Although Arne Jacobsen was known for his minimalist, well-designed chairs, his primary discipline was architecture. In 1924, he enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied until 1927 under the prominent Danish architects and designers Kay Fisker and Kaj Gottlob, both proponents of Danish Functionalism. Whilst studying, Jacobsen visited the ‘Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes’ in 1925. Not only was he captivated by Le Corbusier’s famous ‘L’Esprit Nouveau’ pavilion, but he also won a silver medal for a chair design he unveiled there. Before leaving the Academy, he also ventured to Germany, where he became well acquainted with the rationalist architecture of the Bauhaus through figures such as Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe.
Jacobsen is most notably known for his chair designs, including iconic models such as the Drop, Swan, and Egg, which he designed in the late 1950s for the SAS Royal Hotel, Copenhagen. His work is characterised by clean lines and simple shapes, which remain popular among dealers and collectors worldwide.
