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Danish Modern Finn Juhl "46" Sofa, Dark Lavender Blue Velvet, Carl Brørup, 1940s

About the Item

Early and important Finn Juhl "46" sofa made in the 1940s at original manufacturer Carl Brørup. The sofa is upholstered in a beautiful dark blue velvet. The sofa is in very good original condition. A collectors item. As the name suggests, this bold, curvaceous two-seater sofa was originally designed in 1946 and was crafted by upholsterer Carl Brørup in his Copenhagen workshop. Finn Juhl, who was greatly influenced by modern art, integrated this inspiration into his designs during that period, with the 46 Sofa being a prime example. Exhibiting a free-flowing design and sculptural form, the 46 Sofa encapsulates Finn Juhl's approach to furniture design. It showcases the liberation from traditional constraints that modern art embodies. As a young man, Finn Juhl dreamt of becoming an art historian, however his father would not allow it. In spite of this, Finn Juhl remained strongly influenced by modern art – especially during the 1930s and 1940s. This source of inspiration was the main reason his designs took such organic shapes with almost human-like features. Finn Juhl worked from the core and outwards in a similar fashion to that of a surrealist artist, and was inspired by the freedom from convention reflected in art. The 46 Sofa embodies his approach to furniture design, with a soft sculptural form inspired by artists such as Henry Moore and Pablo Picasso. Just like Finn Juhl’s iconic Pelican Chair, the 46 Sofa is also a “body for the body” as the curvaceous sofa embraces the seated person. Only this sofa can accommodate two people. At the time when the 46 Sofa was introduced, Finn Juhl’s artistic license was heavily criticized. Some critics scornfully called his furniture “tired walruses''. Today, the 46 Sofa is an elegant addition to any interior style. Embodying an organic and fluid design, the 46 Sofa creates a comfortable seat for two, perfect for a living room space. The sofa is masterfully built, consisting of a solid wooden frame with springs in the cushion and entirely hand sewn upholstery. The 46 Sofa is a true representation of timeless and excellent craftsmanship.

Creator:
Finn Juhl (Designer)
Design:
46 Sofa
Dimensions:
Height: 32.29 in (82 cm)Width: 51.58 in (131 cm)Depth: 29.14 in (74 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
Style:
Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Velvet
Place of Origin:
Denmark
Period:
1940-1949
Date of Manufacture:
1940s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
Seller Location:
Odense, DK
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3793139508402
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Finn Juhl

Along with Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Børge Mogensen, Finn Juhl was one of the great masters of mid-20th-century Danish design. Juhl was the first among that group to have his work promoted overseas, bringing the character of the nation’s furnishings — and the inherent principles of grace, craftsmanship and utility on which they were based — to an international audience. A stylistic maverick, Juhl embraced expressive, free-flowing shapes in chair and sofa designs much earlier than his colleagues, yet even his quietest pieces incorporate supple, curving forms that are at once elegant and ergonomic.

As a young man, Juhl hoped to become an art historian, but his father steered him into a more practical course of study in architecture. He began designing furniture in the late 1930s, a discipline in which, despite his education, Juhl was self-taught, and quite proud of the fact. His earliest works, designed in the late 1930s, are perhaps his most idiosyncratic. The influence of contemporary art is clear in Juhl's 1939 Pelican chair: an almost Surrealist take on the classic wing chair. Critics reviled the piece, however; one said it looked like a "tired walrus." Juhl had tempered his creativity by 1945, when the Danish furniture-making firm Niels Vodder began to issue his designs. Yet his now-classic NV 45 armchair still demonstrates panache, with a seat that floats above the chair’s teak frame.

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.

As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, 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.