Bruno Mathsson's (1907-1988) path as a furniture designer was obvious right from the start. His father, Karl Mathsson, was a carpenter, and Bruno helped in the carpentry business as a child. In fact, Mathsson never received any formal training and was self-taught.
Related: Swedish Design Classics
During the 1930s, Mathsson's designs attracted a lot of attention and he soon became internationally appreciated, particularly in the United States. In the late 1930s, the MoMA in New York purchased a large number of his chairs for their café, and several exhibitions included Mathsson's designs.
Among his most iconic designs are the Karin, Ingrid, Eva and Pernilla chairs. Mathsson worked smoothly in both bent wood and steel pipes and developed his own guidelines for "the mechanics of sitting." Mathsson believed that the perfect seat would be suitable for a table height of 63 centimeters, adapted for both work and rest.
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Several of Mathsson's pieces of furniture have been named after women close to him, such as the tubular steel chair Karin after his wife and the lounge chair Pernilla after the journalist Pernilla Tunberger in 1944. Mathsson's mother had the Eva chair named after her in 1933.
Related: 10 Ingenious Chairs: Design Classics of the 20th Century
The Jetson is one of Mathsson's best known armchairs, which was designed in 1965 and shown for the first time the following year. During the '60s, Mathsson deepened his interest in steel and saw its potential in furniture manufacturing. The almost sculptural design gives the impression of floating, which was timely as the international space race between the United States and the Soviet Union was happening.
Related: Barnebys' Guide to Vintage Scandinavian Design
Mathsson was inspired by the animated American TV series The Jetsons (1962-63) when he created the furniture and named the design after the show. The sitcom took place in 2062 and followed the everyday life of the Jetson family with robots, spaceships and holograms. Mathsson wanted to create a futuristic piece of furniture and the end result was very similar to the chairs seen in the TV series. The Jetson chair often appears at auction (ranging from a few hundred dollars to $5,000) and is on the top list of the most popular search terms on Barnebys.
