50s Finn Juhl ‘diplomat’ writing desk for France & Søn

Designer
Finn Juhl
Manufacturer
France & Søn
Period
1950s
Origin
Denmark
Material
teak
Color
teak
Code
0313119TBu
Condition
Good condition consistent with age and use.
Dimensions
190cm (w) x 95,5cm (d) x 72cm (h)
WS
A - C
Price
sold, located Buckinghamshire
Provenance
See description below.

Born in Denmark in 1912, Finn Juhl studied architecture at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen. After graduating, he worked for ten years in the office of Vilhelm Lauritzen, a leading Danish Modernist architect. In 1945, he set up his own practice, specializing in interior and furniture design. Juhl created design forms with the mindset of a sculptor and much of his furniture was technically ahead of its time.
Juhl’s career blossomed through his participation in the annual Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild exhibitions, nationally sponsored events that supported design innovation through collaborations between young architects and traditional cabinetmakers. Juhl found great success in his partnership with craftsman Niels Vodder, and together they created a number of important works.

Juhl first exhibited his work in the United States in 1950, championed by Edgar Kaufmann Jr., an influential design critic and scion of America’s most prominent family of modern architecture and design patrons. (Kaufmann’s father commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the house “Fallingwater.”) Juhl quickly won a following for such signature designs as the supremely comfortable “Chieftan” lounge chair, the biomorphic “Baker” sofa, and the “Judas” table, a piece ornamented with stylish inlaid silver plaquettes. Finn Juhl’s furniture as well as his lighting, ceramics, tableware and accessories has an air of relaxed sophistication and elegance that is unique in the realm of mid-20th- century design.

The diplomat desk is one outstanding design with his clear signature: Clean outer lines with subtle classic details make this desk a timeless piece. The desk has two floating drawers on each side with handles in polished aluminum. Both sides have 2 drawers and a pullout / pull-out upholstered shelf. This desk is in a very good condition, consistent with age and use.

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