René Herbst

designer, 1891-1982

René Herbst designed furniture that treated industrial materials and fabrication methods as appropriate to domestic interiors. He worked with metal tubing, elastic cord and standardised components, approaching chairs and tables as objects that could be produced in series rather than as unique craft pieces. The Sandows chair used rubber strands stretched across a metal frame, a construction that made upholstery and springs unnecessary and allowed the seat to be disassembled for transport or repair. Herbst argued that furniture design belonged within modern art rather than traditional cabinetmaking, and that factory production could serve aesthetic as well as practical aims. He helped establish organisations that promoted industrial design in France during the late 1920s, connecting architects and manufacturers who shared an interest in new materials and rationalised construction.