The Grasshopper Chair | Finn Juhl | 1938
Designed in 1938, the Grasshopper Chair was one of Finn Juhl’s first attempts at expressing his artistic freedom through furniture. The chair marks the beginning of a long line of designs that would establish Finn Juhl’s name. Though it was never produced during his lifetime, the chair achieved iconic status through numerous illustrations in design literature before finally going into production in 2019. The chair is upholstered by hand in Denmark in textile or leather. The frame is available in oak or walnut.
Please note that the actual colours and materials may vary due to image editing and differences in screen balances and settings. The versions shown are intended to serve only as examples. We kindly encourage you to view the physical material samples at our official retailers. Learn more about our materials here: 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
Designed in 1938, the Grasshopper Chair was one of Finn Juhl’s first attempts at expressing his artistic freedom through furniture. The chair marks the beginning of a long line of designs that would establish Finn Juhl’s name. Though it was never produced during his lifetime, the chair achieved iconic status through numerous illustrations in design literature before finally going into production in 2019. The chair is upholstered by hand in Denmark in textile or leather. The frame is available in oak or walnut.
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 and extravagant setup 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. To help Niels Vodder avoid larger losses, Finn Juhl bought the two chairs himself. These 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 through furniture. Standing in complete contrast to his contemporary colleagues, Finn Juhl was neither a trained cabinetmaker nor furniture designer; instead, he studied to become an architect. His lack of technical knowledge has most likely contributed to his furniture exuding artistic freedom.
Finn Juhl was not constrained by what was possible, or impossible. Only with help from master cabinetmaker Niels Vodder, Finn Juhl’s rudimentary drawings were translated into physical designs. The Grasshopper, despite its apparent simplicity, is exceedingly difficult to construct due to its tricky angles, joints, and complex shapes.
Each Grasshopper sold is sequentially numbered.
