Le Corbusier
Chaise Longue 2072

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Designer Le CorbusierFrench, born Switzerland, 1887–1965

Designer Pierre Jeanneret Swiss, 1896–1967

Designer Charlotte Perriand French, 1903–1999

Manufacturer Embru-Werke AGSwiss, established 1904

CultureFrench

Titles

Chaise Longue 2072

DateDesigned 1928–29, made c.1933–37

PlaceZurich, Switzerland

MediumChromed steel, iron, leather, canvas, and rubber

Dimensions.A, chaise: 14 × 63 × 21 1/2 inches (35.56 × 160.02 × 54.61 cm)
.B, base: 12 7/16 × 21 × 37 1/4 inches (31.59 × 53.34 × 94.62 cm)
.C, pillow: 5 1/4 × 5 1/4 × 22 1/4 inches (13.34 × 13.34 × 56.52 cm)
overall assembled: 26 × 21 1/4 × 63 inches (66 × 54 × 160.02 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by The Brown Foundation, Inc. in memory of Sally Walsh

Object number92.190.A,.B,.C

Current Location

The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building

Gallery 206

On view

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Department

Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design

Object Type

FURNITURE

DescriptionThis Chaise Longue is one of the most iconic furniture forms of the 20th century. It was designed in 1929 by architect Le Corbusier (born Charles-édouard Jeanneret) in conjunction with his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, and designer Charlotte Perriand. Le Corbusier, who was fascinated by machines, referred to this design as a “machine for resting.” Indeed, with its adjustable frame, the chair offers numerous positions for relaxing. In the late 1920s, avant-garde French furniture design was heavily influenced by the innovations emanating from the Bauhaus design movement in Germany. The tubular steel designs of Marcel Breuer, in particular, spurred many French designers, including Le Corbusier, to develop their own furniture featuring the new materials. The manufacturer Thonet began producing this Chaise Longue in Austria in 1929, soon after the chair was first designed. Embru-Werke, the manufacturer of the MFAH example, took over production briefly from 1933 to 1937 and later, under license from Thonet, the firm once again produced the chaise in the 1950s. The Italian furniture maker Cassina began production in 1965 and Chaise Longue 2072 has been one of the company's most popular models ever since.
Provenance[Fischer Fine Art Ltd., London]; purchased by MFAH, 1992.
Exhibition History"The Twentieth Century: Decorative Arts from the Permanent Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 30, 1995–February 18, 1996.

"Modern and Contemporary Art: Spotlight on the Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 7, 2000–August 27, 2000.

"The Marzio Years: Transforming the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1982–2010," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 25, 2020–January 10, 2021.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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