With some variation in dimensions and materials, Rietveld manufactured many of these chairs from 1918 onwards. In 1923, he painted the raw wood, using black and the three primary colors of red, blue, and yellow, and became renowned for his “Red/Blue Chair”. Rietveld joined the Dutch design group “De Stijl” in 1918, one year after its founding. Though this chair dates prior to this period, we can already see that Rietveld’s work was in harmony with early abstract art at this time. Also, from such details as the dowels used at the joints, we cannot overlook Rietveld’s ability in traditional craft practices as a furniture maker.
