Jean Prouvé

A leading light in 20th century French design, Jean Prouvé (1901-84) was an engineer, metal worker, architect and designer renowned for his influence on French modernism. He worked across a spectrum of design fields – including architecture, industrial, structural and furniture design – and often brought technologies from manufacturing into his furniture work. His pieces were practical yet stylish and include icons such as the Standard Chair (circa 1940) and the 1953 Compas Direction Desk – both designed for Vitra.