Two Chairs by Dom Hans van der Laan, The Netherlands 1960s
Two Chairs by Dom Hans van der Laan, The Netherlands 1960s
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Price category: 9,000 - 12,500 usd / eur
This set of chairs was originally designed by the Dutch Benedictine monk and architect, Dom Hans van der Laan for the Abbey Church of St. Benedictusberg located near the Dutch town of Vaals.
These easy chairs are in an untouched condition. They are made of pine wood and feature copper nails, giving these pieces an understated, rustic look. The pair is entirely painted grey, including the nails. This specific colour was carefully selected by Whim van Hoof to resemble the original shade as closely as possible. The main focus of van der Laan’s design was functionality and rationality, which is reflected in the openings on the sides and on the backs serve the purpose of joining multiple pieces together, and lifting them.
Van der Laan was a leading figure in the traditionalist movement, the Bossche School, that held these values as well. These characteristics make these chairs charming, while also being beautiful pieces of Dutch design history. Although Dom Hans van der Laan left a small body of work behind, his legacy is highly regarded in the world of architecture. The St. Benedictusberg Abbey in Vaals and its interior quickly became his masterpiece at the age of 53. This model is still found in the Dutch church named Sint Willibrorduskerk in Almelo, for which it was possibly designed for in 1964.
Condition:
In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Some small marks and scratches.
Dimensions:
Chairs:
25.59 in W, 26.77 in D, 35.43 in H; Seat Height 15.94 in
65 cm W, 68 cm D, 90 cm H; Seat Height 40.5 cm
About the designer:
Dom Hans van der Laan (1904-1991) was the ninth of the eleven recorded children of Leiden architect Leo van der Laan (1864–1942). Thanks to Brother Lambertus Moonen and Hans van der Laan jr. the full biography is now known.
Dom van der Laan began his studies in architecture at the ‘Technische Hogeschool’ of Delft in 1923, two years after he finished his secondary school. Architectural education in those days was generally confined to nineteenth-century neoclassicism and all teachers originated from before the first world-war. Students in their third year of study had to make their own designs, but those of Hans van der Laan were all rejected. In the same autumn he founded, together with some fellow-students, a study-group, the ‘Bouwkundige Studiekring’ BSK (‘Architectural Study Circle’), aiming to discover themselves the very basics of architecture, which they missed in regular teaching.
On 26 May 1929 Hans van der Laan and his fellow-novice Herman Diepen made their profession in the abbey. In 1936 father Hans was charged with the guidance in the sacristy, which he would retain till his departure to Vaals in 1968. After the war father van der Laan was invited by the bishop of Breda to take guidance of a working party, charged with the rebuilding of the destroyed churches in the diocese.
In 1951 the abbey of Sint-Benedictusberg in Vaals had been founded a second time by a group of monks of the Saint-Pauls abbey of Oosterhout and father Van der Laan was asked by them to design the still missing crypt and church. On 18 October 1968 father Van der Laan changed his domicile from Oosterhout to Vaals, where in 1970 he became official member of the community of Sint-Benedictusberg. In his new home he also was appointed as sacristan, so that he could continue his familiar daily work and in 1973 he was elected as a member of the Council, the board under the guidance of the abbot.
Prior to his death, Van der Laan garnered worldwide acclaim for his comprehensive architectural theory, which has been translated into several languages and presents a doctrine of connections in the design of architectonic space, notably the “plastic number”. ~H.
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Price category: 20,000 - 30,000 usd / eur
The Czech designer, Pavel Novak’s corpus of work is finally starting to surface, and as these chairs show, we are lucky to witness it. Described as a "bedroom genius" whose life and work would have deserved a completely different fate, Novak often worked with a gouge, that originally never had any other vocation than to furnish his farm.
The chairs are made of hand gouged oak, which is in itself a time-consuming and rare woodcarving technique. While most manuals offer help with fixing gouges in wood, Novak used the technique to create these rustic looking bodies that can be considered to be functional sculptures. Thanks to the unique, hand-carved texture, each lounge chair is one of a kind, with a unique pattern. The leather seat is suspended between the three legs, one of which is elongated to serve as a backrest. The chairs’ joinery technique is seamless and shows the outstanding craftsmanship and vision of Novak. The leather straps are inset into the legs in a rough, yet sophisticated way.
Rough yet sophisticated defines the overall aesthetic of these chairs, which is reflected in the pairing of the materials as well. The patinated cognac leather’s even surface contrasts beautifully with the gouged, coarse look of the oak. With its straightforward design, this pair is a seminal work of Pavel Novak. ~H.
Condition:
In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Some cracks and marks on the wood. These chairs come with their original leather or have been reupholstered by a previous owner. Each of our items can be re-upholstered by our in-house atelier in a fabric of choice. Please reach out for more information.
Dimensions:
40.94 in W x 30.7 in D x 48.81 in H; Seat height 20.07 in
104 cm W x 78 cm D x 124 cm H; Seat height 51 cm