A Haagse School (The Hague School) single dining chair, designed by Dutch architect Hendrik Wouda for Pander, 1920s. A sleek, rationalist design with the clear, geometric lines that define Wouda’s work and the Haagse School style. The chair is in good condition and remains comfortable for everyday use. The seat is removable and has been professionally reupholstered and padded.
An almost identical chair is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (see last picture).
Beyond its historic value, this piece also works beautifully in contemporary interiors. It makes a striking accent or side chair, especially in eclectic settings, where it introduces a touch of Dutch design history and adds character to layered, interesting spaces. Pairs wonderfully with modernist pieces, as illustrated in the pictures with the Dutch Art Deco lamp.
Hendrik Wouda (1885–1946) was a Dutch architect, interior and furniture designer who believed a home’s interior was inseparable from its architecture. His furniture, often strict and rationalistic yet unmistakably personal, is known for its cubist forms, clean lines, and signature details - like the distinctive legs on his chairs.
The style of this chair belongs to the Haagse School, a modern and luxurious Dutch style that flourished in The Hague during the interwar years. It reflected the spirit of modernist architecture, drawing on influences from Frank Lloyd Wright, Berlage (for whom Wouda briefly worked), and the avant-garde ideals of De Stijl. The result was elegant commercial design aimed at an affluent clientele.
Wouda became head of modern design at the famous firm H. Pander en Zn., where he worked together with Cor Alons and J. Brunott. After studying at the Academies of Visual Arts in Rotterdam and The Hague, he worked from 1910 to 1912 in Berlage’s Amsterdam office.
From 1912 to 1914, he moved to Munich to work at the Pössenbacher Werkstätte with architect Eduard Pfeiffer, where he encountered a more luxurious and commercially minded modernism than Berlage’s strict approach. In 1917, he returned to the Netherlands and began his influential career at Pander.
Creator
Hendrik Wouda for Pander & Sons
Design Period
1920s
Year
Around 1924
Production Period
1920 to 1930
Country of Manufacture
Netherlands
Identifying Marks
Stamped and numbered Pander
Style
Dutch Art Deco, Modernist, Haagse School
Detailed Condition
Good vintage condition, very sturdy and reupholstered professionally.
Product Code
0423
Restoration and Damage Details
Small signs of age, some small woodchips around edges.
