Most people don’t contemplate how a chair was engineered before they sit in it — they simply trust that it will support them. But the overtly utilitarian Standard chair confronts potential sitters with its design, demonstrating in a forthright manner the engineering that renders it possible for a chair to bear weight.
For a traditional chair with four legs, such as the aptly titled Standard chair, it’s the back two legs that carry the most stress. Its designer, Jean Prouvé (1901–84) demonstrates this concept through the piece’s visually robust, fin-shaped rear legs and its slim, tubular steel front counterparts.
The largely self-taught French architect, born in Paris to visual artist Victor Prouvé and pianist Marie Duhamel, was surrounded by the arts from an early age: His parents’ social circle in his adopted hometown of Nancy included furniture designer Louis Majorelle and glass artist Emile Gallé. The elder Prouvé cofounded an artist collective called École de Nancy (“the Nancy School”), a group that championed a connection between art and industry. The younger Prouvé was highly influenced by the aesthetics and ideals of the collective.
Prouvé went on to study at the city’s school of fine arts as a teenager, served as an apprentice to a blacksmith and then joined a metal workshop in Paris. In 1923, he opened his own workshop, where he focused on wrought-iron elements such as railings and lamps but also dabbled in furniture design. He continued to explore a merging of art, industry and society in his work, and during the interwar period and throughout World War II, Prouvé turned his attention to social projects made possible by mass production, designing bicycles, stoves and affordable prefabricated structures that served as army barracks, housing for refugees and even vacation homes.
It was during this period in 1934 that Prouvé designed the Standard chair for the University of Nancy, using tubular and sheet steel for the legs and wood for the seat and backrest. He more often thought of himself as an engineer rather than an architect or designer — a sentiment shared by Le Corbusier, a client of Prouvé’s who regarded him as a constructeur, a “builder.” Le Corbusier was just one renowned architect who Prouvé worked with over the course of his career; he also collaborated with furniture makers Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret as well as artist Alexander Calder, resolving design problems with straightforward solutions. Today the Standard chair is produced by Vitra.
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Japanese Red for Vitra
By Vitra, Jean Prouvé
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jean Prouvé Standard chair in Natural Oak and Japanese Red for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designe...
Steel
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Deep Black for Vitra
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jean Prouvé 'Standard' chair in Natural Oak and Deep Black for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designe...
Steel
Authentic Jean Prouvé Metropole "305 / Standard Chair" in Metal & Plywood 1950s
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare "Standard Chair / Metropole 305" in black painted metal and plywood by Jean Prouvé produced by Ateliers Jean Prouvé, 1950s. In good condition with beautiful patina. Dimensions...
Metal
Pair of French Mid Century Dark Grey Wooden Metropole 305 Chairs by Jean Prouvé
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Stockholm, SE
A very rare and iconic pair of French mid century "Metropole 305 / standard chairs" by Jean Prouvé in the not often seen grey lacquered metal frames and dark stained plywood seats an...
Metal
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Blue Metal for Vitra
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jean Prouvé Standard chair in Natural Oak and Blue Metal for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designed ...
Steel
Jean Prouve by G-Star Raw for Vitra S.A.M. Tropique Table with matching chairs
By Jean Prouvé
Located in amstelveen, NL
2011 Jean Prouvé by G-Star Raw for Vitra S.A.M. Tropique table with matching standard chairs. This limited edition table was only produced in this version for one year in 2011. Other...
Steel, Stainless Steel
Jean Prouve 'Gueridon' Round Dining Table + Four Chairs for Vitra
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in North Miami, FL
This rare out of production Jean Prouve designed set with Gueridon dining or center table(48" white laminate top) and oiled oak base produced by Vitra, 2002. Very Rare and collectibl...
Laminate, Oak
Jean Prouvé, Pair of Standard Chairs, model 306, circa 1950
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Pair of original "semi-metal" Standard chairs, model 306, designed by Jean Prouvé, and dating from around 1950. Constructed from plywood with the original ribbed vinyl covering and...
Metal, Enamel
Jean Prouve Standard Chair in Japanese Red
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed in 1934, this chair had three prototypes before finally coming to this version No. 4. This version and any afterward were then known as the "Standard" chair. This chair beca...
Steel
Jean Prouve 'Demountable' Wood Chair Model cb 22 c. 1950
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Jean Prouve 'Demountable' Wood Chair Model CB 22 c. 1950. Designed in 1947 and manufactured by Atelier Jean Prouvé until the studio’s closure in 1953. Solid wood, molded plywood, a...
Aluminum
Jean Prouvé 305 Métropole standard chair France 1952
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Fantastic Metropole 305 chair designed and manufactured by Jean Prouvé at the Ateliers Jean Prouvé, France, 1951. The Metropole 305 represents an important and slightly earlier varia...
Sheet Metal
H 17.5 in Dm 15 in
Midcentury Jean Prouvé Stools (one Left)
By Jean Prouvé
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Atelier Jean Prouvé designed for the Lycée Fabert, Metz. France, 1930s. Lacquered metal base and turned plywood seat. All have markings on the underside. These wonderful stools also ...
