The Grasshopper Chair | Finn Juhl | 1938
The Grasshopper Chair was designed by Finn Juhl in 1938 and was one of his first attempts at expressing his artistic freedom in the form of furniture. The Grasshopper has already reached icon-status via numerous illustrations in the design literature. The chair also marks the first in a long line of designs that would go on to manifest Finn Juhl as one of the all-time greatest in furniture design. The Grasshopper is available in oak or walnut and upholstered in textile or leather.
Please note that the actual colours and materials may vary due to different screen balances and settings. While the version shown is supposed to be viewed only as an example, individual material photos can be found via our material page.
Design:
Finn Juhl
Year:
1938, relaunched in 2019
Materials:
Frame: Oak or walnut
Upholstery:
Textile or leather
Model and Dimensions:
FJ 3800
W: 87 cm | D: 101 cm | H: 93 cm
Seat height: 34 cm
The Grasshopper Chair was designed by Finn Juhl in 1938 and was one of his first attempts at expressing his artistic freedom in the form of furniture. The Grasshopper has already reached icon-status via numerous illustrations in the design literature. The chair also marks the first in a long line of designs that would go on to manifest Finn Juhl as one of the all-time greatest in furniture design. The Grasshopper is available in oak or walnut and upholstered in textile or leather.
Design:
Finn Juhl
Year:
1938, relaunched in 2019
Materials:
Frame: Oak or walnut
Upholstery:
Textile or leather
Model and Dimensions:
FJ 3800
W: 87 cm | D: 101 cm | H: 93 cm
Seat height: 34 cm
A Daring Input to the Furniture Industry
The Grasshopper Chair was designed by Finn Juhl in 1938 and exhibited at Niels Vodder’s stand at the Cabinetmakers' Guild Exhibition in Copenhagen. Two chairs were displayed alongside a mobile bar cabinet and illustrations of exquisite cocktails hanging on the walls. This was quite a daring setup and extravagant when compared to the otherwise “heavy” and traditional furniture that was presented at the time. However, people at the fair neither liked nor understood Finn Juhl's provocative exhibition. In order to help Niels Vodder avoid bigger losses, Finn Juhl bought the two chairs himself. The two Grasshopper Chairs from 1938 were the only ones to see the light of day back then. Until House of Finn Juhl relaunched the chair in 2019.
Today, the Grasshopper has reached icon-status and the two chairs from 1938 are perceived as some of the most prized collectibles within Danish furniture design. In November 2018, one of the two Grasshoppers was auctioned off for €319,000 at Artcurial in Paris.
Artistic Freedom in the Form of Furniture
The Grasshopper was one of Finn Juhl’s first attempts at expressing his artistic freedom in the form of furniture. Standing in complete contrast to his contemporary colleagues, Finn Juhl was neither a trained cabinetmaker nor furniture designer, but had instead studied to become an architect. His lack of technical knowledge has most likely contributed to his furniture oozing of artistic freedom.
Finn Juhl was not constrained by what was possible, or impossible - and only with help from master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, Finn Juhl’s rudimentary drawings were translated into physical designs. Namely the Grasshopper is, despite its apparent simplicity, exceedingly hard to construct due to its tricky angles, joints and complex shapes.
Each Grasshopper sold is sequentially numbered.
