Tout Bois Chair - / By Jean Prouvé, 1941 by Vitra Natural wood

Treat yourself to an ORIGINAL iconic piece by Vitra. An original will always retain its value. An original will stay with you for your whole life and will outlive you, being passed on to the next generation. In 1934, Jean Prouvé, a French designer, architect and engineer, created the Standard chair. Entering the pantheon of design, the Standard chair is now part of the heritage of French design. Jean Prouvé started with a simple observation: on a chair, the weight of the body is carried mainly by the back legs, while the front legs are not used much. In 1934, he therefore designed a chair whose rear legs were reinforced, transmitting the load to the ground. The chair was introduced in 1934 as “Chair No. 4” and subsequently developed into different versions under the name “Standard”. This work is the perfect example of what’s at the centre of Jean Prouvé's many creations, namely an uncompromising orientation on the requirements of construction. Through its shape, the Standard Chair expresses Prouvé's intention to provide additional strength in the rear legs and in the transition between seat and back, where the human anatomy exerts the greatest load. The Standard chair was manufactured in Jean Prouvé's own factory. Most of the time, the legs and frame were made of metal, while the seat and back were made of wood. There were also models made entirely of metal or, especially during the war years when metal was scarce, wood. During World War II, Jean Prouvé responded to the metal shortage with a version made entirely of wood. Released in 1941, the All Wood Chair is the only chair by French manufacturer and designer Jean Prouvé made entirely of wood. In shape, it’s very similar to the famous Standard chair by Prouvé, but the metal base was replaced by solid oak. Its construction does not require any screws. The warm look and feel of wood provides an interesting contrast to the practical structural design, typical of Prouvé's functional approach. In 1947, Prouvé’s All Wood Chair won the "Meubles de France" competition. The concept of the competition was to find attractive, high-quality, mass-produced furniture to meet the needs of post-war society - especially those of refugees and young married couples. Later, the All Wood Chair was replaced by model no. 305, combining a metal base with a seat and backrest in moulded plywood - known today as the Standard Chair.