Wegner became a designer after an apprenticeship to a cabinetmaker and work as a sculptor. He famously stated, "A chair is only finished when someone sits in it." Of the three hundred chairs he designed in his lifetime, this one became known as "the chair." With its strong zigzag joints, gently curved arms and back, and hand-woven cane seat, this iconic work exemplifies the leading Danish designer's craft sensibility and dedication to wood, his favorite material. During the first nationally televised United States presidential debate in 1960, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy each sat in one of these armchairs.
Gallery label from What Was Good Design? MoMA's Message 1944–56, May 6, 2009–January 10, 2011.
