Mid-Century Modern Design

From Joaquim Tenreiro’s handcrafted wooden furniture to Arne Jacobson’s mass-produced “Egg” and “Swan” chairs, mid-century modernism was a global and diverse design movement. Grounded in the principles of the Bauhaus school, mid-century modern designers rejected ornamentation, embraced new materials and technologies, and promoted the idea that good design can transform society. Thriving during the 1940s and ’50s, the movement included design icons such as Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Charlotte Perriand, George Nelson, Alvar Aalto, and Jean Prouvé. In the 1990s, the mid-century aesthetic experienced a resurgence that continues today, as manufacturers such as Knoll and Herman Miller began reissuing modern furniture …