Red and Blue Armchair

chair by Rietveld

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July 13, 2026

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The Red and Blue Armchair, designed by Gerrit Rietveld around 1918, is a seminal piece of furniture design that embodies the principles of the de Stijl movement. De Stijl, a Dutch art movement founded in 1917, emphasized geometric forms and the use of primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) along with black and white, aiming for asymmetric balance.12

Rietveld's armchair, with its emphasis on geometry and primary colors, is a direct realization of these tenets. It is constructed from intersecting planes and lines, creating a three-dimensional abstract composition. This design was a significant step in applying de Stijl principles not only to furniture but also to architecture, as seen in Rietveld's later works like the Schroeder House.1

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Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
…time he created his famous red-and-blue armchair, which, in its emphasis on geometry and in its use of primary colours, was a realization of de Stijl principles (see photograph). In 1921 he designed a small Amsterdam jewelry shop, one of the first examples of the application of these principles to…
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…time he created his famous red-and-blue armchair, which, in its emphasis on geometry and in its use of primary colours, was a realization of de Stijl principles (see photograph). In 1921 he designed a small Amsterdam jewelry shop, one of the first examples of the application of these principles to…
Read More