Stoel, Art Nouveau, met perkament beklede rug en zitting. c. 1900

This Art Nouveau chair with a parchment seat and back was designed by Carlo Bugatti. The chair has a very particular composition—it provokes a striking visual experience through its contrasting material, the dark, elaborate woodwork plays against the light, parchment surfaces. Bugatti’s chair invites us to deconstruct the familiar into its basic components. At first glance, the chair appears functional, yet its aesthetic qualities take precedence. The contrasting tones and textures—smooth parchment against ornate woodwork—create a tension, destabilizing our expectations of furniture design. Ultimately, this chair exemplifies how Art Nouveau sought to integrate art into everyday life, challenging the divide between functional object and artistic expression. It encourages us to view design through a lens that values aesthetic experience as much as utility.