Rietveld´s dresser at the National Museum of Decorative Arts (Madrid)

Abstract

This article tries to be an approach to the study of one of the most relevant pieces of furniture in the history of the design of avant-garde furniture: Rietveld´s dresser, also known as Elling Buffet. It was designed in 1919, and it shows the author´s aesthetics in the years that followed World War I, with pieces that are much related to the artistic orientation of the group De Stijl. It clearly shows the main characteristics of Rietveld´s work, one of the pioneers of functionalism, together with J.J.P. Oud, regarding design and architecture, mass production and industrial design accessible to society as a whole. It is worth mentioning the collaboration of Gerard A. Van de Groenekan, Rietveld´s assistant throughout his artistic trajectory. This piece of furniture helps us study Rietveld´s thinking regarding avant-garde design.