Steel
H 28.75 in W 49.22 in D 23.63 in
Jean Prouvé Compass Direction Desk Limited RAW Steel and Natural Oak by Vitra
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in Dronten, NL
Jean Prouvé Compass direction desk in natural oak and clear lacquered steel for Vitra. Originally designed in 1953, Prouvé's iconic desk is based the de...
Steel
H 32.25 in W 16.5 in D 19.25 in
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Natural Oak and Gray Metal for Vitra
By Vitra, Jean Prouvé
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jean Prouvé Standard chair in natural oak and gray metal for Vitra. The Standard chair is an early masterpiece by the French designer and engineer Jean Prouvé. Originally designed ...
Steel
H 31.75 in W 84.5 in D 45.5 in
Chinese Hard Wood Dining Table & Eight Matching Chairs all with Stylized Carving
Located in London, GB
A super quality Chinese hardwood dining table, with eight matching chairs including two armchairs. The dining table with a wipeable rice impregna...
Teak
H 31.89 in W 16.15 in D 20.48 in
Set of Eight Vintage Dining Chairs In the manner of Jean Prouvé, France c. 1960s
Located in Hønefoss, 30
A set of eight dining chairs after Jean Prouvé’s Standard chair. Moulded plywood seat and back on a lacquered steel frame, with broad tapering rear legs and slender tubular front leg...
Steel
H 22.45 in W 77.17 in D 35.44 in
Flavigny Daybed by Prouvé & Perriand, Metal & Wood, France, 1950
By Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé
Located in Antwerp, BE
Midcentury Modern; Modernist Design; Cité Cansado; Charlotte Perriand; Jean Prouvé; Modernism; S.C.A.L Daybed; Bed; 1950s; Mid-20th Century; Type Flavigny; Daybed type Flavigny, des...
Metal
H 80 in W 40 in D 48 in
Jean Prouvé, Pair of Standard Chairs, model 306, circa 1950
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Pair of original "semi-metal" Standard chairs, model 306, designed by Jean Prouvé, and dating from around 1950. Constructed from plywood with the original ribbed vinyl covering and...
Metal, Enamel
H 34.65 in W 19.69 in D 26.38 in
Jean Prouvé “Antony” Chair — Limited Edition, Red Frame / Plywood Seat
By Vitra, Jean Prouvé
Located in Dronten, NL
A rare limited-edition example of the iconic Antony Chair, originally designed in 1954 by Jean Prouvé and produced by Vitra. This sculptural piece is celebrated for its striking bala...
Steel
H 31 in W 19 in D 19.5 in
Jean Prouvé, Rare Pair of Chaise Standard Tout Bois, France, 1940's
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Chicago, IL
Jean Prouvé, Rare Pair of Chaise Standard Tout Bois, France, 1940's Wood with steel fasteners. Dimensions: 31 in. high 16 in. wide 19.5 in. deep 17.25 in. seat height Each chair with...
Wood
H 30.32 in W 25.6 in D 29.93 in
Set of Two After Jean Prouve French Mid-Century Modern Wood and Metal Chairs
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Easy chair by unknown manufacturer in France circa 1950, designed in the style of Jean Prouve. Lacquered metal base and wood. Set of Two. In original condition, with minor we...
Metal
H 28.35 in W 55.12 in D 27.56 in
Jean Prouve Compas Writing Desk, with original Perriand drawers, circa 1950
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Jean Prouvé, Compas Desk, circa 1950 Black melamine laminated plywood top on black lacquered folded steel legs, with original drawer pack in yellow moulded plastic by Charlotte Perr...
Steel
H 29 in W 31.75 in D 32 in
Jean Prouvé “Guéridon Cafétéria” Table, France
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautifully preserved example of Jean Prouvé’s Guéridon Cafétéria table, designed in the early 1950s for institutional and industrial environments. This model reflects Prouvé’s lif...
Steel
H 31.5 in W 17.25 in D 17.75 in
Set of Six Mid-Century Walnut Dining Chairs in Jean Prouvé Style
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed in the style of French designer Jean Prouvé, this set of six studio craft dining chairs feature a solid walnut frame and beautiful geometr...
Walnut
H 14.18 in Dm 37.41 in
A Masterwork of Wartime Ingenuity: Jean Prouvé’s CB11 Low Table, Circa 1943
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Dronten, NL
This is an exceptional and rare example of Jean Prouvé’s iconic CB11 low table, a design that stands as a testament to the engineer-architect’s legendary resourcefulness during the O...
Stone
H 29.5 in W 102.5 in D 35.5 in
Vitra Solvay Dining Table by Jean Prouvé, Dark Oak, Modern Design
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Large Vitra Solvay Table by Jean Prouve. Also known as the Table S.A.M. Bois. Dark oak finish. Originally designed in 1941. Seats 6-8 Vitra plaque/label is present underneath tab...
