Artwork: Liggstol Modell 36

Professor Bruno Mathsson was a Swedish furniture designer and architect from Värnamo. Bruno’s father was a carpenter and Bruno was trained in his factory, where classic furniture was made. Early on he was inspired by functionalism, but after spending some time in the US he wanted to develop a modern and new design language and scrap the old.

As an architect, Bruno wanted to bring in the light and create modern architecture, blurring the boundaries between the inside and outside. He attracted a lot of attention at the 1937 Paris exhibition and the 1939 New York exhibition, where many people were drawn to the Swedish pavilion.

Bruno’s furniture is very carefully designed to provide an optimal fit for the body; it is also timeless and elegant. The gentle curve of the reclining chairs is inspired by Le Corbusier’s description of the ‘mechanics of sitting’.

The sculpture is based on Model 36 in a 1:2 scale and is cast in aluminium. The Municipality of Värnamo is grateful to Bo and Dan Thelander for making the sculpture possible. Purchased by the Municipality of Värnamo in 2017.