Frits Henningsen

FRITS HENNINGSEN (Denmark, 1889-1965).
Table, c. 1930.
Cuban mahogany wood and tiles.
Provenance: Designed and made by Frits Henningsen himself for his personal use, subsequently remaining in the family by inheritance. Acquired from the estate of Frits Henningsen's daughter.
Measurements: 59 x 123 x 59 cm.
Low table made of Cuban mahogany, with top decorated with tiles designed by Jens Thirslund (1892-1942), a Danish ceramist of great prestige. The table has shaped legs and edges. Made in the 1930s by cabinetmaker Frits Henningsen, this is probably a unique piece.
Frits Henningsen was a Danish designer and cabinetmaker renowned for achieving the highest standards of quality in entirely handcrafted pieces.
Owner of a furniture workshop in central Copenhagen, he worked with a team of craftsmen and personally designed all his furniture. An active member of the Cabinetmakers' Guild since 1927, he was admired by his colleagues for the excellence of his craft. He often used exotic woods such as rosewood and mahogany, and maintained traditional manufacturing methods, laborious and faithful to 19th century techniques.
His works are distinguished by their elegance and the soft curves of the arms of chairs and sofas, a reflection of his classical approach, aimed at achieving a synthesis between style and comfort. In 1942, Henningsen departed from the most modern trends of his time, defending the importance of curved shapes as opposed to the straight lines that predominated in the new designs, considering that these gave the furniture a warmer and more welcoming character.