Oak
H 32.29 in W 16.15 in D 20.48 in
Jean Prouvé Chaise mod. Standard dite "Tout Bois", France 1941
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Hønefoss, 30
Jean PROUVÉ (1901 -1984) - Chaise standard dite "Tout Bois" SOLID WOOD AND PLYWOOD "TOUT BOIS" CHAIR BY JEAN PROUVE - 1941 H : 82 cm W: 41 cm D: 52 ...
Oak, Plywood
H 73.63 in W 68.9 in D 2.76 in
French Mid Century Aluminum Brise Soleil Sun Shutter Panel by Jean Prouvé 1950s
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Stockholm, SE
Very rare and iconic French architectural mid century aluminum sun shutter / brise soleil by Jean Prouvé with an original chain mechanism inside the gold aluminum frame. In great ori...
Aluminum
H 32.29 in W 16.93 in D 19.69 in
Jean Prouve 306 Métropole standard chair France 1951
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
An enduring icon of mid-century industrial design, the ‘Metropole 306,’ also known as the “Standard Chair,” was conceived by the pioneering Jean Prouvé and produced by Ateliers Jean ...
Metal
H 31.3 in W 15.36 in D 18.71 in
n°306 Standard Chair 'Cream' by Jean Prouve, France, Circa 1952
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Tokyo, JP
An authentic mid-century piece from Jean Prouve. Crafted in plywood, faux leather, steel.
Steel
H 31.89 in W 15.75 in D 18.9 in
Pair of French Mid Century Tout Bois Wooden Dining Chairs by Jean Prouvé, 1940s
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare pair of French mid century wooden "Tout Bois" dining chairs in stained ash and molded plywood seats and backrests by Jean Prouvé produced by Ateliers Jean Prouvé in France, 1940...
Ash
H 31.89 in W 16.54 in D 19.3 in
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair Limited RAW Steel and Natural Oak by Vitra
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Dronten, NL
The classic standard chair was originally designed by Jean Prouvé in 1934. This is the desirable Vitra limited RAW edition, in natural oak with a clear lacquered steel (metal brut) f...
Steel
H 32.09 in W 16.15 in D 18.9 in
Jean Prouvé, Standard Chair, Metropole No.305, 1950s Original
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Jean Prouvé, Standard Chair, known as model Metropole N. 305 Red painted folded and tubular steel structure with beech plywood back and dished seat, manufactured by the Ateliers Jea...
Steel
H 31.89 in W 16.15 in D 18.12 in
Jean Prouvé Metropole 305 / Standard Chair - 1950s with Laffanour provenance
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Knokke-Heist, BE
Jean Prouvé Métropole 305 Standard Chair, 1950s Iconic Mid-Century French Design – édition noire This Métropole 305 Standard Chair by Jean Prouvé is a p...
Metal
H 29.5 in Dm 35.5 in
Prouvé Round Table & Set of 3 Standard Chairs
By Jean Prouvé, Vitra
Located in Cambridge, US
Germany, ca. 2016. A contemporary edition of Jean Prouvé's Guéridon Table with a set of three of his Standard Chairs by Vitra. Originally designed for the University of Paris in 1949...
Steel
H 31.89 in W 16.15 in D 18.12 in
Jean Prouvé Metropole 305 / Standard Chair - 1950s Alzueta Provenance
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Knokke-Heist, BE
Jean Prouvé Métropole 305 Standard Chair, 1950s Iconic Mid-Century French Design – édition noire This Métropole 305 Standard Chair by Jean Prouvé is a p...
Metal
H 32 in W 16.5 in D 19.25 in
Jean Prouvé Standard Chair in Dark Oak w Deep Black Powder Coated Steel Vitra
By Vitra, Jean Prouvé
Located in Hudson, NY
Like new Vitra standard chair in Dark Oak/ deep black. Jean Prouvé always strove for the most efficient designs, evident in classics such as his ...
Steel
H 31.89 in W 16.54 in D 18.12 in
Original Metropole Standard Chair No 305 by Jean Prouvé France 1955
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Aachen, NW
Authentic Metropole standard chair model 305 by Jean Prouvé. The chair features a black metal painted base. The backrest and seting are made by Plywood. An absolute iconic piece mad...
Metal
H 32 in W 16.5 in D 20 in
Prouve for Vitra Standard Chair/ 3 available!
By Vitra, Jean Prouvé
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Jean Prouve Standard Chair designed originally in 1934 and later produced by Vitra. Three Chairs available! Priced individually! These chairs date to about 2000, at some point the...
Metal
H 32.09 in W 16.34 in D 18.51 in
Jean Prouvé, Standard Chair, model 305, from the CEA, Marcoule, authentic c.1954
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Jean Prouvé, Standard Chair, model 305, from the CEA Building at Marcoule which was a pioneering nuclear facility in France Blue painted steel structure with plywood back and dished...
Steel
H 32 in W 16.5 in D 20 in
Set of Four Standard SP Chairs by Jean Prouvé from Vitra
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Set of Four Standard SP Chairs by Jean Prouvé from Vitra This set of four SP (Siege en Plastique) chairs feature vert-colored powder-coated sheet and tubu...
Steel
