Galerie Gaudium proudly presents the new exhibition: “The Colour of Spring”. To celebrate spring, beautiful pieces of vintage design furniture and lighting will be on display along with the unique works of Dutch artists Harry Gijsberts and Guido Schneider.
About the exhibition
The striking “Loop Chair” by Sophie de Vocht, with its extremely coarse yarn is an appealing and colorful appearance with a unique seating comfort. An exhibition that celebrates spring can’t miss other iconic pieces like the “Tulip Chairs” by Eero Saarinen and the “Tulipan” chandelier by Austrian maker Kalmar. It’s the combination of colours and fitting themes that makes the selected pieces so fitting for the theme!
These and more special pieces are complimented by the beautiful works of Harry Gijsberts and Guido Schneider. Gijsberts’ colourful, coarse and relief-like paintings create a lovely contrast with the modern designed furniture. Schneider’s marble sculptures range from abstract to human torsos, all beautifully streamlined and shaped. The subtle, sophisticated touch of erotica is very fitting for the spring feeling!
About The artists
Harry Gijsberts is an artist from the heart of Amsterdam. The use of color, large brushstrokes and a variety of subjects distinguishes his work. You can now admire his relief-like works of art in our Gallery! Harry is a modest yet passionate artist who wants nothing more than to paint all day. Harry Gijsberts makes landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, animals and portraits. Usually in thick oil paint, alternately with brush, palette knife, branches or pieces of rubber.
Working with stone is Guido Schneider’s specialization. He makes beautiful, streamlined works of mainly human torsos, sometimes with a touch of eroticism. In his early years the sculptures represented animals, flowers, heads and some abstract works. He has now focused on human torsos. His work always touches reality. We are proud to display some of teir fantastic work at Galerie Gaudium!
Visit our gallery to experience spring through the eyes of iconic designers and exceptional artists and get inspired. The exhibition is open on Friday and Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00.
Danish furniture designer Poul Kjaerholm was one of the leading figures of the Danish Modern movement, and his iconic PK22 chair is a masterpiece of mid-century modern design. First introduced in 1956, the PK22 is still sought after by collectors and design enthusiasts today. In this blog post, we’ll explore the history and details of this iconic chair.
Poul Kjaerholm
Poul Kjaerholm was born in Denmark in 1929 and trained as a cabinetmaker before studying furniture design at the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen. He later became a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, where he mentored a generation of young designers. Kjaerholm characterized his designs by their simplicity, elegance, and use of high-quality materials, such as steel and leather.
History of the PK22
The work of the German designer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe inspired Poul Kjaerholm to design the PK22 chair. Kjaerholm wanted to create a chair that was both elegant and functional, and he believed that using these materials would achieve that goal. The PK22 chair is a prime example of Kjaerholm’s ability to combine form and function in his designs.
Kjaerholm’s design philosophy is embodied in this iconic design. The chair features a minimalist steel frame with a curved backrest and upholstered seat and back. The PK22 was first produced by Danish furniture manufacturer E. Kold Christensen, which closed in 1982. Danish design company Fritz Hansen, which acquired the rights to Kjaerholm’s designs in 2002, produces the PK22 today. However, some vintage PK22 chairs produced by E Kold Christensen are still available on the market and highly sought after by collectors.
Exceptional minimalist quality
The PK22 chair is a rare and sought-after piece of mid-century modern design for several reasons. First, the chair’s minimalist design and use of high-quality materials make it a timeless piece of furniture that can fit in any modern interior. Secondly, the production of the chair by E Kold Christensen was limited, making vintage PK22 chairs rare and valuable. Third, the PK22’s design is protected by copyright, making it difficult for other manufacturers to produce exact replicas of the chair. But most of all, the piece is a truly stunning addition to the decor that combines quality, comfort and style.
The PK22 chair is a masterpiece of Danish modern design that embodies the simplicity, elegance, and use of high-quality materials that characterized Poul Kjaerholm’s work. The chair’s minimalist design, production by limited manufacturers, and protection by copyright make it a rare and sought-after piece of mid-century modern design that collectors and design enthusiasts continue to covet. If you’re a fan of mid-century modern design, the PK22 chair is a must-have for your collection.
