Harry Bertoia

HARRY BERTOIA (Italy, 1915 - USA, 1978) for Knoll.
Bertoia bench, ca.1960.
Seat in black lacquered metal slats.
Base in painted steel rods.
Measurements: 39 x 181.5 x 46.5 cm.

Designed circa 1960 by Harry Bertoia for Knoll International, the Bertoia Bench is an iconic piece of modern American furniture. Made with a black lacquered metal slat seat and steel rod structure, its design combines visual lightness, sculptural rigor and functionality, characteristic features of the author's work.

Bertoia, known for his experimental approach between art and design, created for Knoll some of the most emblematic pieces of the 20th century, in which the structure becomes an expressive element. This bench, with its minimalist and industrial aesthetic, is a representative example of the innovative spirit of mid-century modern.

In the 1940s, Bertoia worked in collaboration with Charles Eames. In 1949 he joined Hans Knoll at Knoll Associates. His first exhibition took place at the Knoll Showroom in New York in 1951, and the following year Knoll would patent his most famous furniture design, such as the welded rod "Diamond" chair. Bertoia's designs are now in the collections of major design and contemporary art museums, including MoMA in New York and many others.