Pair of Heinz Witthoeft Tail 4 Lounge Chairs, Germany 1959

Heinz Witthoeft (Germany 1935-2021) Pair of ‘Tail 4’ lounge chairs. 1959. Witthoeft Stuttgart 1960s. Pine frames with slung leather/hide. 64.5 X 64.5 X 54cm high. Radical modernist lounge chairs that are almost never to be found as a pair – the ‘Tail 4’ design has an architectural cube frame that each houses a low slung thick leather seat. The combination of a rigid external frame and flexible seat define and enhance the seating experience. (These chairs almost cross over into the realm of sculpture – and as sculptures they pre-date and anticipate some of the later minimalist art of Sol le Wit, Donald Judd or other minimalist artists of the 60s-70s). Trained at the prestigious Ulm School of Design, Witthoeft embodies the functionalist and minimalist spirit characteristic of German modernism from that era. His varied output as a designer included furniture systems, drawings, photographs, and graphic designs all contributed to his utopian urban vision in Post-war Germany and are embodied in the design of these chairs. Completely original condition with a distinctive warm patina commensurate with their age.