Kaare Klint1888 - 1954
Kaare Klint (1888–1954) was a visionary Danish architect, designer, and educator, widely regarded as the founder of modern Danish furniture design. His approach redefined Scandinavian aesthetics in the early 20th century, merging classical craftsmanship with a deep understanding of function, proportion, and human ergonomics.
Trained as an architect and the son of the esteemed P.V. Jensen-Klint, Kaare Klint completed his father’s masterpiece, Grundtvig’s Church, in 1930. Yet his greatest impact emerged in furniture design, where he introduced a disciplined design philosophy centered on human scale, clarity of form, and refined material use.
Klint founded the Furniture Department at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1924, shaping generations of designers—including Hans J. Wegner, Børge Mogensen, and Finn Juhl—who would carry Danish modernism to international prominence. His furniture, influenced by Shaker, Biedermeier, and Chippendale traditions, demonstrated that functionality and beauty could coexist in perfect balance.
Iconic works such as the Faaborg Chair (1914) and the Safari Chair (1933) exemplify his pursuit of honest design, precise craftsmanship, and enduring simplicity. Klint’s legacy remains foundational to Danish modern furniture, bridging artisanal heritage with the rational ideals of modernism.
