Arne Jacobsen, Oxford armchair for Fritz Hansen

ARNE JACOBSEN (Denmark, 1902 - 1971) for Fritz Hansen.
Oxford armchair.
With red-brown leather upholstery, satin brushed aluminum frame and armrests, on five-star swivel base, with return mechanism.
Some signs of wear.
Produced by Fritz Hansen, 2015 brown label.
Measurements: 93 x 60 x 60 cm. 49 cm (seat height).

Arne Jacobsen's Oxford chairs for Fritz Hansen (designed circa 1963-65) are an icon of office and performance furniture, characterized by a very elegant and architectural aesthetic, with a high, curved back - its most distinctive feature - that slightly envelops the back and was conceived to create a sense of privacy and prestige, as they were originally intended for the professors of St. Catherine's College, Oxford. The structure consists of a molded wood shell (laminated plywood) fully upholstered in leather or fabric, mounted on an aluminum base (fixed or swivel, with or without casters), and there are versions with high, medium or low back, with or without arms, always maintaining clean lines, very careful proportions and sober ergonomics, making them a timeless chair, representative of Danish modernism and widely used in offices, meeting rooms and institutional spaces.

Architect and designer, Arne Jacobsen studied for four years at the Copenhagen School of Construction, then entered the Faculty of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Among his most outstanding architectural works are St. Catherine's College in Oxford, the SAS Hotel in Copenhagen, the headquarters of the Danish National Army in the same city, and the Royal Danish Embassy in London. As a designer, he has created furniture that has become classics, including the "Ant" chair (1951) and the "Swan" and "Egg" chairs designed for the SAS Hotel. He is also known for his 1955 model 3107 chair, also called "Chair number 7", of which more than five million copies were sold, starring alongside Christine Keeler in Lewis Morley's iconic portrait. His other contribution to popular culture in the media is his designer cutlery, with spoons for both hands, which were chosen for the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey" for their futuristic look. The key to the success of Jacobsen's work lies in its elegant and essential design, and today we can find them in collections such as those of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London or the MoMA in New York, among many others.