Marcel Breuer, master of tubular steel

Marcel Breuer (1902-1981) was 23 when he designed the Wassily chair. A lifetime later, this Hungarian designer trained at the Bauhaus and at Harvard remains one of the inventors of modern furniture. His founding intuition? That tubular steel, until then reserved for bicycle handlebars, could carry a chair. From that idea came the B32 and the Cesca, industrial icons copied everywhere and recognised among thousands. A quiet revolution that never stopped.

The B32 chair, designed in 1928, is probably the most copied chair of the 20th century. Its chromed cantilever frame, caned seat and back: a perfect visual equation. Alongside the Cesca and the Wassily armchair, these are the vintage Breuer pieces collectors hunt for.