We are proud to say that we regularly have these exceptional chairs in stock. Keep an eye out on our website and maybe you will soon have a chance to acquire one of these iconic pieces!
We are very proud to have a few art prints by Dutch advertising artist Reyn Dirksen added to our collection. This is a brief history of an iconic Dutch artist!
Early life
Reyn Dirksen (Haarlem 1924 – Amsterdam 1999) studied at the Institute of Applied Arts Education, which is now the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Here he met his wife Loes Dirksen, who later became a well known fashion designer.
After the war, he earned his living designing stationery, logos and advertisements. He soon designed his first poster “Coffee and tea” for Albert Heijn.
Carreer
Since then, he has created dozens of posters for a wide range of products. Many large companies as well as the municipality of Amsterdam made use of his design talent. For Amsterdam, he made a lot of posters for events, of which the most famous ones include HISWA, Fashion week, KLM and Schiphol, Heineken, Bols, Verkade, Rizla, Holland-America and Dutch Railways, Red Cross, etc.
Awards
His most sought-after fairground posters, such as the LUNAPARK, also date from that time and have become a real collector’s item. This includes the famous “All Colours tot he Mast” poster that was designed for the “Intra-European Cooperation for a Better Standard of Living Poster” by the George C. Marshall foundation. It was picked as the winner out of more then 10.000 designs from all over the world! The poster was seen as a visual metaphor of the poverty in Europe during and after the Second World War and the value of uniting the European countries, like a ship in raging water.
After this he won many more awards. In the seventies, with the rise of photography, Dirksen decided to stop working as a designer. He was inspired by American free painting and dedicated his last years to painting. He made colourful abstract paintings. Because he hated exhibiting in public spaces, his work has remained unknown to the general public. His second passion was designing and building tugboat models, which he
had drawn so many times for his posters in the past.
After a serious cerebral infarction, he spent his last days in a home in Haarlem. In 1999, Reyn Dirksen passed away.
Our collection
We are very proud to present our collection of Reyn Dirksen artworks. We have posters from Lunapark, Fashion Week, the Dutch railways and several shipping lines. They are all made in his eye-catching and most recognizable style. A fantastic opportunity to draw the attention in the decor with a unique piece of Dutch art history!
Galerie Gaudium proudly presents our newest exhibition. We take a moment to forget our worries and direct our attention to the refined taste of Cognac, applied in the world of design! A colour that combines warmth with luxury. Complimented by quality rugs from iconic artists.
One of our top pieces is the rare two-seater sofa by Ole Wanscher, upholstered in high quality cognac leather. A very special design by one of the biggest Danish designers. The Artichoke lamp by Poul Henningson in copper is a different example of an eye-catching design from this exhibition. The open structure of this iconic lamp creates a unique light that is something you have to experience. Cognac inspires not only in colour, but also in shape, like in Eero Aarnio’s design for the “Cognac Chairs”, of which we are presenting a lovely, original pair.
These and many more impressive designs are decorating our Galerie, complimented by beautiful, decorative (wall) tapestries. For example the unique rug by Jan Snoeck, the Dutch artist who was known for his use of colour and playful shapes.
The exhibition is open on Friday and Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00.
Galerie Gaudium proudly presents “Angelo Brotto, Italian designer and artist”. Let us take you in the world of Italian lighting and design, beautifuly presented together! We happily welcome you in our beautiful gallery, decorated with some eye-catching pieces collected by us from around Europe. They are complimented by other eye-catching pieces of Italian design!
Angelo Brotto (1914-2002) was an Italian designer and artist from Venice. He is mostly known for his work as a lamp designer and glassworker (often combined) as we are showing in our gallery in the heart of Amsterdam.
In 1941, after graduating the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, ithe Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned Brotto to paint frescoes in nearby country Montenegro. This was the start of an exceptional career in art and design! He won many awards, including awards including the very first Exhibition of Engravings in Rome. In the 1960s, a fruitful collaboration started: Brotto together with glass company Esperia, where many iconic art and lighting was designed with the use of Murano glass. It’s these lights that we are focusing on in our exhibition. The gallery is transformed into an eye-catching, luxurious place of warmth and elegance!
