Eva: A Chair Still Manufactured Today As A True Classic
When thinking of interior design (inredning), most people immediately think of Swedish and Scandinavian schools and their pervasive influence through the Swedish Modern style. One of the leading names of these schools is the late Bruno Mathsson, who was born in 1907 in Varnamo, Sweden, to a family of woodworkers. He lived until 1988.
Though Mathsson was a student of the craft tradition of his country, he exceeded that as he used shapes and styles that were a reflection of living things, from insects to humans. He wanted his designs to be very practical and comfortable, but his real genius came in making designs that could be both practical and also amazing for their beauty.
He is most famous for his chairs, although he made many more kinds of furniture (möbler), and he also was famous for imminently practical architecture the last half of his career. Among the chairs he is most known for are the Pernilla, the Miranda, and the Eva chairs. Nearly all of his chairs have women's names and their curves evoke the feminine figure.
The "grasshopper" was his first major chair, created in 1931. It was a failure at first but later came to be highly prized. First created in 1934, the Eva chair received much more rapid acceptance by the public, also receiving universal praise by furniture critics. It is available with both a low and high back. The version with a high back is not as typical compared to his other arm chair designs that feature standard height backs.
The Eva chair makes use of the usual Mathsson lines and curves while also making use of webbed upholstery. The originals of these chairs were most likely made out of beech, but many other types of woods were used, while the webbing material could be made from anything. The chairs made during wartime were made from scrounged material such as paper and hemp.
The Eva chair is still being manufactured as a true classic, and both old and new models still command hefty price tags, but nearly anyone who has one thinks it is worth it. The upholstery can be customized to any color scheme or situation, and the choice of woods is quite generous. Mathsson made chairs until the end of his life in 1988, and continued to make simple but attractive chairs, adding innovations to suit the age.
The Swedish and Scandinavians have had a huge impact on interior design (inredning) and one of it's leading lights was Swede, Bruno Mathsson (1907-1988). He came from a family of woodworkers but grew beyond craft style and developed pieces that added beauty to functionality. One of his most famous creations was the Eva chair which first appeared in 1934. Made originally from Beech wood, other materials have been used in it's construction over the years. With its curved, precise lines and webbing upholstery it gained critical and public acclaim and is still being made to this day.
Published December 17th, 2007
Filed in Recreation