508 Armchair by Geoffrey Harcourt for Artifort, 1970s

Painter and industrial designer, Geoffrey D. Harcourt was born in 1935 in London, England. As a boy, he attended the High Wycombe Technical School, and subsequently the High Wycombe School of Art, where he gained a National Diploma in Design (NDD) and won a place at the Royal College of Art in London after conscription into the Royal Artillery in 1955. After graduating in 1960, Harcourt traveled to the Chicago in the United States, where he worked in industrial design from 1960 until 1961, before returning to Europe and working with designer Jacob Jensen in Copenhagen.

In 1962 he moved back to England and established his own practice based in Oxfordshire. There, he began designing various seating programs for the Dutch manufacturing brand Artifort. Harcourt played a significant role in Artifort’s successful transition into the contract furniture market. Their collaboration set a precedent for alliances between British designers and foreign companies. The futuristic, boldly-colored seating created from this fruitful partnership became Harcourt’s most well-known work. High demand for Space Age design in the 1960s and 1970s meant Harcourt’s designs for Artifort were met with international success, with many models still in production today. Important designs for Artifort include, 042 Series (1963)—which became Harcourt’s first big success; 500 Series (1967)—including the F 510, F 511, F 584, F 585, and F 587 chairs; F 141 Chair (1967); F 978 Chair (1968); 975 IntermediateChair (1968); Cleopatra Chaise Lounge (1970); and the Chicago Chair and Michigan Chair (both 1971), among many others.

Believing that the chair should focus on the person, Harcourt’s ability to balance clean aesthetics with ergonomics and comfort is a true art form. Harcourt’s maxim, “first the person, then the chair,” is clearly reflected in his designs. Over the course of his career, Harcourt designed for other well-known companies such as, Dynamite Nobel, Trau of Turin, Steelcase Strafor, Gordon Russell, Hands of Wycombe, Ben Dawson, Mines and West, and many more. Notable designs include, the University Halls of Residence Series (1963) for Olivex London; Strathclyde University Assembly Chair (1980), for Ben Dawson Ltd.; Rapport Series (1998) for Hands of Wycombe; and Tandro Chair (originally designed in 1961 and produced in the 2000s) for Emmemobili of Cantu, Italy.

Harcourt’s work has been exhibited at iconic institutions worldwide, such as the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Prague Museum of Decorative Arts, the Design Council in London and Glasgow, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Notably, he was awarded the highly prestigious title of “Royal Designer for Industry” (RDI) by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) in 1978, and has held several esteemed professorships at various academic institutions including his alma mater, the Royal College of Arts in London.

Harcourt retired from furniture design in his seventies, to pursue a passion for painting. Today, he lives in Oxfordshire and continues to paint. His work is representational and reflects a broad interest in his surroundings, including still life subjects and life studies.

* Images courtesy of Artifort

Wallpaper hanger and upholsterer Jules Wagemans (1866-1943) laid the foundation for Dutch manufacturing brand Artifort when he opened his bespoke furnishings atelier, H. Wagemans & Van Tuinen, in Maastricht in 1890. In 1920, his son Henricus Wagemans (1892-1948) took the helm and re-focused the company on the production of solid, well crafted, upholstered armchairs and other seating in traditional styles. In 1927, Henricus changed the company name to Artifort, which he derived from the Latin words, “ars,” meaning “art,” and “fortis,” meaning “strength.” Moving on a trajectory toward an ever-more progressive design approach, in the early 1930s, Artifort acquired a patent for “Epeda” single-steel-wire springs, which had already been used in mattresses and car seats, but never before in domestic furniture. This innovation allowed Artifort to produce more comfortable chairs and sofas in less time and with fewer materials. 

In 1939, Dutch designer Theo Ruth (1915-1971) became head of design and development—a position he maintained until his death in 1971—and proved instrumental in establishing Artifort as one of the most design-conscious companies of the 20^th century. After World War II, under the directorship of Henricus’s son H. J. J. (Harry) Wagemans (b. 1921), Artifort acquired a high-pressure molding machine, which allowed for much more minimalist yet cushioned designs. Early examples of this reduced style include Ruth’s Congo Chair (1952) and Penguin Chair (1953).

Artifort’s signature vibrant and biomorphic aesthetic fully blossomed when Dutch designer Kho Liang Ie (1927-1975) agreed to consult for the company, starting in 1958. In addition to designing a number of iconic pieces for Artifort, Kho instigated important collaborations with foreign designers, most notably French designer Pierre Paulin (1927-2009) and British designer Geoffrey Harcourt (b. 1935). As tastes for space-age designs peaked in the 1960s and 1970s, Artifort found international success, especially with Paulin’s colorful, jersey-covered “seat sculptures,” like Orange Slice Chair (1960), Model 560 Mushroom Chair (1963), Model 582 Ribbon Chair (1966), and Model 577 Tongue Chair (1966-7). Since the 1970s, a variety of standout designers have collaborated with Artifort, including Gijs Bakker, Jasper Morrison, René Holten, Patrick Norguet, and Khodi Feiz.

Artifort pieces are included in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Centre Pompidou in Paris, and Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein. 

In 1998, the Lande Group in Schijndel purchased Artifort from the Wagemans family, opening new factories in Schijndel and Lanaken in Belgium. The company celebrated its 125^th anniversary in 2015. 

* All images courtesy of Artifort.