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 in which Mies van der Rohe experiments with a low, curving "conchoidal" chair without arms to find a precise, architectural balance of seat and support.
A few confident graphite strokes on a wide white sheet conjure the chair like a fleeting idea—its sweeping back and molded seat appear as an elegant, restrained suggestion rather than a finished object.
The drawing shows Mies translating architectural principles of proportion, reduction, and clarity into furniture design, a mode that helped define the spare, sculptural language 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
1120.1974
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
