Vidal Brothers, Barcelona, c. 1950

Chair; HERMANOS VIDAL; Barcelona, c. 1950.
Wrought iron with enamel finish. One-of-a-kind prototype.
Measurements: 86 x 66 x 45 cm.
A design prototype by Hermanos Vidal, this chair made of wrought iron with an enamel finish, made in Barcelona around 1950 and conceived as a one-of-a-kind design, combines a structure of great visual lightness with a marked sculptural expressiveness, with the backrest standing out in particular—it consists of a succession of curved metal elements that create an enveloping, almost organic profile. The structure is completed by distinctive cross-shaped legs, inspired by the Eiffel Tower. The piece is particularly interesting for the way it transforms an essentially industrial material like iron into a piece of furniture.
Hermanos Vidal, also known as Vidal Hermanos or Ferrocolor-Vidal Hermanos, was a Barcelona-based family firm dedicated to ironwork and the development of modern furniture. Founded in 1915 by Antoni Vidal Dinè, the company—also known as “Tres Uves”—developed, throughout much of the 20th century, a body of work characterized by experimentation with metal structures, economy of materials, and the adaptation of new trends in international design to the Catalan domestic sphere. This piece, due to its status as a prototype and the uniqueness of its structure, serves as a particularly representative example of that period of experimentation, during which iron ceased to be associated exclusively with architecture and construction and became a leading material in furniture design.