn, the Austrian architect is considered to be one of Sweden’s most important designers of all time.

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Some small marks on the metal.

Dimensions:

11.81 in Ø x 6.1 in H (with light bulb) / 3.54 in H (without lightbulb)

30 cm Ø x 15.5 cm H (with light bulb) / 9 cm H (without lightbulb)

About the designer:

Josef Frank, was born in Austria in 1885, and wasn’t ”merely” a designer; he was a maverick who challenged the prevailing norms of his time. His journey led him from Vienna to Sweden, where he found a sanctuary for his creative spirit. Frank's designs, including this "2570" ceiling light, were informed by his deep appreciation for nature. The organic motifs in his work were a deliberate departure from the rigid constraints of modernism, a movement he found stifling.

Frank's legacy extends beyond the physical forms he created; it encompasses a design philosophy that celebrates individuality and rejects conformity. The "2570" ceiling light, with its vivacious patterns and thoughtful geometry, encapsulates Frank's enduring influence on the world of design. Today, as we bask in the warm glow of the "2570," we are not just experiencing light; we are immersed in the legacy of a design luminary who dared to challenge the status quo and redefine the boundaries of beauty.Josef Frank (1885-1967) grew up in Vienna in an assimilated Jewish family and studied architecture at Konstgewerbeschule. In the 1920s he designed housing estates and large residential blocks built around common courtyards in a Vienna with severe housing shortages. In 1925, he started the Haus & Garten interior firm together with architect colleagues Oskar Wlach and Walther Sobotka.

Josef Frank was one of early Vienna modernism’s foremost figures, but already in the beginning of the 1920s he started to question modernism’s growing pragmatism. He had little appreciation for the French architect Le Corbusier’s belief that a house should be “a machine for living in”. He was against puritanical principles and on the contrary, feared that standardized interiors would make people all too uniform.

Josef Frank represented a freer, more artistic style ideal, and he developed his own type of modernism where values like comfort, homeyness, and a wealth of colour were at its core. He resisted limitations and models for his furniture and textiles came from across all boundaries both in time and space. He perceived tubular steel furniture as a threat to humanity. On the contrary he wanted to include nature’s colours and forms in his interiors to be able to breathe and exude freedom even in closed rooms. For the same reason he preferred furniture that people could see through. A chair should have an open back and a cupboard should be on legs that were so high that one could distinguish the borderline between the floor and the wall.

Josef Frank has had an enormous impact on the history of Swedish design. Despite the fact that he was already 50 years old when he fled the burgeoning antisemitism for Sweden and Svenskt Tenn, the Austrian architect is considered to be one of Sweden’s most important designers of all time.