We exhibit several of his pieces, among a collection of original Esperia designs, combined with top quality vintage Italian furniture. We are proud to take you into the world of Italian design and lighting, which has inspired artists and designers all around the world ever since.
The exhibition is open on Friday and Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00, or sometimes on appointment. Our gallery is located at 2e Goudsbloemdwarsstraat 5b in Amsterdam. All the exhibited items are also for sale!
This wonderful table lamp, for example, is a wonderful piece designed by Brotto for Esperia around 1970. It has a beautiful style, made of high quality Murano glass in white with red patterns going through it. This creates an eye-catching style with a luxurious touch. When lit, the glass gently diffuses the light to emit a warm light. It has a round chrome plated metal foot. It is marked “Esperia” as proof of authenticity.
Or this eye-catching piece, from the “Sensazione” collection. A beautiful sculptural wall lamp designed by Angelo Brotto, also for Esperia in the 1970s. This impressive piece is made of high quality, partially brushed stainless steel, which creates a frame-like effect within the material. The designer’s signature is carved in the steel plate. It has a beautiful brass with glass artwork attached to the plate, with very nice use op depth. This artwork is made of high quality brass in a nice golden color. The light bulb is behind a glass circle shape with purple lines going through it, beautifully diffusing the light. It has exceptional brass details, which is very rare for a Brotto artwork. All together this makes the piece truly stand out!
The chair you can see from our window is this beautiful highback lounge model “Ardea”, designed by Carlo Mollino and manufactured by Zanotta in Italy around 1950. It is upholstered in fantastic dog tooth pattern fabric in black and white, which greatly contributes to the style of the piece. The black wooden base combines very nicely with the upholstery. The back of the base is lower than the front and have an elegant, curved shape. It has a low seat and high backrest, creating a wonderful seating experience. Together with the armrests this makes this appealing chair very fitting for comfortable lounging and a great addition to the living room. It’s an iconic piece of mid-century Italian design of which the designer clearly had an excellent eye for detail.
We hope to see you in our gallery soon! Please feel free to contact us about any of these items, the rest of our collection or more information!
We at Galerie Gaudium love the designs by Friso Kramer. Let’s take you through a brief history of them, to show you what makes these pieces so special.
The Dutch designer, who was born in our beloved Amsterdam, excels in industrialism. Friso Kramer is one of the most renowned Dutch designs and has been an member in many influential design associations. After studying at the Institute of Applied Art in Amsterdam, he gained a lot of experience in the field. He became designer (and later art director) for steel furniture manufacturer De Cirkel, later named Ahrend.
Ahrend’s furniture is defined by their efficient design. So no unneccessary details, only essentials. Kramer’s designs are the perfect example of this philosophy. His designs show the essence of furniture. This creates a beautiful style that was innovative at the time. Nowadays, his modest no-nonsense furniture became iconic for Dutch design. Not only in Europe, but all over the world.
A famous example is the Result Chair, as shown right. After it’s launch in 1958, it won a lot of design awards. In the 1960’s, they were commonly used in the Netherlands as school chairs. Often accompanied by pyramid tables! It’s crazy to think about nowadays. Kids sat and played on what are now much sought-after designs! These chairs were designed with a rounded seat, curving down at the edge. The seperate back slightly bent in a cup shape. This eye for detail within it’s simplicity is what made this a revolutionary design.
It doesn’t take much to create something special. No need for excessive details or oversimplifying. It’s all a matter of using exactly enough. Friso Kramer understood the essence of design and still manages to inspire us today. Get inspired yourself and browse through our stock for unique Friso Kramer originals. Maybe one of these revolutionary designs will soon steal the show in your decor!
Galerie Gaudium proudly presents “Angelo Brotto, Italian designer and artist”. Let us take you in the world of Italian lighting and design, beautifuly presented together! We happily welcome you in our beautiful gallery, decorated with some eye-catching pieces collected by us from around Europe. They are complimented by other eye-catching pieces of Italian design!
We at Galerie Gaudium love the designs by Friso Kramer. Let’s take you through a brief history of them, to show you what makes these pieces so special.