The Poet Sofa | Finn Juhl | 1941
The Poet Sofa first saw the light of day at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition in 1941 and was originally designed for Finn Juhl’s own home. Drawing inspiration from surrealist art, the small two-seater sofa embodies comfort, craftsmanship, and respect for the materials used. The sofa is hand-upholstered in Denmark and is available in a variety of textiles and leathers. The legs are available in oak, walnut, or black painted finishes.
Hallingdal beskrivelse
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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:
1941, relaunched in 2001
Materials:
Legs: Walnut, oak or black painted oak
Upholstery:
Textile or leather
Model and Dimensions:
FJ 4100
W: 136 cm | D: 80 cm | H: 87 cm
Seat height: 38 cm
The Poet Sofa first saw the light of day at the Copenhagen Cabinetmakers’ Guild Exhibition in 1941 and was originally designed for Finn Juhl’s own home. Drawing inspiration from surrealist art, the small two-seater sofa embodies comfort, craftsmanship, and respect for the materials used. The sofa is hand-upholstered in Denmark and is available in a variety of textiles and leathers. The legs are available in oak, walnut, or black painted finishes.
Design:
Finn Juhl
Year:
1941, relaunched in 2001
Materials:
Legs: Walnut, oak or black painted oak
Upholstery:
Textile or leather
Model and Dimensions:
FJ 4100
W: 136 cm | D: 80 cm | H: 87 cm
Seat height: 38 cm
The Link Between Furniture and Sculpture
Finn Juhl often found inspiration in contemporary art and at the Guild Exhibition in 1941, the Poet Sofa was shown alongside a couple of sculptural plaster reliefs by artist Sigurjón Ólafsson. The art echoed the organic curves of the sofa and in this way, Finn Juhl indicated the link between furniture and sculpture. The Poet Sofa is shaped in a beautiful curve that almost seems to embrace the seated person. The padded frame is fully upholstered and creates a snug and inviting seat that forms a very comfortable embrace for two people, who will be sitting comfortably close. The upholstery is very slim compared to the norm at the time and it was the result of Finn Juhl’s ambition to create functional furniture for smaller apartments.
How The Poet Sofa Received its Name
For a long period of time, Finn Juhl worked in close collaboration with master joiner Niels Vodder. At one point, Niels Vodder decided to gift his daughter, Kirsten Vodder, a Finn Juhl sofa. Kirsten was married to the poet Frank Jæger, who used the sofa to relax while pondering the great questions of life. The Danish illustrator and humorist Jørgen Mogensen was a frequent visitor at their house, which in time inspired him to create the comic strip "Poeten og Lillemor" (The Poet and the Little Mother). The comic revolved around their home and everyday life.
Originally, the strip was intended as a parody of the great lyricist of the time, Frank Jæger. He played the part of the young "Poet", who would much rather daydream than write.
The comic strip about the daydreaming poet was published in one of the leading Danish newspapers, Politiken, for more than 50 years, from 1950 to 2004.
When delving into the history of it all, it was in reality another Finn Juhl sofa, which Niels Vodder gifted to his daughter Kirsten. However, the inspiration for Jørgen Morgensen's comic strip derived from Finn Juhl's Poet Sofa, as it had already achieved status of a classic piece at this point in time. The comic strip thus birthed the name of the Poet Sofa, which has stuck with it ever since.
