Osvaldo Borsani for ABV Pair of Armchairs in Walnut and Pink Mohair by Pierre Frey

Osvaldo Borsani for Arredamenti Borsani Varedo (ABV), pair of armchairs, model '6575', walnut, reupholstered in 'Bold - Powder' by Pierre Frey, Italy, design 1942, circa 1955

This eccentric pair of lounge chairs by Osvaldo Borsani was specially designed for an Italian apartment in Trieste, owned by a family who personally knew the designer. The chairs were especially cherished, as the same design was also featured in Borsani’s own home, the iconic Villa Borsani (1942) in Varedo, near Milan. What stands out most immediately is the backrest’s rear view – one of its most distinctive and sculptural elements. Viewed from the rear, the backrest is framed by a smooth, continuous band of solid walnut that curves gently inward at the sides and subtly flares out at the top. Geometric apertures are carved symmetrically into the wooden frame that give the back a slightly organic, almost leave-inspired silhouette. The chair’s cushions are generously padded, newly upholstered in a dust pink mohair by Pierre Frey, blending seamlessly with the warm tone of the Italian walnut. There’s something distinctly “human” about the design: the armrests curve gently outward, while the backrest tilts slightly backward to follow the body’s natural reclining posture, merging fluidly with the armrests in a continuous line.

Biography

Osvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian designer and architect, raised by a family of fine furniture makers in Varedo. At the age of 16, he joined his father’s furniture shop, the Atelier di Varedo, which was fully engaged in designing and furnishing homes inspired by the Italian Art Deco movement. The designer of the atelier was the Italian architect Gino Maggioni (1898-1955) who was known for his Viennese Jugendstil orientation of the early 20th century. In the 1930s, he graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and Politecnico di Milano, where he studied Fine Arts and Architecture respectively. In 1932, the family company was renamed ‘Arredamenti Borsani’ and opened its first studio in Milan. During this period, he encountered Avant-Garde artists of various artistic disciplines like Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Agenore Fabbri (1911-1998), Aligi Sassu (1912-2000), Roberto Crippa (1921-1972), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926-) and Giò Pomodoro (1930-2002). These collaborations resulted in the creation of furniture and interior design projects with a high-level of craftsmanship and artistry. In 1953, Borsani founded together with his twin brother Fulgenzio Borsani ‘Tecno’, a design and manufacturing company that produced items based on mechanical innovations and refined technicality. The ‘P40’ adjustable lounge chair (1953) has become the ideological manifesto of Borsani's Tecno program, and still remains the best known, exemplary piece in the Tecno catalogue. Other iconic works that were produced by Tecno were created by Gio Ponti (1891-1979), Vico Magistretti (1920-2006), Carlo de Carli (1910-1999), Gae Aulenti (1927-2012), and many other influential Italian designers. Osvaldo Borsani died in 1985 in Milan. His diverse and sophisticated oeuvre is to be found in permanent collections, such as of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Neue Sammlung in Munich, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Trienalle di Milano Museum.