Finn Juhl (1912-1989)

Finn Juhl (1912–1989) was the first Danish furniture designer to be recognized internationally. He studied architecture at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen and with Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, but as a furniture designer he was self-taught, a fact he always emphasized. One of Finn Juhl’s most well-known pieces is the “Chieftain Chair”. Designed in 1949, it is a fine example of Juhl’s great idea of separating the sculpturally shaped seat and back from the wooden frame. The same principle is evident in the “45-Chair”, designed in 1945. Here, emphasis is laid on the elegantly shaped armrests.