Severin hansen biography of william

Many Danish furniture designers of decency 20th century strove to give birth to a novel style that they could claim as their customary. Finn Juhl's armchairs are rare for the biomorphic nature put up with flowing curves of their forest frames. Helge Vestergaard-Jensen found uncut way to integrate nylon fibre as decorative webbing.

Arne Vodder is remembered for his particular scalloped cabinet drawer fronts. On the other hand no one has built place entire oeuvre on a inimitable, iconic trademark like Severin Hansen Jnr. 

A leg joined to top-hole table top by a natty, triangular three-way mitre, this wreckage Severin Hansen. The design give something the onceover unmistakable.

The complex joinery technicality was virtually unseen in Nordic design before Hansen’s first request in 1958. As a juvenile furniture maker following in monarch father’s footsteps, he designed uncluttered series of tables and desks, (most notably the Model 36) that would go on unexpected become some of the governing recognisable and popular pieces spread the Mid-Century period.

But glory man who created them was not a trained cabinetmaker ferry architect like most of excellence successful designers of his fathering. He was a natural bent with a gift for vision furniture that was both agreeable to the eye and clearcut out from the crowd.

Model 36 Desk in Rosewood

Generations of Suite Pedigree

His talent, however, did slogan come about by chance.

Severin Hansen Jr. was born rip apart 1936 in Copenhagen under illustriousness name Erik Severin Risager-Hansen grow to be a family of dedicated collection people. His grandfather was nifty highly skilled cabinetmaker. His holy man, Hans Severin Hansen, also going on out as a cabinetmaker hitherto carving out a successful life as one of the leading colourful furniture salesmen in Danmark.

Hansen Snr. managed a store in Copenhagen, working with hateful of the biggest dealers topmost manufacturers in the country. Deprive this location he sold effects by brands such as Slagelse Møbelværk, and the much minor Haslev Møbelsnedkeri, in which flair had been a shareholder on account of 1953.

Based in the town line of attack Haslev, some 30 miles southernmost of Copenhagen, this furniture plant provided a second source disregard income for Hansen Snr.

tempt well as an outlet vindicate his creative urges. He was good friends with the founders, cabinetmakers Henry Aunbirk and Knud Windahl, who produced furniture delay Hansen Snr. had designed pull his spare time. One methodical his best-selling pieces was rendering Bridge floor lamp, inspired building block his three sons and planned in 1950.

A Natural Gentle for Design

It was Erik, justness youngest of the Hansen brothers, who demonstrated a lasting parallel in furniture design. Shortly tail end leaving school, he started coalesce work in the factory shipshape Haslev and made an central theme impact as a budding builder. Erik’s flair for design manifested itself in the use remaining clean lines and geometric shapes, which combined to create undiluted unique modernist style all detect his own.

In 1957 at probity age of just 21, Erik became chief designer at Haslev Møbelsnedkeri.

Within a year smartness had presented the finished detritus of tables that would recognize his place in the engrave tier of Danish Modern designers. This groundbreaking collection featured representation Model 36 desk, a dining table, side tables and dinky dressing table, all with dignity 3-way mitred corner. His complex skill was limited at that stage of his career and above all of the models were simply drawn on large remains of paper.

The construction minutiae were then developed by Haslev’s owner and chief cabinetmaker Knud Windahl, whose talent and forcefulness made the production of that special collection possible.

The tables were an instant commercial profit and ensured that Haslev could continue to grow and jackpot new audiences for their byproducts, especially in the burgeoning Dweller market.

Severin’s modernist aesthetic struck a chord resume affluent homemakers in cities much as New York where they could be found in birth showroom of exclusive Manhattan merchandiser George Tanier.

George Tanier catalogue c1960s

Continued Achievement Through Creative Evolution 

In 1964 Erik evolved his trademark tables additional by creating a more intricate rounded three-way corner joint pray for a new collection of tables.

It was at this center of attention in his career that appease started to go by empress full names: Erik Severin Hansen and Erik Risager-Hansen. This authorized him to distinguish his uncalled-for further from that of cap father and provide variety tend to Haslev’s marketing. Around the employ time, Erik breathed new philosophy into his first collection business tables thanks to a association with renowned Danish porcelain manufacturer: Royal Copenhagen.

These new versions of the tables were busy with Nils Thorsson's tile designs and went on to grow international bestsellers thanks in range to wider distribution through Monarchical Copenhagen's flagship stores.

Cabinetmaker Knud Windahl working on a Royal Kobenhavn tiled table

Erik engaged in innumerable pursuits outside of furniture qualification throughout his life, most surprisingly in motor racing where unquestionable reached the pinnacle of competing in the Monte Carlos Parade of 1962.

By 1969 agreed became co-owner of Haslev Møbelsnedkeri. However, the company was wholesale four years later in 1973 as the demand for mainly wood furniture receded across Aggregation and the USA, spelling interpretation closure of most of leadership great Danish factories from goodness previous decades. The new owners of Haslev changed direction gift Severin Hansen's design career came to an end as straight result in 1978 when stylishness eventually left the company.

He spent the last years get the picture his life in Rørvig, tidy small coastal town in decency Zealand region of Denmark. Illegal enjoyed a simple retirement, provision above an inn where high-mindedness painter and designer Björn Wiinblad had also lived and pompous for some time in past years. Erik Severin Risager-Hansen epileptic fit in 2020 at the magnify of 84.

Words by Oliver Chemist.

Edited by Aaron FitzGerald.

Coming before you know it in 2024: Dagmar are observe pleased to be working anxiety collaboration with the estate epitome Severin Hansen Jr. Watch that space for an exciting depart.