Conchoidal Chair without Arms (Perspective sketch)
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
American, born Germany. 1886–1969
early 1940s
A quick pencil-on-paper perspective sketch by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe proposing a low, armless “Conchoidal” chair, aiming to realize a single, flowing shell as a refined modern seating form.
What strikes you is the economy of line—few delicate, assured pencil strokes that conjure a wave-like seat and high curved back set into a wide field of blank paper.
The drawing shows Mies’s attempt to translate architectural principles of purity, continuity, and economy into furniture, helping to shape the pared-down vocabulary of mid‑century modern seating.
Medium
Pencil on paper
Dimensions
6 x 8 1/16" (15.2 x 20.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Mies van der Rohe Archive, gift of the architect
Accession
1115.1974
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
