Gerrit Rietveld

Red and Blue Chair

    Gerrit Rietveld was one of the founders of the De Stijl movement and was a Dutch designer, architect and painter. He became one of the most important and influential artists in this group with his designs. The Red and Blue chair that he designed in 1917 was shown in the journal "De Stijl" and was also exhibited in a show mounted by the Bauhaus, where it made a tremendous impact. This chair consists of straight boards with very rectilinear shapes that were colored blue, red yellow and black. The cut surfaces of the frame battens are yellow, and the battens themselves are black as seen in the photograph. The seat is blue, with the back being red. The colors used in this chair are undoubtedly a principle of the De Stijl movement, and according to his biography by the Art Market, Gerrit Rietveld himself seemed to have viewed his chair as a work of art since he called it a "spatial creation", designating a sculpture in space, rather than a piece of furniture. The composition of this piece is so simple and elegant; it immediately grabs your attention because of the unique construction and design of the chair. Rietveld use of color is very effective in bringing out emphasis of the entire design and to bring emphasis to his product, especially in his placement of each of these colors. The use of yellow on the cut surfaces of the frame battens does not overpower or overwhelm the piece as it might have done if placed on a different part such as the seat or the back of the chair. It really helps to pull the chair together and create unity, as well as brighten up the chair emotionally. Again, the color choices and placement is extremely effective, which is very pleasing to the eye. The eye is not blinded or overwhelmed with the yellow because of the controlled placement, and everything is balanced so perfectly. 

Schroder House

    Gerrit Rietveld designed the Schroder House in Utrecht. According to Meggs' History of Graphic Design, this house was so radical that neighbors threw rocks, and the Schroder children were taunted by their classmates at school. This house was built for Mrs. Tuus Schroder-Schrader and her three children and is located i111 Utrecht, Netherlands. This house is one of the best examples of the De Stijl architecture because everything was inspired and influenced by the De Stijl movements' principles.