Rare Lamps from the Master of Lighting
At the first Live Auction of the year in Copenhagen, we will be putting the spotlight on one of the biggest names in Danish design and cultural history. Poul Henningsen, alias PH, has left a lasting mark on the Danish collective consciousness – as a designer, a sharp social critic and a revue writer. Delve into the auction’s exquisite selection of his lighting design – including the rare “Piano lamp” and the “PH-Butterfly Chandelier”.
When we open the doors to the design auction at 4 pm on 9 March, at Bredgade 33 in Copenhagen, a comprehensive selection of PH’s well-known lamps will await the visitor inside. The highlights include two very rare lamps – most notably the beautiful and valuable “Piano lamp”, which PH designed in 1931 and which is highly sought after today by collectors worldwide. The lamp up for auction is made of bronzed brass and fitted with its original shades of pink frosted glass. The lamp can be adjusted so that it can both shine out into the room and downwards to illuminate the piano’s music stand, for example. The equally rare “PH-Butterfly Chandelier” was also designed by PH in the early 1930s, and, slender in appearance, it was created as part of a series of chandeliers for private homes. At the auction, we present the largest model from this series with five shades of pink frosted glass. Both lamps were made by PH’s go-to manufacturer, Louis Poulsen.
“It is a pleasure to be able to present such a broad spectrum of lamps by PH at this auction, featuring a number of magnificent examples of pendants, chandeliers, table lamps and wall lamps. These include two rarities – the Piano Lamp and the Butterfly Chandelier – which show a slightly different side to the master of lighting than we are used to. Here, he has given himself the artistic freedom to be more playful in his design than usual.”
Andreas Krabbe, design specialist
Theories of Light and Cultural Critique
PH is one of the most significant figures in 20th century Danish design. In 1919, he established his own design studio, and, like many other Danish architects, PH embraced the new trends and ideas from Europe. He was a proponent of functionalist maxims such as “Form follows function” and “Less is more”, which saw the light of day after the First World War. The experience of war evoked a desire in the European architects to reform society.
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In the early 1920s, PH began his landmark collaboration with the lamp company Louis Poulsen, sowing the seed of the iconic glare-free lamp. In 1925, the PH lamp won a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris, kick-starting PH’s fame and leading to the development of countless lamps based on the same lighting principle. Alongside his work as a designer, PH was editor of the cultural-radical journal “Kritisk-Revy” (Critical Revue), and as a revue writer, he also levelled sharp criticism at different parts of society. Generally anti-establishment, his views were fully on display in the song “Man binder os på mund og hånd” (They tie our mouths and hands), which he wrote for playwright Kjeld Abell’s revue “Dyveke” in 1940. A jab at German censorship during the occupation, it led to PH being placed on the Nazis’ blacklist. PH certainly gave it his all – both as a light maker and as a social commentator. |
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For further information, please contact:
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Andreas KrabbeAndreas KrabbeSpecialist / Modern Decorative Art & Design / København |